Good Question: Who took down the trees in Penfield?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — There’s not a lot left of some trees lining Penbrooke Drive in Penfield. You’ll see just some pieces of wood and stumps.

That area is where crews recently came in and took out some dead Ash Trees.

A neighbor asked News10NBC’s Brennan Somers: "Can the Town of Penfield come on your property and cut down a tree they believe to be diseased such as the Ash Trees? I was not given any notice whatsoever of this taking place and do not have the money to have the stump removed."

Somers took those concerns to Town Supervisor Tony LaFountain

He says the trees public works took out were not on private property. They were in the town’s right-of-way.

One tree was also in the town’s sewer easement.

They did leave the stumps In many places local officials say that’s the best option when it comes to saving taxpayers an added cost.

In this case, the upset neighbor could still have all that’s left taken out but they’re on the hook for it.

This work happens in neighborhoods all over the region. Workers cut down dead Ash Trees because they pose a safety risk.

The culprit is the Emerald Ash Borer, a small but destructive beetle. An infestation will kill most trees in two to four years.

If you end up with a tree on your property that needs to be removed you have options.

If you know what you’re doing you can do it yourself. You can also get a contractor to do it. Be sure to call around and get multiple quotes first including how much extra it would cost to grind the stump.

_____

Watch previous Good Question segments here. If you have a question you’d like answered, email GoodQuestion@whec.com.