Avella Calls on NYC Parks to Reevaluate Sidewalk in Desperate Need of Repair

Queens, NY – This afternoon, State Senator Tony Avella stood with a Bayside homeowner to call on the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to reevaluate their Trees and Sidewalks Repair Program’s poor grading of the damage done to the homeowner’s tree from a NYC tree.

The homeowner’s sidewalk has been broken up and lifted due to tree roots encroaching onto her property from underneath her sidewalk.

Currently, DPR rates the sidewalk, located in front of 209-19 53rd Avenue, at 79/100, putting it outside of DPR’s priority. Senator Avella has noted in letters—that DPR has yet to respond to—that it is the second worst sidewalk condition he has ever personally witnessed.

Interestingly, a neighbor has a slight lift in their sidewalk resulting from a different tree that is not nearly as dangerous and also received a 79/100.

“The fact that this tree and sidewalk situation received a 79 is ridiculous and shows that the Parks Department is asleep at the wheel when it comes to their Trees and Sidewalks Repair Program. The sidewalk damage is incredibly dangerous and nearly impossible to walk over without putting your body at risk. Parks needs to come out here and reevaluate this situation immediately, as I have been requesting for months. Hopefully they fix this before residents begin closing off the entire sidewalk themselves,” said Senator Avella.

The homeowner, who first contacted the Senator about this decades old hazard after receiving a postcard indicating he would conduct house calls, said, “I called the Senator and he was here immediately trying to help me and requested that Parks address this and nothing is being done. It is only getting worse I am afraid of what could happen if people fall. This has to be addressed right away. Sometimes people wait until something happens and that is not what I want to happen in front of my house.”