Why does the City want a Cobble Hill garden bench oasis removed?

In early July, Shafiq, co-manager of Darna Falafel in Cobble Hill, said he arrived at work early one morning to an orange and white NYC Parks Department “inspection” tape wrapped around the Linden tree in front of his shop. A handwritten message said, “no bench.”  

Darna Falafel’s bench is not an ordinary bench. It’s a small garden oasis on busy Court St. with a tall tree in the middle, which for the last 10 years has provided its customers a shady place to eat or escape from the rain. It’s also a popular neighborhood hangout spot.  

Now, the NYC Parks Department says the garden bench is damaging the tree’s roots and must be removed along with the plants and welcome sign that Shafiq added over the years. 

Shafiq showed me the inspection notice that arrived a week later, which says “the bench does not “comply with update[d] NYC DOT policy,” and that “no elements of the cafe may be placed here.”  I’ve asked the Parks Department for clarification.

Shafiq said he’s unsure what to make of it all. The Parks Department inspects the trees on Court St. every few years, he said, and he’s followed their instructions on how to care for the tree.  For example, at their request he made sure there’s a wide opening around the tree trunk and gaps in the bench to allow water to seep through when it rains. He also removed some items, such as a stuffed toy swing that weighed less than a pound that neighborhood children liked to play with, when they asked him to.

“The tree is growing beautifully and tall,” he said. 

It was Shafiq more than 15 years ago around the Time Darna first opened, who first requested the City plant the Linden tree, as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s MillionTreesNYC initiative.  Shafiq grew up a few doors down from the Falafel shop and now lives in Carroll Gardens with his family.

“I love trees because they give so much life and provide shelter. In the Islamic tradition, a person who plants a tree receives ongoing charity. Everyone benefits: animals, birds, and humans.”

Every month, he mixes the dirt, removes the leaves, and uses organic gardening remedies to keep the rodents away and dogs from urinating on the tree.  “People don’t throw garbage either because it looks so nice.”

The Parks Department has not responded to my call about the policy change listed on the inspection report that could have led to the decision to ban the benches on that stretch of Court St. I’ve also asked if the ban was in response to a complaint of some sort since other than Darna Falafel and Shafiq’s neighbors on Court St., other businesses with tree benches in the neighborhood have not been told to removed their benches. 

I asked Anneliese Zausner-Mannes, the Program Director at Big Reuse, an environmental non-profit, if she had any additional insight as to why the Parks Department may have banned the benches on Court St. Big Reuse helps communities plant and maintain trees, among other initiatives.

She said the benches could be obstructing the tree bed so no light can get to it and no tree care can be done, such as “aerating the soil and applying unsifted compost or mulch to help protect the root system and help the tree maintain hydration across different seasons.” 

“None of the professionals responsible for our public spaces consider, let alone understand, social/community life,” said Fred Kent, a Cobble Hill resident and co-founder of The Project of Public Spaces. “These unique spaces also draw customers,” he added, which have financial benefits.  

(Ward 6 is a hyperlocal Brooklyn newsletter covering Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia St. Waterfront and Red Hook.)