The Cheyney, a building on W. 23rd St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves., is facing $4,000 in summons from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department because of the mysterious decapitation of four ginkgo trees, which had blocked an advertisement on a sidewalk shed in front of the building.
On July 16, the trees’ tops were chopped off, better displaying a billboard advertisement for Helio, a new mobile messaging company. With Helio, and Culver Media — the company that installed the billboard — denying allegations of involvement in damaging the trees, the Parks Department is investigating who exactly is responsible for the damage.
Carli Smith, a Parks spokesperson, said Parks intends to levy an additional $6,000 in fines against whoever actually perpetrated the damage, “regardless of what happened to whom.” In the meantime, Cheyney representatives will present the building’s case regarding the $4,000 summons at a hearing sometime in the next 30 days.
Anindita Dasgupta
