Community Chat

[Zhills]

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@KittySoftPaws wrote:

So, we moved to Naples, FL. 2+ years ago after my MIL passed away in Delaware and we sold her home etc. We went from a good sized house to a decent sized Condo that we inherited. So it made for an easy transition. When we arrived, there were still bottom level Condos in our development here being fixed from Hurricane Ian if you can imagine that. Luckily, we are on the upper level. Then, in the first year we endured 2 hurricanes and the hottest record summer in 35 years! Yes, it was recorded, and on the news. What a welcome. 

The problem is the constant construction and noise from power equipment. No exagerration, it has been non-stop since we arrived. If it's not here in our development, it's behind us on any one side. Today, on our side of the development, we had to move our cars because FL Power it taking down several of our beautiful very high and healthy palm trees to make room for more power lines. I am so upset by this. I am reminded of the Counting Crows song verse, "They paved Paradise to put up a parking lot" 

I don't know if anyone can relate, but it makes me very sad about the tree removals. Before moving here, we would often come here at Christmas and really enjoyed it.  It had been 6 years though, and it has become a very different place. Don't get me wrong, I am ever so grateful for a nice place to live and all of that, but the building, re-building, and constant construction is pushing this place at the seams. Rant over and out.

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I can relate!  I have lived in Florida over 85 years and the last 5 years have all set new records with weather!

This is not the Florida I grew up in, believe me!

I am in the Tampa area and it is growing like there's no tomorrow.  4 new hospitals, Amazon...jobs and more jobs and more people!

Don't have an answer!  

[Janey2]

@KittySoftPaws  Are you kidding me? @SilleeMee @should put her house and maybe life on the line for a tree, and I do not care what kind of tree. We are getting ready to take down 2 trees. When it is windy they sway like crazy.if they fall the wrong way there goes part of my house and anyone near by. 

[Desert Lily]

I think the goal for every single utility/power company across the entire country should be to install the tall metal towers for power lines (way above tree height) or bury them underground, to make sure no power lines are entwined with trees.

Whenever there's a major storm - ice storm, blizzard, tornado, thunderstorm, hurricane, monsoon, etc. - people lose power due to power lines being woven into or near trees.

Human beings - people - suffer due to loss of power & falling trees. They face extreme cold, extreme heat, loss of life, loss of communication, loss of home, loss of car, injury, electrocution, and more.

Over 500,000 people lost power during this month's storm alone.

I think there should be laws that prohibit power/utility lines to be near any trees. Perhaps a tax incentive for utility companies would help achieve this. Certainly no lines should be with trees in new construction developments.

I think there should also be laws that require newly planted trees to be an appropriate distance from dwellings so that trees don't fall on people's homes in storms. Just like puppies grow to be dogs, small trees grow to be big trees. 

And if people don't follow the grown-tree distance laws, then their insurance companies shouldn't have to cover them for those fallen trees.

I think it's absurdly ignorant (& cheap) for power/utility companies to replace damaged power lines that had been interwoven with the trees only to weave new lines into trees again. Does anyone really expect the outcome to be different during the next storm then?

Trees are beautiful, and they definitely have a place. But if we've learned anything over the decades about trees, it's that they don't belong with power/utility lines nor in a spot where they can land on a home or a car.

[rockygems123]

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@KittySoftPaws wrote:

@rockygems123  Not really, because the housing market here in FL hasn't picked back up yet. Especially with Condos. Has a lot to do with what happened in Miami a few years backs with older units 3 stories and up. We are in a 2 story, but it still has affected it. So selling now would not be ideal. Have considered renting it out, but that can come with it's own set of headaches sometimes. 

I have to remind myself there is no perfect place. Hawaii comes close though.

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@KittySoftPaws 

Hawaii does come close to perfect. 

That's good news though that you're in a 2 story.  Hopefully that noise will abate soon for you.  

[rockygems123]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

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@KittySoftPaws wrote:

@SilleeMee  Maybe, but at some point, enough is enough. People in general seem to forget that we are not the only living things in this World that deserve space. 

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@KittySoftPaws 

Yes. I understand but for me there is no "maybe". I can't afford to pay for the damages if my tree falls and if it falls on a person I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

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@SilleeMee 

It's sad to do it but you are wise to take care of the tree removal.

Think it was 2 years ago in May when we had a big snowstorm our neighbor's 50ft deciduous (elm?) tree came crashing down in our yard.  Shockingly no damage to the fence or anything else.  It grazed my neighbor's deck behind me and she was dissapointed as she wanted to replace it ha.

She did replace the deck eventually but no insurance claim.

[on the bay]

@KittySoftPaws,

I know how you feel about trees.

When they cut down one of my favorite and most beautiful trees here I cried. All the birds and squirrels loved it and me too!They cut it down because the roots were growing into the sidewalk.

And as soon as the electric company here had more trees trimmed and cut to "prevent outages," guess what happened? The power went out 3 times within 2 months! The problem turned out to be a transformer that they finally replaced!

I think power lines should be put underground. That causes so many less issues in a storm or strong winds.

I know that many times trees have to be cut down for safety. Still it is sad. I wonder what they were thinking when houses were built with trees very near surrounding them? Did they think this would make them sell well, but never thought what it would be like 20 years down the line?

I don't know.

[SilleeMee]

Big trees belong in forests where groups of trees give each other support and shelter from the storms. But in the city most trees are solitary and they lack the physical support of the natural groupings of trees seen in the forest. Big trees in the city need to come down sooner than later for many reasons.

[bikerbabe]

I would guess a Florida condo near the beach isn’t the place to find solitude.

[Kathy Naples Florida]

I have been here in Naples almost 50 years.  It has changed alot since then.  That is why my husband and I live in the woods on acreage for the past 31 years. 

[FranandZoe]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

I'm getting ready to have a 100-foot pine cut down off my property. It's not something that I want to do. I love the tree but it presents a hazard to my house and to the surrounding properties. High winds and severe storms can take down that tree in a matter of seconds and the destruction could be life-threatening so I made a decision to have it cut down. It's going to break my heart to see it done, believe me. 

In other parts of my neighborhood more trees are being cut down for safety reasons as well. I love the big trees but they can be dangerous in a residential area.

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@SilleeMee   I did the same thing - same size pine tree - 3 years ago.  It was close to my house in my back yard and I was scared to death every time it stormed and we had high winds.  Pine tree roots are so shallow and they're easily uprooted.  It was close to my neighbor's house too.  My husband never wanted to take it down and that was one of the first things I did after he died.  It was sad for many reasons - but necessary.

I also have an enormous locust tree that should be taken down.  It looks to be higher than the pine tree was.  It was hit by lightening about ten years ago - just took one big branch down.