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Editorial As the Bloomberg administration fantasizes about new Jets and Nets stadiums and bringing the Olympics to the city for a few weeks in 2012, let's remind ourselves that the city controls existing large and promising properties it appears to care little about. Exhibit number one would be the Kingsbridge Armory, where the city promised to issue a request for proposals last fall, then pushed it back to early spring, and now has no comment at all on when it might surface. "We're still trying to work on it," said a spokesman for the city's Economic Development Corporation. "This is a very complex project." We don't see what's so complex at this point. The hard part was getting everyone on the same page about the kind of redevelopment that should go on at the armory. As Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión told us the other day: "We all know what we want there." That we do: schools, community and entertainment space and retail stores. All Bronx elected officials and community groups are on the same page with this prescription. One minor hopeful development is that the impasse between Carrión and other Bronx Democrats like Council Member Maria Baez over whether or not there should be another hearing appears to be resolved. "I think there may be another hearing," conceded Carrión, who opposed more hearings in his State of the Borough address in February. A hearing at this point may well be redundant, but at least a political impediment has been removed. So, can we move on now with the hearing and the RFP before the Nets hit the hardwood in Brooklyn? We Need More Trees Why don't we have more trees in our neighborhoods? There are some blocks right around our offices that have not a single tree on either side of the street. Vandalism, car accidents, disease and lack of water all take their toll. But in neighborhoods with names like Norwood, Bedford Park and Fordham Manor, we should see a more concerted effort to replace trees that sadly have to be removed. A few years ago there were three mighty oaks on Bainbridge Avenue between 206th Street and 207th Street. When there was a serious concern that they had overgrown their root structure and might topple over, they were taken down. But only one young locust tree was planted in their place. On many a block this story repeats itself. Places where there were once several trees now have only cemented over tree pits. Strangely enough, there are people who don't want trees. They attract dogs and what dogs leave behind. For some unfathomable reason, people throw litter at the bases of trees. For these reasons, the Parks Department requires some sort agreement from a property owner before they will plant a tree. Many fine organizations in our communities have stepped up to the plate in this regard. Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation has long worked diligently to request and maintain trees in the front of buildings that they own and/or manage. The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center has sponsored a tree program in front of the main Center building and the Jerome-Gun Hill BID has assiduously requested trees and maintains them with tree guards, a sanitation crew and annual planting. But we need more. If you want more trees on your block, talk to your neighbors about it and contact us here at Mosholu Preservation Corporation. We will help with the process of requesting trees and certifying that the adjacent property owner has no objection to them. And help keep our trees healthy. There are numerous resources to help us learn how to keep our trees well watered and otherwise in good shape. Let's green our neighborhoods.
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