Flower Hill Mayor Randall Rosenbaum voiced a new tree's concerns about a new tree law that requires homeowners who remove a tree, replace it or pay a fee.
Photo by Larissa Fuentes
The Village of Flower Hill Board of Trustees approved a local law changing the replacement of trees removed from their properties while also considering new rules for sports courts, pedestrian safety and firefighters during their meeting on Monday, October 6th.
The board passed a law allowing residents removing large trees to pay a fee of $500 per tree into a village fund instead of receiving replanting. The money will go towards planting trees in public spaces.
One resident asked the board to move forward. Bea Helft asked the village to strengthen its tree list to prioritize Oaks and other natives that support wildlife and pollinators.
“Cutting 100-year-old oaks for ornamental trees is devastating to our environment,” she said.
Mayor Randall Rosenbaum noted that while the village maintains a recommended list of trees, residents can choose others. He noted that funds raised will help expand the street tree program with a focus on native plantings.
Trustees also briefly discussed proposed updates to the regulation of athletic fields, including basketball and pickleball. Currently, tennis and platform courts require special permits and 20-foot setbacks. Officials proposed expanding the definition to cover all sports courts, with possible changes to setbacks, fence height and noise reduction.
“We want to get ahead of the potential quality of life issues, particularly with pickleball noise,” Rosenbaum said. The board expects to review the language of the draft next month.
Trustees also reviewed a bill that would limit shrubs and plantings in street rights-of-way to improve sightlines and pedestrian safety. The proposal would ban guarding more than three feet within 30 feet of intersections and require a four-foot clear zone along road edges.
The meeting also included a presentation from Roslyn Highlands Fire Company increasing the benefits of retirement-style volunteering to improve recruitment and retention.
Richard Tocci, a representative of the department, said that they would like to increase their program for the service price for the service, benefiting from 20 to 30 US dollars per month of service and extending the maximum of 30 to 50 years.
“We had a crew where the youngest man was 65 years old,” Tocci said. “This small increase would cost taxpayers about $14 per year and would help us bring in younger volunteers.”
Any change must be approved by all participating municipalities and then by a referendum. The board said they would consider it.
The board also scheduled a public hearing in November to amend the village code for decorative fencing.
Under current rules, residents can appeal to the board of trustees for approval of frontline fences, but officials said the provision was never intended to allow gates or large structures. The proposed change would shift such requests to the Zoning Board of Appeals, which Rosenbaum says is “better suited to handle these types of applications” and would bring the code in line with its original intent.
Trustees concluded the meeting with updates on community events, including a well-attended “Touch a Truck” day that encouraged hundreds of families, and noted that they are already planning next year’s event.
Rosenbaum also shared a public health update from the Nassau County Health Department, which is distributing oral rabies vaccine packages across the North Shore, including parts of Flower Hill.
The packages are intended to be eaten by raccoons to curb a recent spike in rabies cases.
Rosenbaum urged residents not to touch the baits, which resemble small tea bags, and to keep children and pets away from them.
“If you see one, just kick it into the bushes,” he said, noting the campaign is a precautionary measure to protect both wildlife and the community.
The board will reconvene on November 3 to continue discussions on sports courts, court regulations and decorative fencing regulations.