Just 3 hours after this morning’s “06880” story about the possible destruction of a stand of grand oak trees hanging over Mark Donovan’s property on Prospect Road, a work crew arrived with chainsaws.
They were ready to cut the trees, to make way for a developer’s new home.
Donovan — who is concerned about environmental and esthetic impacts, along with effects on the stone walls supported by the trees’ root systems, and possible changes to water runoff — and his family reacted quickly. They sat underneath the canopy, on their own land.
Concerned for safety, the crew has not yet begun cutting.
The Donovans, meanwhile, served coffee and cake to the work crew.
The tree-cutting crew, near the Donovans’ property line at Prospect Road.
Happy to take a shift.
Greenpeace would be proud! Great work, Dan. Give us the address again so we can chain ourselves to the trees!
tree cutting happens whenever a developer buys a lot. The property next door to me on Hillspoint Rd has undergone a complete cutting, not a twig has been left standing………….this should stop!!!
In the last year, three homes in sight of mine (downtown) have been clear-cut (or near clear-cut) for new home construction. The difference in the neighborhood is astonishing. Apparently, the same nearly happened with our lot when it was built (2006), but some neighbors spoke with the developer (SIR) and were able to save a beautiful ring of five extremely old evergreens in our front yard. We all love these enormous trees, and my favorite memory of our first summer here (in 2013) is my toddler daughter dancing in circles underneath their majesty. Please let us know if there is a signup to take shifts sitting under the Prospect Road Old Oak Trees; I am grateful for what our own neighbors did to save our trees 15 years ago.
Good for the Donovans!
How can we join the protest!
GOOD FOR THEM…Clearcutting should be a town approved by case
It may be hard to believe today, but in the 1960’s and ’70’s home builders prided themselves on their skill to retain as many mature trees as practical on a new home site. The result was that new subdivisions of multiple new homes had the appearance of an established neighborhood rather than the barren look of the Levittown types of development seen in the suburbs of Long Island and Houston.
Today the pattern seems to be to denude and regrade the site to optimize the the size of the house and improvements. Is this really what new home buyers prefer?
The on-going removal of trees and chronic regrading of new home sites is exacerbating storm-related flooding along with accelerating siltation rates which clog our streams and impact the infrastructure of existing drainage improvements.
Is it any wonder that Deadman’s Brook becomes Deadman’s Lake more and more often during storm events?
Good points!
Just visited the site before noon and no sign of any Donovans.
The one tree downed already is large enough that it will take hours to chip it up. Yes, three more remain right at the property line within the setback limit so find me a reason to cut them down!? Oh, will the branches hang over the pool?
All for confronting the developer, especially after that misleading statement to Dan. At 1723 Post Road East. I’ll be there by 2:30. Who wants to join me?
we are here Bill…I’ll look out for you at 2:30pm
What a travesty