It’s official…a vote by the Board of School Estimate Tuesday night squashed the million dollar basball park renovation at Montclair’s Woodman Field. More than 30 trees, some dating to the 1850’s, were saved in the process. The decision follows a recommendation from Mayor Ed Remsen Monday night to postpone ballfield improvements. “A triumph of reason over extraordinary pressure,” said Carl Kraus, one of many Champlain Terrace residents opposing the project. From The Star Ledger:
People opposed to the size and cost of the ballfield packed public hearings on the budget, citing such works of literature as the Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax,” a children’s tale in which the greedy Once-ler destroys a beautiful environment. The pleas did not fall on deaf ears.”It’s pretty remarkable that they were turned around,” Kraus said. “And I think it was led by the mayor, who had really searched himself.” The mayor is a baseball coach and an avid Yankees fan.
The makeover would have included a 40-foot fence, said to be taller than the left-field wall at Boston’s Fenway Park.
The ballfield still might undergo a renovation of some kind. “Whatever is done will be done in consultation with the residents,” Remsen said.
I’m happy for walleroo and his trees.
Where are the budget hawks now?
ebay
Gotta say, I’m glad the the folks in favor of the trees got it done. That’s a lovely part of town, and I think the ballfield plans were excessive.
Forgive me for lapsing into ‘when I was in school’ stories, but, when I played lacrosse at Montclair (and it was the same up until today when, hopefully, the field improvements will change things), we played on a muddy, then rocky and dry Anderson park field, where one corner always sloped uphill. No fancy digs for us, and we still won championships.
The high school and college athletic arms races are out of hand and I hope we can keep things sane in Montclair.
Lax guys always say they’re tougher than baseball players… this proves it (that and all the welts from having a solid rubber ball winged at you each day).
Good Job, Mayor Ed.
whew! mass “murder” prevented.
I think I read something about the two oldest trees being valued at at least One Million Bucks..
Let’s sell the land to Plofker. With 30 trees, he can build 90 McTreeHouses.
“valued at at least One Million Bucks..”
By the tree’s mommies?
Value? Meaning someone would, what, pay a million buy the tree and move it?
(scoff!)
Count up the sales from all the baseball bats you can carve out of that one tree — and a million bucks, yeah.
McTreeHouses, heh! Yes, and … Entstead at Montclair.
Leadership – isn’t it wondreful. Congratulations, mayor.
Wayne
Great news, I’m so glad the trees will be saved. It’s not that I’m against recreational pursuits but there must be a better way than taking down all those lovely trees.
Putting out a fire that the same person helped to start hardly makes that person a hero. It does make that person smart enough to know when they are wrong. Even if it is motivated by outside forces.
Those trees are beautiful and that track is awfully close to first base.
Love the McTreeHouses, butch.
Butch,
You’ve added a decimal place!
Tree #1 © = 11’8”; DBH= 44.56”; area = 1558.7”2
Tree is 155 years old.
Appraised value = $45,000
Condition = No rot, minor insect damage present, full and healthy canopy. Root
flair, excellent. Condition: 95%
Location: Specimen tree for a City park. 90%
Species: 100%
Tree #2 © = 12’4”; = DBH: 47.1”; area = 1741.8”2
Tree is 19 – 235 years old.
Appraised value = $59,000
Condition = Minor rot, minor insect damage present, full and healthy canopy.
Root flair, excellent. Condition: 85%
Location: Specimen tree for a City park. 90%
Species: 100%
well, I’m typo patti today
Tree is 19 – 235 years old. S/B
Tree is 190 – 235 years old.
why use a dash when a comma makes the statement even more impressive? e.g.:
“Tree is 190,235 years old”
Oh – So, they’re only “worth” $100,000??
Heck, Plofker will make a LOT of money then!!! He can alot 10% of them for affordable tree housing and sell ’em at $25k and still make a lot of dough!
Well, if anyone cares to go over to the Watercooler (and please, let’s not turn this into 90 posts on what’s wrong with the Watercooler ’cause I’m only trying to help) they can read the consultants report themselves. Pat is not making this up, only repeating the data in the report, and it’s posted in the files on the Watercooler.
