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LINA MEMBERSHIP ALERT: NEW TREES FOR LITTLE ITALY ARE IN DANGER--Come to CB#2 Meeting August 19th

This is an ALERT, and a request for action from you.

Our Little Italy Beautification Program has received great support from the whole community! The Parks Department has approved thirty-six trees to be planted throughout the entire neighborhood this Fall. HOWEVER, the six trees approved for Mulberry Street are in jeopardy. People from the Mayor's Office are claiming wrongly that there is a "no tree" policy on Mulberry St. This is untrue.

Please rally at the next Full Community Board #2 Meeting on August 19th to voice your concerns:

CB#2 Full Board Meeting (Thursday, August 19th)
St. Vincents Hospital
170 W 12th St. (between 6-7th Aves.)
Cronin Auditorium, 10th Floor
7 PM --Come at 6:45 pm. to sign up to speak--fill out a slip

Speak and ask for their support. Send letters to our Mayor and send a copy to the Community Board, Council member Kathryn Freed, and LINA. If you have time to send other letters, use our cc. list below and consult your LINA Contact Sheet.

HERE IS THE STORY--Use this information in your letters:

1. Little Italy neighbors worked with residents, businesses, and building owners to apply for free NYC Parks Department trees. We worked with CB#2 & NYC Parks Dept., and 36 free trees have be approved to be planted this Fall in the entire Little Italy neighborhood.

2. BUT 6 trees approved for Mulberry Street are in jeopardy, along with all previously planted trees on Mulberry Street.

3. Why? The Mayor's Street Activities Permits Office (SAPO), headed by Mildred Duran, wants to stop them and claims there is a "no tree" policy on Mulberry Street, according to a zoning resolution. Parks and LINA received copies of this resolution which nowhere says that trees are not allowed. In fact, it is mandatory for new buildings in Little Italy to plant sidewalk trees, except for Mulberry Street, where planting is a the discretion of the owner.

4. Duran's Office will not respond to LINA enquiries by phone. Talk in the community via input from city agencies is that objections to the Mulberry Street planting come from Anne Compoccia, head of the Feast of San Gennaro and the Mulberry Street Mall because trees will interfere with street fairs.

5. But Planting Mulberry Street Trees was brought up THIS SPRING at a Town Hall Meeting on May 4, 1999 at PS 130, sponsored by Community Board 2. When asked if it was a problem, Ms. Compoccia publicly announced to all present, including past Board Chair Alan Gerson, present Board Chair James Smith, and other CB@ officers and members, that the Mall and the Feast organizers would NOT object to tree planting on Mulberry Street.

6. The street fair objection has already been dealt with at a public community forum. There are no resolutions on city books precluding treet planting. **Parks has requests from CITY PROPERTY OWNERS. We ask the Mayor to insure a Fall Planting for Mulberry Street!!