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Residents urge preservation of mature street trees as Mineola readies major road work
Summary
Residents told the board that century-old street trees on Wellington and Bullington roads are 'irreplaceable' and asked the village to use arborist reviews and engineering options to avoid unnecessary removals as a multi-street reconstruction project proceeds.
A number of Mineola residents urged the Village Board on Wednesday to preserve mature street trees that could be removed as part of a planned multi-street road reconstruction.
At the start of public comment, a resident who later was identified as Mr. Salado said the old-growth canopy on Bullington Road ‘‘is irreplaceable’’ and asked the village to have an arborist review affected trees and explore alternatives to wholesale removals. He said many trees were planted 80 to 100 years ago and ‘‘would take generations to get anything like them back.’’
Mayor Pereira acknowledged the concern and said the village replaces about 150–200 trees a year and would share the resident’s letter and a privately retained arborist report with village engineers for review. ‘‘We will take this. We will meet with our engineers and we are going to see what can be done,’’ Pereira said, promising to consider options such as avoiding full curb-and-gutter reconstruction on a block or using a mill-and-pave approach when engineers determine that is feasible.
Officials said the technical challenge is the depth of work required for a full reconstruction. Excavating for new curbs, gutters and aprons can damage root systems and ‘‘destabilize the tree’’ if roots are cut on one side, increasing the risk that a tree could fall in a storm. For that reason, engineers will evaluate each tree’s root system and the project’s grading and drainage needs before final decisions are made.
The board framed the work as part of a larger, coordinated effort to complete multiple nearby streets at once to gain economies of scale. Pereira said the village is ‘‘trying to combine two years worth into one’’ for efficiency and that rebuilding a mile of roadway can cost approximately $1.5 million, requiring tradeoffs between longevity of the new road and preserving nearby trees.
Officials also raised timing and coordination issues. The village is sequencing work with utility upgrades, including National Grid projects, and with inspections required by the federal/state Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) to identify and, if necessary, replace lead water service lines. Pereira said a more specific timeline should be available this fall when engineers prepare bid packages.
Residents asked the board to prioritize on-site arborist assessments before removals and to hold neighborhood meetings if engineers recommend removing trees so residents can choose whether to accept a shorter-lived mill-and-pave surface in exchange for keeping trees. Pereira said the village would present options to residents when engineers report back.
Next steps: village staff will share the resident-submitted arborist report with engineers, evaluate alternatives, and report back to affected residents; a fuller project timeline is expected in the fall when bid documents are developed.