The consultant that the neighbors hired and PAID to evaluate ALL the trees came up with the number close to $1MM for the trees.
In the report she uses accepted estimating practices to come up with her numbers.
Remember, even though a 60′ tree might only cost $60,000 to buy, it will cost AT LEAST another $60,000 to truck it in and plant it. Assuming you can find one.
Out in the Hamptons there is a nursery called Marders that sells these trees. They have buyers that go out around the country buying mammoth trees. The large trees I saw were nowhere near the size of the ones at Woodman, and they were priced $45,000 to $60,000 and up. With a similar sum for moving and planting.
So, if anyone has problems with the numbers, they’re free to get their own “expert” witness, but the expert used here testifies in court, for insurance companies, towns, etc.
Is anybody else bothered by the description of the mayor as “an avid Yankee fan”?
Me, I prefer my Yankee fans tepid.
Butch said *two* trees not all of them.
But if all of them are worth a million, then I think we should reconsider removing them. Let’s sell them! We can practically get the baseball field for free!
The somewhere else in town we can plan some new trees to pay for future baseball fields.
I understand that only one baseball player and his father showed up to advocate for the plan for the new ballfield.
One can only assume that the majority of the people involved in Montclair baseball did not support the BoE’s plan.
RoC,
I only gave the price of two trees- since that’s the number that Butch spoke about and overestimated by a magnitude of 10.
I’m not sure why Butch didn’t add correctly- they were always worth $95,000 – but then her math ability is not my problem or concern.
The two oldest trees are valued at $95,000 by the Certified Arborist that the neighbors hired.
So, I take it that you’re willing to wait another 235 years for the replacement trees to grow…some of us aren’t willing to do that.
Butch -I don’t think Mr. Pfloker is in the market for trees – and I don’t know of any “affordable tree housing” but then I don’t speak for him- only myself. I do take affordable housing in Montclair seriously and thought that you did too.
Appletony- yes you are correct displaying the years that way would be more impressive – but since I was quoting the Certified Tree Arborist’s report, I didn’t change her display method – I think the 0 in 190 disappeared when I tried to tighten up the word wrap…
“Butch -I don’t think Mr. Pfloker is in the market for trees – and I don’t know of any “affordable tree housing” but then I don’t speak for him- only myself. I do take affordable housing in Montclair seriously and thought that you did too.”
Clearly someone is lacking in the sense of humor department!
“I’m not sure why Butch didn’t add correctly- they were always worth $95,000 – but then her math ability is not my problem or concern.”
Ever heard of estimation?
By the way, $45,000 + $59,000 does NOT equal $95,000.
Nor does it equal $1,000,000.00 even when estimating.
Did you find some “afforable tree housing”?
“Nor does it equal $1,000,000.00 even when estimating.”
I was quoting the figure that Cary used above…$1MM.
Beyond that – it was a JOKE. At least mine was a JOKE – the number didnt matter – it was the PUNCHLINE that was the point, which you’d get if you had a sense of humor. (Versus your incorrect correction, another of your attempts to yell “gotcha”…yet, you were wrong!)
Also – Given that this is a meaningless internet discussion, I didnt take the time to go back to the dreaded Watercooler and wade through all the posts again. Pardon me for getting the number mixed up. (I certainly wasn’t going to wade through the insanity that is the “files section” of the Cooler either!)
As for your little digs about Affordable Tree Housing – well, again, no sense of humor on your part!
Must be tough being so grouchy.
::::awaiting your bitter, humorless response::::
I thought that “affordable tree housing” was a joke. Guess when I joke back I’m “grouchy, humorless, and bitter”. :>)
Are we only allowed to “joke” about trolls here?
I don’t agree that this is “meaningless internet discussion”. I’m sure that the postings on Baristanet helped to make people aware of the situation and to bring some out to town meetings to discuss the ballfield, BOE and trees.
It certainly isn’t meaningless to get residents involved in town government.
I remember folks on the cooler questioning my claims that the baseball parents were against the field or didnt care. After only one showed up to comment, it seems like they didnt care too much after all.
Now everyone can concentrate on their jobs so we can pay the $5 million for Club Montclair, the 10,000 square foot gym to be built at Woodman, complete with trainers, party room and saunas. Members only though!
