Tell Us: Bamboo Epidemic in TOBAY

Bamboo is taking over the Town of Oyster Bay.

Residents and experts spoke to the board for several hours regarding the Town's tree ordinance and a problem with bamboo.

"It's very invasive," said Jimmy Meehan, a landscaper in Massapequa and Farmingdale. "It goes on the driveway. It goes into the garage. There's no cement wall that's going to stop it. There's no plastic that's going to stop it. You cut it down and it comes back."

said two issues have to be taken into account before changes are made to the ordinance and before rules can be made regarding bamboo.

"The problems with the current ordinance were two-fold," said Venditto. "One was the [$75] fee [to take down a tree]. That' s easily remedied, obviously - you can eliminate the fee. The second problem was a little more complicated. There were quite a number of residents who were disappointed with government intrusion."

In July, the to adopt a ban on bamboo, preventing the planting, growing and maintaining of the plant.

Should TOBAY enact restrictions on bamboo planting and growth like the Town of Hempstead? Has it become a problem in your own backyard? Is this too much government intrusion, or is it a serious problem that requires the Town's help to eradicate?

Vote in the poll below and tell us in the comments!