Township whacked homeowner’s trees and bushes

I was at home sick on Thursday, Feb. 7, when I heard a loud noise coming from the east side of my property, and saw a piece of equipment making repeated passes at the trees that line the road. I went out to discover that the branches of my evergreens and two Japanese maple trees were being chewed off by something resembling a Brush Hog. I’ve seen the results of that type of “vegetation maintenance” done along highways, and have always wondered how it’s permitted, since it’s both unsightly and damaging to trees and shrubs.

I waved for the operator to stop, and asked him why this was being done. He said the township told him to cut the trees back five feet from the road. I was dumbfounded. I never received a letter telling me about the scheduled work -- something Peco does routinely -- or a letter telling me I needed to have it trimmed. Had that been the case, I would’ve hired someone to do the work properly; that would’ve saved the township money and me a lot of grief. Instead, I’m left with a row of mangled trees that look as if they’ve been vandalized -- something that I’ll have to pay someone to remediate. Will Penn Township reimburse me for the expense?

In the future, Penn Township should notify residents about the need to trim back vegetation, allowing them the option to do it themselves or have it done professionally by a certain date. In no case should such an extreme and damaging method be used on public or private property. That’s a gross misuse of taxpayer money.

Moira Daly
Penn Township