Co-op Board, Spare That Tree: A Reprieve Grows on Roosevelt Island

Oct. 16, 2014 — No, "arborcide" doesn't refer to the port area of Cockney London. It's a term for tree-killing. And while there may be good reasons for removing a maple or executing an elm, a co-op or condo board reeeeeally needs to get community consensus on this — since if there's anything people love most next to their kids and pets, it's trees. There's a reason Shel Silverstein didn't write The Giving Shrub.

So, anyway, reports the blog Roosevelt Islander, the co-op board of Rivercross announced it was going to cut down four courtyard trees it said posted a safety danger and blocked the views of some apartments. The Roosevelt Island Tree Board — yes, that's a thing — rallied residents to a board meeting by pointing out possible ... shortcomings, let's say ... in the board's claims about the trees. And the board, to its credit, agreed to have what it said would be an impartial third arborist come in to render an opinion as to the trees' viability, and in a memo to shareholders thanked them "for their participation in the robust discussion." Which we think is just tree-mendous.