UPDATED at 2:37 p.m. A Battery Park Marina employee was injured after a tree fell in the park and on top of a fence near the marina on Thursday morning.
The worker was picking up leaves when strong winds knocked the tree down. The worker, Gary Driscoll, was transported by ambulance to Firelands Regional Medical Center and has since been released.
Check Friday's Sandusky Register and sanduskyregister.com for updates
Comments
murray & murray?
One lawsuit coming up. All those rotten neglected trees are blowing down and injuring people. Instead of the City getting proactive, this is what happens.
Now I'm no horticulturist but taking a look at photo number 3 I'd say the tree, even-though it has leaves, was in bad shape.
There are several trees in this town that are all of the same age. The removed tree at the corner of Columbus and 48th street was completely dead for several years. There has been a list generated of trees needing removed/replaced and it is very lengthy. However, the issue is not being addressed due to some commissioners claiming the City's poverty level budget.
How about we take Commissioner Smith's $9,999 City Hall enhancement feasibility study and spend it instead on a decaying and dangerous tree stock.
Isn't this the third tree incident in recent months?
T. A. Schwanger
A lot more of this stuff is going to happen if the city does not start cutting down some of these big and obviously dead trees. I can think of one that will take out a few houses, power poles/lines, and likely some people when it falls.
Even the trees in this town are committing homicide. This town is getting worse and worse. I cannot even walk past a tree with be afraid of getting murdered now...
The fallen tree is obviously not dead.
There were VERY strong winds for a few minutes this morning in Sandusky, and probably a microburst. Some of the trees on Battery Park are Silver Maples, and this appears to be one of those.
The Silver Maple is a terrible choice of tree almost anywhere. It's a weedy tree that's short-lived, weak and has greedy roots. I don't know how they ended up in Battery Park but they should never have been planted there. To preserve the canopy that provides needed share, they should not come down all at once but replacement trees should be planted and once they get established the poor-quality trees should gradually be removed.
The city today would say it's strapped for funds but this was discussed in public meeting years ago when money was less of an issue, and planting a few small trees per year doesn't cost that much, anyway.
One cause of deferred maintenance is uncertainty of the park's status. The Marina District was a bad idea that was probably doomed from the start but at least one version of the plan would have put condos where the trees are, thereby justifying taking no action to maintain that bit of urban forest. (For similar reasons, "Surf's Up" AKA Sandusky Bay Pavillion, crumbles.)
Another problem is that the city has a contract with a private entitly to manage the property. I don't know what the exact terms are, but they are responsible they are apparently "insufficiently incentivized" to take care of this.
This is also within the purview of the Tree Commission. They need to recommend that more good-quality trees are planted now so that are the shade-providing trees are lost, we're not left with little sticks and no shade.
The Shelby Street Boat Launch looks like it's falling apart from neglect.
I actually got out of my car and looked at the tree. Factitious has his facts straight. The tree was far from being "obviously dead". Last time I checked the City has a 2 man crew that handles tree trimming and removal. Get off your butts and call it in if you see a dead tree instead of whining.
Was the person seriously injured, anybody know?
According to the article, he was treated and released.
There's a tale of the trees in Sandusky...
Now I'm no horticulturist but taking a look at photo number 3 I'd say the tree, even-though it has leaves, was in bad shape.
There are several trees in this town that are all of the same age. There has been a list of trees needing removed/replaced and it is very lengthy. However, the issue is not being addressed due to come commissioners claiming the City's poverty level budget.
How about we take Commissioner Smith's $9,999 City Hall enhancement feasibility and spend it instead on a decaying and dangerous tree stock.
Isn't this the third tree incident in recent months.
T. A. Schwanger
Just because a tree has leaves on it make it a viable tree. The winds weren't that high. Look at the rot in the trunk.
Hope Gary is okay Most aborculture from the Acer group go on decline about 70years. Silver Maples should be used in limited settings. I agree with TA. Norwalk needs agressive action on theirs. Only a matter of time before a lawsuit.