QUEENS — A group of Forest Hills residents is planning to plant flowers and replace damaged tree guards along Continental Avenue, one of the busiest streets in the neighborhood, just in time for warm weather.
Members of the Forest Hills Green Team have created a fundraising page asking the community to support the project.
“We hope to improve the appearance of the area where thousands of commuters, shoppers, and diners pass through every day and at the same time continue to protect our cherished street trees,” the group wrote on the fundraising page.
Stephen Melnick, who founded the group more than a decade ago, said six guards are damaged and two are missing. The new guards cost about $600 each, said Melnick, who is also reaching out to local elected officials and merchants to support the project.
"It's a cast iron fence and it's pretty expensive," he noted. "We need something that is going to last a long time."
The group hopes to collect about $4,500 by mid-May. As of Monday morning, $980 has been pledged.
The team is also working with the New York Tree Trust, a program of the Parks Department, to ensure that the installation will be done professionally.
Flowers will be planted at end of April and tree guards will be installed by July, Melnick said.
