In Case It Hasn't Hit You On The Head Yet, There's Something You Should Know About 333 1/2 State Street!

 

If you happen to get slapped on any part of your body, including your head, by a branch attached to the sidewalk tree in front of 333 1/2 State Street, you should know two things.  First, you aren't the only one to be treated with such disregard by the homeowner.  Second, that unmaintained sidewalk tree that got in your and so many other people's way stands directly in front of 4th ward council member Rich Volo's house.  That annoyance and code violation sidewalk tree is Rich Volo's tree.   

Rich Volo must be really proud of that tree of his given that, as you may know, he is the city's get-more-trees-in-the-ground champion, an agenda he pushes as the head of the Conservation Advisory Council.  Apparently, though, from the looks (or feel on the face) of the unmaintained condition of his sidewalk tree, Rich Volo wouldn't mind if every tree in the city found along a sidewalk or on private property were to go unmaintained all year long, regardless of the implications for pedestrians or what the city code stipulates about tree maintenance.  Rich Volo probably doesn't give a crap whether Nick Fox at Code Enforcement ever issues one code violation notice to a property owner regarding their unmaintained vegetation -- including trees, shrubs, weeds, and grass -- in his 4th ward or, for that matter, the entire city.  Rich Volo wants trees to be left alone and  ignored.  He also wants holes in the sidewalk where trees once stood to be left alone so that someone can fall and hit their head on the concrete and be taken to the hospital in a coma or bypass the hospital altogether to visit the morgue dead instead.  This is Rich Volo, the city's supposed tree champ.

The cone recently made its
 way next to the hydrant to protect it!

During a recent CAC meeting, I asked Rich to explain the CAC's approach to dead or unmaintained sidewalk trees that they had gotten in the ground at the request of property owners.  I don't recall Rich's exact words (I've written about it in a recent post), but it was something to the effect of, "We get trees in the ground, and we tell the owners how to maintain them.  What happens to the trees after that is of no concern to the CAC.  We are not in the enforcement business."  Rich also told me that treeless tree grates along Warren were DPW's responsibility, not the CAC's.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is apparent to me that Rich Volo is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

If you do feel the need to knock on Rich Volo's front door to ask him when he plans to properly and respectfully maintain his sidewalk tree ("this year or next, buddy?"), I suggest you be really careful where you step as you head to and from his door.  As you can see in the picture below, there is a wide 3 or 4-inch-tall concrete curb (I can't think of a better word for it!) -- painted yellow, thank goodness!!! -- at the edge of the sidewalk where the walkway to his front door begins, greeting everyone (who notice it) coming and going who hope to say hello to Rich or maybe deliver a package to his door.  (Where's the moat?)  Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't that curb considered an ADA violation and, in the realm of public opinion, also considered rather obscene, disrespectful, and dangerous?  Fortunately, for the mail carriers delivering mail to 333 1/2 State Street, Rich was kind enough to put his mailbox at the sidewalk.  Thoughtful fella, that Rich, ain't he!  (Has Rich ever tripped over his own yellow curb and landed on his chin?)

Welcome to the danger zone
that is 331 1/2 State!  Can we add 
some red (blood) to the yellow curb
and the  black water hose?

Along with the sidewalk tree eight feet away, shouldn't that yellow curb in front of 333 1/2 State also be considered a code violation by our Code Enforcement Department, regardless of what Rich Volo thinks about both of them (if he thinks of them at all)?  What if everyone had a 4-inch-tall concrete curb (yellow, green, black, unpainted, falling apart...) welcoming everyone to their property?  Would Rich Volo be okay with that, too?  4-inch curbs for walkways and unmaintained tree branches for sidewalks!  While we're at it, why not add neglected sidewalk tripping hazards and a bunch of banana peels, loose stones, marbles, and dog shit and ignore all of it?  Would that make Hudson a more walkable city?

I like to think that the character of a property owner can be fairly accurately judged by the condition of their sidewalk tree(s), much as they can be judged by the condition of their sidewalk(s).  (It's not a novel notion to claim that our created surroundings are a reflection of who we are.)  The owners of unmaintained trees -- whether on sidewalks or private property -- and/or unmaintained sidewalks that make things annoying, difficult, or dangerous for pedestrians (and ugly for the city) are nothing more than red flags being waved by people you probably want to steer clear of.  That's my take on human nature.  Of course, this theory is made complicated by properties that are abandoned, vacant, or otherwise ignored by owners and Code Enforcement alike.  In those instances, I like to say, "Stay away from Code Enforcement, too!  They won't do anything to help you."

A perennial problem for the past 6 or 7 years,
worse this year than ever before.
The overgrown vegetation outside the fence was 
removed two or three days ago; the rest was left alone.
538 State, owned by a deadbeat by the name of Louis 
Jargow, who appears to live in Kingston, NY.

Don't we need to hold city officials accountable for their personal conduct, especially their disregard for pedestrians?  Don't we need to hold them to a higher standard than the average citizen?  Don't we deserve better than Rich Volo?  And isn't it apparent that the city's rampant quality-of-life, aesthetic, and safety issues (which seem to be worsening lately) are primarily coming from within -- and despite -- City Hall?  Rich Volo certainly isn't helping matters, that's for sure.

Non-existent editor's note:  This article originally referred to Volo's property as 331 1/2 State.   Sorry for any confusion.