DCD

The City-owned retaining wall at the Hunt Woods end of Vernon Parkway has lost mortar over an area of about 10 square feet around a large storm drain pipe, The soil behind the wall has washed out to the extent that a 4-foot radius hole has opened up. The asphalt is at least a foot below street level, but it may be more. The leaves that are in the hole makes it hard to see how deep the hole is. If there were to be a pedestrian there it would be a hazard. I think the real risk is to the retaining wall.

Graffiti vandals have repeatedly spray-painted natural rock formations and boulders in Hunt Woods park. Many have long been carving up sensitive beech trees. Now they have taken to spray-painting living trees as well. On Thursday 16 May a dozen large living trees were spray-painted. Some of the trees have had the offending graffiti rendered less visible, but with unknown long-term consequences to the trees. Spray-painting on rocks and fallen trees has been painted over. One some thin-barked trees the graffiti remains.

Mount Vernon DPW does not seem to have the ability or will to respond.

On a path about 150 feet from Central Parkway is a fallen tree trunk. It has been repeatedly vandalized with graffiti. Residents seem to paint over the graffiti fairly quickly, but where is City DPW?

Several manholes in Hunt Woods are overtopped by Laurel Brook during heavy rains. Today the rains were neither heavy nor long

Dumping in Hunt Woods

DPW personnel have removed much of the plant material growing on 45-degree slopes, making erosion inevitable.

The wall along Gramatan Ave and the stairway wall down to Laurel Brook in Hunt Woods Park, Mount Vernon has a couple of stones that are ready to fall out, a missing topping stone and some mortar that has fallen out allowing a six-inch pencil to be inserted at the deepest point. A little repointing would do the trick.

Chunk of concrete (~10" x ~20") in walkway broken off, exposing beams etc

Wires (telephone or cable ?) hanging from utility pole on Rhynas Drive

New York Telephone / Verizon / Con Edison utility pole is supported by a guy wire that girdles an American beech located in Hunt Woods Park. The species has very thin bark. The guy wire has already penetrated the bark, affording an entry for tree-killing fungus (beech snap). The ~80-foot-tall tree could fall on the house that is about 30 feet away.

The poor bridge design (lack of camber can crown) leads to the accumulation of water and water-carried debris on the surface of this pedestrian bridge over the Bronx River between Yonkers and Mt Vernon, near Bronxville. The three small drainage holes cut into the sides regularly clog with debris leading to ponding on the bridge. Even when the holes are cleared, the fine clay left behind makes for a slippery surface. In freezing conditions the ponded water often forms ice over the entire width of the bridge.

The Park and especially Laurel Brook, which runs through it, is littered with plastic bags, candy wrappers, beverage containers, and various other trash, apparently discarded into the storm sewers, which drain into Laurel Brook, which drains into the Bronx River, which drains into Long Island Sound.

There is to be a Spring clean up on April 27 and 28. Wear waterproof boots if possible or be prepared to climb slopes around the edges of the park and along the brook. Heavy lifting opportunities are available.

On both sides of Central Parkway at Hunt Woods Park just north of E Devonia Avenue, the metal barriers are missing about five bolts to fasten the horizontal to the vertical members. One section was irreparably damaged by a fallen tree. At least one horizontal section is rusted out where the bolts should fasten it to the verticals. Most of the horizontals are at least partially rusted and there is some graffiti.

Oriental bittersweet vines are killing trees on the edges of the small sections of Hunt Woods Park between Central Parkway and E Devonia Avenue and between Central Parkway and the Cross-County Parkway.

Apparently the fill under the street over a culvert has been partially washed away, causing the street and sidewalk to sink and be covered by water and mud. (The culvert is not exactly under the line of subsidence. It is offset by more than ten feet.)

The corner of Rhynas Road (southern end) and Central Parkway is not drained, leading to a persistent puddle that forces users onto the street to pass, becomes ice in winter, and probably harbors mosquitos.

A telephone line needlessly crosses a neighbor's property on its way to its destination.

Street trees have lifted sidewalk paving sections to as much as 3 inches above adjoining sidewalk paving sections, creating tripping hazards