Monday, May 20, 2019

One Of The Large London Plane Trees Snaps In Half On President Street

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Photos of tree pruning along President Street between Smith and Court this morning.
(photos courtesy of Mary P.)
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London Plane tree on this block snapped in two just a few hours later.
(photo by Jim C.)
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(Photo Credit: Liz)


This morning, our friend and PMFA reader Mary P. sent us photos of Beucler, a sub-contractor for the New York City Parks Department pruning some of the old London Plane trees along President Street between Smith and Court Street. "I hope they are just pruning and not taking the whole trees down," Mary wrote.
I assured her that the trees had been in dire need of pruning for a while and that the Parks Department almost never cuts down living trees.

Well, wouldn't you know.  Just a few moments ago, friend Jim C. sent us a photo of one of the trees on that block, near the entrance to the Carroll Park ball field,  snapped in half, with its branches blocking the entire street. 
Luckily, there have been no reports injuries, but it looks as though at least two or three cars sustained some damage.
By this afternoon, the Fire Department had cut the tree into pieces and cleared the road.  However, there were quite a few pieces on the sidewalk across the street in front of several brownstones.

Of course it could be coincidence that the tree pruning on that block and one of them snapping in half happened just hours apart. But those London Plane trees have stood there for decades and it looks health.
Not sure we will be able to find out, but it is sad to lose one of these old giants.



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Possibly sloppy work. Who knows? It would be nice if someone could investigate the health of that tree. It seemed the tree people were there with two trucks for maybe 40 minutes then left. Thanks for sharing the aftermath. It is a shame. Two trees now gone from that block.

Francis V. Pirrone said...

hi
it's been a while
wow, those trees are the best.there is nothing like playing softball and
hitting one into the tress or over the fence
(which i never did)
i'm pretty sure "Joe Pepitone" played on that field way back when.
not to start anything, but it is part of Carroll Park history.
it must have been the spring of 1960+, we had a storm.
Tex Antoine didn't call them Nor'easters back then.
But it was a lot of rain.
That week, at the entrance to Carroll Parkacross from t
PS 58
a branch broke off the tree
(that is still there)
unfortunat4ely on a mom with carriage.
it was very sad


hi, Katia,
Frankie

Katia said...

How sad! Was the mom and her baby hurt?

Anonymous said...

Last year the “tree pruners” were cutting back branches, but found them too aggressive. Took too much off from most tress on the block. So sad.

the kid said...

well, let's say
they didn't make it
surprisingly, the tree is still there by the entrance to the park across from ps 58

best frankie