LIRR Angers Some Bellerose Residents
Some residents that reside on a block in Bellerose Queens are upset at the LIRR for chopping down trees on transit property behind their homes. The residents are especially miffed as they feel it not only takes away their barrier to the noise & wind, it also devalues their properties. Cristian Benavides of Pix 11 has more:
Families along Superior Road by the Bellerose train station for the Long Island Rail Road are angry that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had trees cut from behind their backyards.
“I’m enraged,” said Paul Quinn. “The value of the properties must’ve gone down $40-50 thousand.”
In a letter, the MTA told residents that they needed to manage the vegetation along the train tracks.
The letter says they would “identify and remove” overgrown trees, but families say the crews sent by the MTA just arbitrarily cut everything down- with seemingly no rhyme or reason.
“I said I want some evidence of the species you’re removing because the letter says specific species the man told me we were just told to take everything,” said Janet Schebendach. “There’s nothing to block the sun, there’s nothing to block the wind nothing to block the noise.”
The families say they are exploring legal remedies since they feel their homes have devalued due to the MTA cutting down the trees.
Click here for the complete report.
While I understand the complaints of the residents, I don’t feel they have much of a case considering the trees cut were on transit property & not of the homeowners.
The safety & well being of the rail road trumps their personal desire to have trees to help insulate noise or block views. If these things were such concerns, they should not have purchased homes right next to railroad tracks. This is typical NIMBY action at work.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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