Queens Residents Fed Up With Tree Stumps, Downed Wires Lingering Since August Storm Turn To CBS2 For Answers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - People are fed up in Fresh Meadows, Queens.
Homeowners say they've gotten nowhere with the city in trying to get tree stumps removed and sidewalks fixed after Tropical Storm Isaias in August, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported Thursday.
Anita Adler has had it. She showed CBS2 the broken pieces of sidewalk leading up to tree roots and two massive stumps, with some scattered yellow caution tape. There's a third uprooted stump just a few feet away.
It's all been in front of Adler's home for nearly two months.
"More than frustrating... I have been calling the city to remove the stumps and redo the sidewalks, and I'm not getting any responses," Adler said.
There's another uprooted stump across the street, plus a pile of wires and other debris.
All of it takes up three corners of 71st Avenue and 169th Street in Fresh Meadows.
Neighbors said it's the remnants of Isaias.
They said crews were initially on the scene quickly removing all the trees that came down and replacing two utility poles.
Nothing's been done since then, they said.
Adler showed CBS2 an email from 311, which said, generically, work will get done "in time."
"Now they just left us. You cannot walk on this sidewalk," said Naomi Tuchman, another Fresh Meadows resident.
"I've reached out to CBS because I'm not getting any results," said Adler.
Grymes reached out to the Parks Department about the trees and Con Edison about the downed wires, since it seemed all of the problems were on city property - a strip of grass closest to the curb.
Con Ed immediately sent a worker to check out the situation. Then, a crew arrived to clean up the debris.
Grymes asked why this wasn't done sooner - before media intervention. A spokesperson said it was a regretful oversight.
"It's good to see something being done. Now, let them come over here," Adler said.
As for the rest of the debris, Adler hopes it gets resolved soon.
A spokesperson for the Parks Department told CBS2 3,600 trees fell or had to be taken down because if Isaias and said they're working on a plan to remove everything.
The spokesperson did not provide a timeline for completing the work.
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