City Repairs Root-Damaged Sidewalks

More than nine months after Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe announced the Trees & Sidewalks Repair Program - an initiative where the city pays to repair the root system of the tree and any damage caused to the sidewalk - requests have skyrocketed throughout the city.
Under the new program, the city instructs residents to call 311, and then Parks & Recreation will inspect, design and construct a sidewalk solution to alleviate the problem.
“The response has been completely overwhelming,” said Parks & Recreation spokesperson Gina Masullo.
Before the new program, the Parks’ Forestry Division had to make repairs to the tree’s root system and then the homeowner would have to arrange for a private contractor to repair the sidewalk. The homeowner was responsible for this expense, and sometimes costs could be as much as $1,000.
As of September 2005, the pilot program had received more than $6 million in funding including $4 million from mayoral funding and $500,000 from Borough President Helen Marshall’s office. Five months into the trial program, Parks & Recreation had inspected more than 6,000 sites and has already begun construction at many sites throughout Queens.
Frank and Jo Valenza, who live at 48-18 Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria, had been trying to get a tree stump removed from in front of their house for more than three years.
“It was all uprooted, and I didn’t want anyone to fall and get hurt,” Jo Valenza said.
After many unsuccessful requests calling 311 and the Parks & Recreation Department, the Valenza’s brought the matter to the attention to The Queens Courier in the form of an “Ask The Mayor” letter. Less than a week later, Queens Forestry came to their house and removed the stump from the sidewalk.
Since the Trees & Sidewalks Repair Program launched, the city has seen an unprecedented number of requests, and Parks & Recreation acknowledged that it might take a little more time to meet all of the requests.