If we have 5 people here who are concerned enough to take the time to post about this "issue" on the internet, why don't you all get together for a mere hour or so with some hedge clippers and DO something about it? It's YOUR neighborhood. So care for it. That's how change happens. Recognition, cooperation, and a bit of time and energy.
Point taken Community Action. I've used this App to help supplement my own hands on work around the neighborhood because at times it feels overwhelming and particularly ignored by city services. plus, if there's an App for this type of thing why not use it. I sent an email to my neighbors (all of whom are active residents) asking that they vote to get this "fixed" because well, it'd be great to get some help reclaiming the sidewalk, but also because I feel like there has been a decline in responsiveness to issues filed on this App and was curious to see if anybody from the city was still listening or if it made a difference as to how many votes an issue got. Anyway, we all keep doing our best as I'm sure you do where ever you live.
Community Action Guest- there's a troll living in that knotweed! Since you're a troll, how best can we, as a community, catch it and send it back to whatever dark room with a computer from where your people hail?
1. People who don't have the stones to put their name on their internet comments should be ignored of laughed at I'm lookin at you "community action"
2. Even if I wanted t take my chainsaw and flamethrower over there and cut the stuff down it is not legal for me to do so because it is city property and the city is the only entity which can block the street and do the work.
3. The city has maintained this shrubbery in the past, they just need to maintain it again.
There is no need to get mean. At it's best this App can be pretty great. I don't know, maybe I'm being naive, but I didn't get the sense that Community Action was being a troll. It seemed like an honest suggestion.
I just wanted to clarify the situation. The overgrowth covering the sidewalk is Japanese Knotweed. It is a nasty invasive species and a pair of clippers (or even many pairs of clippers) won't do the trick. Unless every part of the plant--especially it's dense bundle of roots--is removed, it will grow back within a matter of weeks. This particular patch of overtaken sidewalk is about 75 feet long and the prospect of spending a whole weekend hacking away at it every couple of weeks is frustrating to say the least. Solving this dangerous situation will take more than a handful of energetic citizens. It will require city equipment like an excavator to dig out a sizable piece of land to remove the root system. People have tried to get rid of Knotweed by cutting it down to the ground and pouring concrete over top of it, but the knotweed (a relative of bamboo) cracks the concrete and grows up through it.
So please understand the we know it is OUR neighborhood and we are a responsive and active group of folks. However, this particular problem is beyond the scope of a couple of residents and some clippers. We have posted it here because we need help reclaiming this long piece of sidewalk so we can safely walk to where we need to go.
I just wanted to clarify the situation. The overgrowth covering the sidewalk is Japanese Knotweed. It is a nasty invasive species and a pair of clippers (or even many pairs of clippers) won't do the trick. Unless every part of the plant--especially it's dense bundle of roots--is removed, it will grow back within a matter of weeks. This particular patch of overtaken sidewalk is about 75 feet long and the prospect of spending a whole weekend hacking away at it every couple of weeks is frustrating to say the least. Solving this dangerous situation will take more than a handful of energetic citizens. I'm not an invasive species expert, but it will probably require city equipment like an excavator to dig out this sizable piece of land to remove the root system. People have tried to get rid of Knotweed by cutting it down to the ground and pouring concrete over top of it, but the knotweed (a relative of bamboo) cracks the concrete and grows up through it.
I felt a little ruffled by Community Action Guest because they were suggesting that we haven't taken any ownership of our neighborhood and that we complain without doing anything about it. I don't think this is a fair judgement, especially given that this situation will take equipment and expertise that we don't have.
On a final note....is the knotweed growing from the Capital Records land? If so, they will probably have to be the ones to take care of it as they are blocking access to a public walkway.
Yes! The Japanese knotweed explosion that runs down the sidewalk from the corner of Harris and Eagle down Eagle Street has been a hazard for years. We really do need some heavy machinery to dig out the roots and clear it so it won't just grow back. The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council coordinated an intensive program to clear this invasive plant from the banks of the river. We need whoever owns the land -- Capital Records or the city -- to take the initiative here. In addition to being a hazard for walkers and people pushing strollers, anyone in a wheelchair has no option but to brave the busy two-lane section of Eagle amid heavy traffic.
Maybe if we fertilized it then it would grow out into the road and they would have to do something. Alternatively I could donate a gallon of Roundup though from the sound of things that may not be enough .....
Thank you very much for coming by and cutting the overgrowth back! It's very much appreciated! That said, it'd be great to identify a more permanent solution...
18 Comments
Dave S (Guest)
Sam W. (Guest)
kiki (Guest)
Robert Houllahan (Guest)
Anthony DiRenzo (Guest)
Getting to and from anywhere on foot has become quite a challenge.
Cars often pass by much too close and much too fast! It's really scary!
Community Action (Guest)
pvdcitizen (Registered User)
Anthony DiRenzo (Guest)
Robert Houllahan (Guest)
1. People who don't have the stones to put their name on their internet comments should be ignored of laughed at I'm lookin at you "community action"
2. Even if I wanted t take my chainsaw and flamethrower over there and cut the stuff down it is not legal for me to do so because it is city property and the city is the only entity which can block the street and do the work.
3. The city has maintained this shrubbery in the past, they just need to maintain it again.
pvdcitizen (Guest)
Jenny (Guest)
Peter (Guest)
mangopickel (Guest)
David Sharp (Guest)
Community Action Guest,
I just wanted to clarify the situation. The overgrowth covering the sidewalk is Japanese Knotweed. It is a nasty invasive species and a pair of clippers (or even many pairs of clippers) won't do the trick. Unless every part of the plant--especially it's dense bundle of roots--is removed, it will grow back within a matter of weeks. This particular patch of overtaken sidewalk is about 75 feet long and the prospect of spending a whole weekend hacking away at it every couple of weeks is frustrating to say the least. Solving this dangerous situation will take more than a handful of energetic citizens. It will require city equipment like an excavator to dig out a sizable piece of land to remove the root system. People have tried to get rid of Knotweed by cutting it down to the ground and pouring concrete over top of it, but the knotweed (a relative of bamboo) cracks the concrete and grows up through it.
So please understand the we know it is OUR neighborhood and we are a responsive and active group of folks. However, this particular problem is beyond the scope of a couple of residents and some clippers. We have posted it here because we need help reclaiming this long piece of sidewalk so we can safely walk to where we need to go.
David S (Guest)
Howdy Folks,
I just wanted to clarify the situation. The overgrowth covering the sidewalk is Japanese Knotweed. It is a nasty invasive species and a pair of clippers (or even many pairs of clippers) won't do the trick. Unless every part of the plant--especially it's dense bundle of roots--is removed, it will grow back within a matter of weeks. This particular patch of overtaken sidewalk is about 75 feet long and the prospect of spending a whole weekend hacking away at it every couple of weeks is frustrating to say the least. Solving this dangerous situation will take more than a handful of energetic citizens. I'm not an invasive species expert, but it will probably require city equipment like an excavator to dig out this sizable piece of land to remove the root system. People have tried to get rid of Knotweed by cutting it down to the ground and pouring concrete over top of it, but the knotweed (a relative of bamboo) cracks the concrete and grows up through it.
I felt a little ruffled by Community Action Guest because they were suggesting that we haven't taken any ownership of our neighborhood and that we complain without doing anything about it. I don't think this is a fair judgement, especially given that this situation will take equipment and expertise that we don't have.
On a final note....is the knotweed growing from the Capital Records land? If so, they will probably have to be the ones to take care of it as they are blocking access to a public walkway.
G Kiley (Guest)
Peter (Guest)
Closed pvdcitizen (Registered User)