City Officials Say Mass Tree Removal In Long Beach Is A Public Safety Issue

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LONG BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) Long Beach residents are stumped and upset as hundreds of trees in the oceanfront town have come down.

Chainsaws roared through historic sycamores on Tuesday, but as CBS 2s Carolyn Gusoff reported, residents say many of the trees appeared to be healthy.

Its the loss of not having a beautiful tree lined street. These trees were over a hundred years old, Fred Rondina said.

Residents said that even living trees that appeared to survive Superstorm Sandy are being axed. Once shady streets are now lined with wood chips.

Some of the ones on this block are clearly blooming and just need a couple of branches pruned, and thats it, Ann Marie Klosky said.

Long Beach officials said the trees were inundated with salt water during Sandy, and now pose a safety hazard.

A tree could fall and could hit a pedestrian or traffic. It can be catastrophic, said Joseph Febrixio, Long Beach Deputy Commissioner of Public Works.

The city said that every tree was inspected by arborists with no financial motive.

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City Officials Say Mass Tree Removal In Long Beach Is A Public Safety Issue