TUSTEN, NY — The Narrowsburg Beautification Committee wants to plant new trees at Little Lake Erie.

Committee member Leons Freddie told the Tusten Town Board at its July 7 meeting that many of the trees on the lake are old and dying out.

Freddie, a member for more than two years, also owns The Wise Peony, a landscape and gardening consultancy and house plant store on Main Street in Narrowsburg. He said the trees proposed by the beautification group, and now by the town board, were chosen with care based their potential benefits to the community, wildlife and visitors. Some of the trees support spring pollinators, especially bees. 

The trees are as follows:

• Red maple
• Eastern redbud
• Dogwood
• Crabapple
• Ornamental cherry
• Weeping willow

Freddie said the new landscaping will not become an annoyance or obscure anyone’s view. The trees’ roots will not interfere with buildings or the road, he said, and will stay out of the way of electricity lines.

Town supervisor Ben Johnson and Councilman Kevin McDonough expressed concern about the willow trees interfering with power lines. Willows are fast-growing but are not always the healthiest of trees, Johnson said.

A resident said the tree planting might interfere with public fishing activities. “Don’t put a tree next to where people fish,” the resident said.

Town board member Greg Triggs said he will walk the area with the proposed plans and have feedback ready for the committee at the next parks and recreation meeting on August 5, which will be attended by beautification representatives. 

Parking fix proposed

Main Street is busy. When all its curbed parking spaces are full, two cars in opposite lanes cannot move up or down the street.

The Rasmussen building,  previously a furniture store, has reopened as The Shops of Narrowsburg, housing multiple small businesses, including a French restaurant, coffee shop and children's toy and clothing store. One resident thinks that’s why Main Street is more crowded than ever before and suggested bringing back the parking committee to work on solutions.

One solution floated was directing people to the town hall/library parking lot on Bridge Street, approximately 900 meters from the end of Main Street. 

McDonough said he supports reactivating the parking committee and adding more signs leading motorists to the Bridge Street lot. He also suggested having businesses and restaurants let people know about the extra parking.

Johnson said he’ll ask for signs from the Sullivan County Department of Public Works.