Removal of oak trees in Floral Park upsets neighbors

Some Floral Park residents say a road construction project is destroying the look of their neighborhood.
Joanne Donnelly, a lifelong Floral Park resident, says she was horrified to see crews taking down the old oak trees that line Locust Street.
“I'm sick to my stomach. I am ready to sell my house. This is not the community I know,” she told News 12.
Floral Park Mayor Dominick Longobardi says the tree removal is part of a $1 million road project funded by grant and bond money. He says the roots of the giant oak trees have compromised the road and that the trees must come down in order to properly fix it.
“None of us want to take down trees,” says the mayor.
The village says the project has been in the works since 2016 and that residents were given plenty of notice. Neighbors told News 12 that they were notified “at the last minute.”
“I think that was done intentionally because they knew people would be upset,” says Donnelly.
In all, 39 oak trees are set to come down.
Residents also complained that the village didn't consider other options and never put the project out to bid. Mayor Longobardi says they were never required to do that.
Floral Park officials say the road project is expected to be completed by Labor Day.