Due to the entry of the cyclonic season, residents of the surrounding area Los Molinos Parkin Santo Domingo Este, are alarmed due to three trees that are leaning towards their homes on Third Street.
According to those who live in the area, these pine trees were planted in the management of José Francisco Peña Gómezwho served as trustee during the period 1982 and 1986. Since his last term to date, these environmental lungs have not been maintained.
A few days ago a branch fell on Rosalba’s home, who is right in front of the park and has repeatedly asked the Department of Beautification of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) to prune one of the arms of the tree that faces his house, but this has had no effect.
“A couple of branches have fallen; a branch even fell to my house and opened the door. Then, for beautification, they came and pruned me here (a part of the tree that fell on top of their house), but they have to take away the three trees and two that are there on second street,” Rosalba said about the problem.
Given the lack of response from the Santo Domingo Este City Councila committee of neighbors went to the Beautification Directorate, where they were sent to send a letter requesting a permit to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resourcesbecause these are the ones in charge of approving the felling of the tree.
“We went to the Environment and they were charging us RD$5,000. We went to them because, according to what they told us about beautification, in order to cut the trees we have to seek a permit from the Environment,” said Rosalba.
Likewise, Manuel García said that he recognizes that these trees contribute to the environment; It is necessary that they be cut because, if they remain in the park due to its inclination and the presence of rain, it will cause it to fall on your home or that of another neighbor.
“The pine trees are prohibited, but in this case they represent a danger. So, what we decided is that they cut it in half and, if the cabbage again, let it grow, but with the height of those pine trees and in the condition that it is, rotten, if they fall, it will destroy a house,” said García, highlighting the foolishness of pruning the trees.
The three trees that are leaning in front of three houses in front of the Los Molinos park are in a state of deterioration and covered with alcoma up to their branches; some parts already weakened and broken by the strong winds that have occurred.
Another affected person is José del Orbe, who every afternoon must remove the leaves and flowers that fall to his roof due to the branches that come loose from the trees, as well as the water that stagnates after the rains. This problem has caused leaks in a large part of his home, causing the building to deteriorate.
“The water has damaged my house. Since it’s raining, it’s full. If the city council cut down those trees as they should, my house won’t be filled with leaves and flowers,” Del Orbe highlighted.
Reconstruction of Los Molinos park
Although Los Molinos park is cleaned by the city council every morning, the residents of the sector have asked the council to rebuild the children’s games and family recreation areas.
Manuel García said that several years ago, through a Christmas contest, they won the bid to repurpose the park, but it was only covered with fences and no other work was done.
“That park won a contest and they even started to put a fence on it, but the money has already gone back and forth, I don’t know where it went,” he added.
The swings have lost their colorful paint and the rusty metal is being exposed; In addition to having some seats, they are worn. The seats, due to humidity, are covered in green mold.
Clogged filters
In the vicinity of the three homes affected by the trees, there are three clogged filterswhich on rainy days cause houses to fill with water until it is impossible to go out to the street.
Although they have requested that their filters be cleaned, they assure that they continue without receiving a response and this problem lasts for 3 to 4 days of standing water and flooding inside their own homes.
Tired of waiting for help from the authorities, they tried to decongest one of the three, but it eventually filled up again because it was without a lid.
