The siege on our trees just never ends
As the fire loomed at the former Grand Bay site today, right down the block, trees were being destroyed at the corner of S. Bayshore and Mary Street. While all eyes were on the fire up the street, these guys were taking down large chunks of Gumbo Limbo trees on the public right of way. When questioned by Liliana Dones of Coconut Grove TreeWatch, the workers claimed they had permits for the job.
As is the case with all of these tree cutting events, when questioned, the workers jumped in their truck and sped off. If they had a permit, why would they do that?
"If a permit was indeed taken out for the purpose of pruning more than 25 percent, shouldn't there be a notice on the tree, so that we know what it is about and we don't waste our time or your time?" asked Liliana of the City Code Enforcement Department via email.
She went on to ask, "What happens now? Is the tree ok with major artery of the trunk missing? Is there follow up care? (or will this tree eventually be marked for removal because it is now compromised?"
To get involved and help protect our canopy, which is getting smaller and smaller these days, please get involved with Coconut Grove TreeWatch. The easiest step is to join the Facebook page here.
posted by Tom Falco at 2:50 PM
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4 Comments:
TOM,
Thanks for running the story about the Gumbo Limbo. to clarify it is one tree and it was Santiago who spotted it's cutting, as always, and went down right away to confront them. Here is what a friend who knows about botany and tree survival wrote to me regarding the Gumbo Limbo that was the victim of the "Drive By Pruning":
I drove by and looked at the gumbo limbo. You have a good reason to be concerned about its future stability with the possibility of the trunk rotting out eventually due to this trimming.
Noticed the utility cover on the ground painted blue. Maybe they did this to allow room for back hoes to dig up the street. Was the trunk a hazard? Did it lean out into the street? Were trucks hitting it?
I see this corner from my window. The answer to those questions, of course, is no, no and no. So far no one has owned up to ordering the cutting of the tree which was on the public right of way. The City Public Works Dept. said it did not issue a Permit. The NET Office is asking the County, as they say this is a county road, and therefore their jurisdiction. No word yet from the County.
But wait... there's more:
As a result of making inquiries on this permit, it was revealed that the only permit issued recently by the City PW Dept. was for none other than the 2 mahoganies on 27th Avenue in front of the Shell station, which TreeWatch had successfully appealed to the HEP Board on October 4th, 2011. The permit was forwarded to me last night. It was issued 1/11/12 to have them transplanted to just north of Rickenbacker Causeway-- taking them out of Coconut Grove altogether! So in spite of the fact that the residents of the Grove have repeatedly asked, on their own, through TreeWatch, through the Village Council and through the HEP Board hearings that the county inform them of the proceedings on 27th Avenue, somehow, this again would have slipped quietly by.
Curiously, the NET office did not send TreeWatch this particular notice, as they have been doing with every Notice these past 6 months ever since we made the big deal of their "mix-up" in not notifying us about the original 27th Avenue tree removals. I cannot help but feel that things are being obfuscated and that the NET not to pass this along. It was the NET office may have been asked or ordered not to pass this along. After all, they ended up having to take the blame for not sending notices out to residents when the first 17 trees on 27th avenue were cut down.
Residents and taxpayers of this constituency are being ignored when it comes to quality of life issues for which they have every right to voice their opinion! Tree Watch is of course appealing this latest effort by the County to liberate 27th Avenue of its current tree canopy. The argument of course will be that they are being replaced with "better" trees. All trees are better.
Liliana Dones
Miami is a city hell-bent on destroying itself. Unfortunately, the Grove is too appealing to let be. We win a battle only to be reminded this is a war. Secession is truly the only way take control of our village.
How's that Commissioner Sarnoff you all reelected- you know the one that doesn't let anything happen in Coconut Grove happen without his permission, working out for you?
Oh yeah, that's right, all the tree huggers showed up,signed a petition, had a drink and went home.
Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha!
al crespo
Actually Al, we are up to about 500 online and off line combined. Not bad for a week of whining.
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