By Kevin Korber of Village Confidential
We had previously reported on the high number of dead trees in the newly-redesigned fountain space in Washington Square Park. Now, according to a DNAInfo.com post, the City Parks Department has acknowledged that the eight trees that have died in the fountain area over three years may require more investigation.
In an issued statement, a spokesperson for the Parks Department said that an investigation will be launched to determine the rash of tree deaths in Washington Square Park. According to the statement, Parks officials will test soil and examine drainage issues in the area in order to see if there is a potential problem.
Other observers think that the problem with the trees in Washington Square Park is evident. Arborist Ralph Padilla told DNAInfo.com that the trees were likely planted too deep into the ground, which prevents their roots from obtaining oxygen. Cathryn Swan, writer of the Washington Square Park Blog that first brought this story to our attention, blames the rash of tree deaths on the design of the new fountain, saying in this post that the area was designed without proper water drainage.
Moreover, Swan claims that the Parks Department’s response to the problem has been inadequate. Indeed, last week’s statement appears to be the first acknowledgement of any tree problem by the Parks Department. Swan has also attempted to go to Community Board 2 with the problem, but she says that the board has not addressed it.
The Parks Department did not give any information on when a proposed investigation would begin or whether or not the design of the Washington Square Park fountain would be taken into account as a cause for the death of the area trees.
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