“I remember folks on the cooler questioning my claims…”
you must not be a BD, Jimmy.
ROC,
Huh? What do you mean?
As a “non-BD” his claims may be questioned.
In my experience questioned claims of BD’s will be denied.
(it is part of the “rot” at the core of the censorship)
At the BOE meeting last Monday the Mayor announced his decision not to support the moving of Woodman Field this year. He also mentioned that even though the field will not be moved some trees might have to be cut down. The Woodman Field neighborhood association asked the Mayor to inform them prior to any trees being cut down. The Mayor has refused to guarantee that this information will be shared before any trees are cut down. Why? There should be no secrets by the Town’s elected or hired representatives if what they are doing is in the best interest of it’s citizens. It is unfortunate that we, the residents of Montclair, have to be the protectors of our Town’s most precious natural resource, our historic old growth trees.
ROC,
Are you saying that the trees that we tried to save have all rotted?
Where did the rot come from? Has the ceritifed arborista suggested a treatment for the rot?
I repeat what I said in a previous thread:
If the residents don’t want it and the baseball people don’t want it, who wants it?
It looks to me like ROC wanted it. He’s not pleased at all that we’re saving some money and that the trees don’t need to be killed.
And now he’s talking about rot. What is this rot that he’s talking about?
It also sounded like Butch wanted it.
He wanted to sell the trees and seemed to want to play baseball but didn’t know that the BOE locks the field.
He thought that the trees were worth a lot more than it looks like they are.
Where is he going to sell the trees. Is there a market for used trees?
we can put the trees in a tree museum.
And Butch in a “he” museum.
Does this mean we’ll be building a parking lot? Will it need a variance?
Does it really matter what Butch says or wants with regard to Montclair? She lives in Jersey City. I’m not sure why she continues to get involved in these discussions, other than perhaps she’s lonely and likes the attention she receives here and on the Montclair Watercooler.
Is Butch a she? really?
I thought Butch was a he because he was so aggresive and nasty.
Why would you put him or her in a museum?
“Mayor has refused to guarantee that this information will be shared before any trees are cut down. Why?”
What would you do with the information once you got it, scott?
alert the media!
loose the hounds!
call the neighbors and their
sympathizers!
pop a bud!
chain walleroo to a tree in protest!
oooohhhh. I lost my t
now it’s back.
butch desperately wants to be a he. She’s very young for her years, maybe some day she’ll figure herself out and will no longer need to lash out at baristaville. Until then, we can all watch with detached amusement as she continues her downward spiral.
“If the residents don’t want it and the baseball people don’t want it, who wants it?”
No one, apparently.
Who cares what any of us says or thinks? I for one hope butch keeps posting. Maybe she is lonely. Who isn’t?
Hey, I hear Naomi Campbell is seeking a new maid. Any takers?
Now I know why she’s so BUTCHY!!
It explains everything!
montclairion,
That’s a terrible and low thing to say.
I’ll say I miss Butch, if you can believe it. I almost (but not always) disagree with her, but she can put a sentence and an idea together. (lately something that has been in short supply.)
So, Butch, you’re welcome here. Post all the fallacious and misguided ideas you care to.
You’re correct ROC, what I wrote was openly terrible and low. It is much more acceptable to produce back handed compliments.
ROC,
So you don’t care if she lies, makes up things and twists her facts as long as the sentence she writes is readable.
But you think that Montclairion’s statement is terrible and low because it is alltrue.
Of course, Pissant. Members of the Secret Order of Tree Murders stick together :-)=
hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Tress: Enjoy the next 12 months…your last!
I thought that Butch was having them moved. Isn’t that true?
not quite.
he’s applying for affordable tree housing for them. it must be some new federal program that he’s found out about for indigenous trees. or is that indigent trees.
whatever, as he says above. it’s the punch line that’s important, not the facts.
they will move later.
cheeze,
it’s time for your master to change your litter and put you to sleep.
it’s not time for sleep yet. they just fed me. still have to wash my feet and back.
cheeze,
be quiet and go lay on the laundry for awhile. Purrrrrrrrrr.
the laundry smells. that was a bad bad idea