file photo by Boyd Loving
from Marcia Ringel, The Preserve Graydon Coalition,
Last night I submitted three comments separately. Only the last one appeared (making no sense of its “P.S.”) I asked about this and was informed that the spam filter has been acting up. PJ asked me to send them again. Here they are:
Interesting that this announcement appeared the day after I submitted an OPRA request for the arborist’s report. Here is my argument: Is it possible that this is all accurate and the tree poses a danger? Sure. But if your doctor says, “There’s nothing I can do; you’re dying,” do you buy a cemetery plot or seek a second opinion? Rutgers has an expert in every county and the one in Hackensack might conceivably agree to look at the sycamore. This is not just any tree, but one that has been admired, photographed, and painted by residents and others for many decades. The decision to cut it down would feel a lot more valid if confirmed by another tree expert. If Rutgers can’t do it, the town can pay for it. An expert arborist has agreed to do a complete report for $750. That is only $50 more than was spent in tax money to create a video that has now been officially deemed an ethical failure. Our sycamore deserves a second opinion. It will hardly be free to take it down. Having a professional written report in the records would help to protect the village in case of an accident. When the town talks about safety, what percentage of that is fear of liability?
Regarding the age of the tree: the Ridgewood Library’s local history section has photos of the sycamore taken before the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the stone wall around the periphery of the Graydon swimming area and a smaller version of the wall around the tree island. (There used to be two such islands with trees along the Linwood Avenue side; one was removed when the swimming area was formalized from its earlier swimmin’-hole past.) The WPA also built the Skaters Shelter, now used as the badge office and food concession but intended as a place to warm one’s toes while ice skating. The cornerstone of that building, located in the lower right corner as you face the door to the badge office, says “1936.” The angles at which the sycamore’s limbs are extended in both old and more recent photos make it clear that the same tree has been there all along, watching Ridgewood go by for over 80 years and perhaps far more. Let’s give it a second look before we knock it down.
P.S. Anyone wishing to endorse this proposal (a second opinion) can reach the Village Manager by calling Village Hall at 201-670-5500 ext. 201 or via email at hmailander@ridgewoodnj.net. If this interests you, please don’t wait.
