Trees trimmed, residents irked

The miles of electrical wires that run along Baldwin’s roads have a crucially important job, so it’s understandable that in order to prevent power outages, utilities hire crews to trim the trees near which those lines are strung.

This year, however, some Baldwin residents say they are unhappy with the tree-trimming crews’ performance and concerned about the health of some of the trees that have been cut and the aesthetic changes in some neighborhoods.

In Baldwin, PSEG Long Island, which took over the area’s electrical service on Jan. 1 from the Long Island Power Authority, began dispatching crews to trim trees in February and, according to PSEGLI spokeswoman Elizabeth Flagler, the utility completed its work on April 26.

PSEGLI sent letters to many residents over the winter, notifying them of scheduled tree work in the area. According to the company, tree trimming is a necessary part of its job, and has reduced the number of power outages caused by trees significantly over the past decade.

But Leonore McClean, who lives on Dahlia Avenue, said she did not like seeing some of the mature trees in her neighborhood get pruned. “It’s the tall, mature trees that make the community look nice,” McClean said — though she acknowledged that PSEGLI had not trimmed any of the tall trees on her property. The utility has four contracted tree-trimming crews, and when one was working near McClean’s home in late April, she called Nassau County Legislator Laura Curran to voice her concern. Nonetheless, McClean was not aware that PSEGLI had ended its work in April, and was still worried about her trees.

Curran was familiar with the trimming program, and she and Erik Mahler, co-president of the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, had taken a ride with a PSEGLI employee in March to check on the tree work. Since the trimming began, Curran said, she has received three constituent complaints.

After the ride-along and discussions with residents, Curran said she has noticed some poor trimming in Baldwin. “Most times they do it right,” she said, “but when they don’t it’s pretty glaring when your eyes are open to it.”