Politics & Government
Video: Residents Back Bamboo Limits, Want More
Town proposal would demand homeowners keep the invasive plant at least 10 feet from property lines.
Smithtown residents are backing a town limit on bamboo plantings, though concerns about costs and scope have many thinking more needs to be done.
More than 25 community members spoke during Thursday’s public hearing about the proposed town code amendment , which would mandate that homeowners keep plantings of the invasive plant at least 10 feet from property lines.
Mary Ann Pino of St. James said the proposal is too broad and would not tackle the issue of root penetration from one property to another.
“There is nothing that says that running bamboo will only travel 10 feet and will not invade someone else’s property,” said Pino.
“Invasive bamboo has punctured pool liners, damaged pool heaters, destroyed fencing, collapsed cesspool lines, pushed over basement foundations, destroyed other landscape vegetation, and has pushed its way through brick and concrete patios,” said Keith Alletto, who along with his wife Ann Marie Alletto, , causing damage to their cesspool, basement and more.
But Keith Aletto also thinks the proposed amendment is not aggressive enough, and suggested a 40-foot limit instead.
Laura DiLorenzo of Kings Park said she has spent hours and hundreds of dollars to remove the bamboo that came from a neighbor’s planting.
“I was spending five hours a week from March through November removing stalks from my property,” she said. “To prevent future rhizomes coming over from his property I had to install an underground root barrier system and disconnect his growth from my property, which cost me $1,500.”
Pino also said the removal of bamboo is a costly burden for homeowners, given how hard it is to remove the plant. Bamboo, a type of grass, can be very tough to control since its roots can travel far distances under the ground, like certain vines.
While the proposed bamboo limits have its share of community supporters, not everyone backs the idea.
Joe Mercurio of St. James, who has had bamboo in his yard for more than 20 years, called it unfair for people who already have bamboo to remove it at their own expense, especially if they maintain it properly.
No date for a vote on the proposed amendment has been set.
Smithtown Patch Editor Peter Verry contributed to this report.
