The pruning of trees at the southern foreshore of Potter’s Cay Dock has been completed in preparation for their removal: once the trees have been removed work can begin on creating a parking lot for patrons of the vendors on the dock.

Tree pruning is a programme of the first phase of re-development of the eastern end of Potter’s Cay Dock.

The Government has allocated $3,122,989.00 for the re-development project, which is going to take place in three phases. It is a product of private and public sector involvement with many of the ideas for the re-development coming from the mailboat operators and various governmental agencies.

Assistant Port Controller/Port Department Craig Curtis said the new parking lot will play a big part in the re-development as it will alleviate congestion on the causeway where individuals have been allowed to park.

“What this does is sometimes cause a disruption in services for some of the stakeholders on the dock. If you note at the entrance sometimes, there are persons who patronise the vendors on the dock. They park on both sides of the entrance causeway, which narrows the turning basin for 40-foot containers.

“Once a 40-foot container is trying to get onto Potter’s Cay Dock, and persons park and patronise the vendors, you have to look for them for hours to come and move; and once we are looking for them traffic is already backed up onto Bay Street.” He said, “So we are seeking to provide alternative parking because moving forward we are going to eliminate parking on the causeways. Persons would now be ushered into the proposed parking lot where those trees are now, in addition to one or two parking areas on the dock.”

The Assistant Port Controller said after the trees have been removed, the entire area from the old Water & Sewerage Complex all the way up to William Street will be levelled.

He noted the grassy areas that now exist are mounds of old conch shells that came from Potter’s Cay Dock and will be levelled and graded to start the parking lot. In addition, once the grading is completed the utility companies will come in and put their infrastructure in to accommodate the lighting, water and drainage. Mr. Curtis explained that pruning is vital before a tree can be removed.

“Once trees in the area of concern have been identified for removal, they have to undergo a process which is called pruning where workers dig around the roots of the trees and put water on them to loosen the roots a bit from the soil so that it would not create too much stress when it is time to remove them.

“If you just try to remove a tree in an effort of transplanting, you are going to damage that tap root, and once the tap root is damaged, then the tree dies. So what the landscaping company is seeking to do is engage the pruning exercise to de-stress the trees in preparation for removal.”

The Assistant Port Controller said although the trees will be moved out of the area, they are not going to be destroyed -- some are going to be replanted into the general landscape of the parking lot, and others replanted in other areas on the dock.

“There have also been requests for some of those trees to be planted in some of the other industrial areas. For example, I know for certain that some of them will be replanted at the entrance of the Harold Road dumpsite. They want to beautify that area and they could use some of those trees.”

He added that the Bahamas National Trust and the Botanical Gardens also expressed an interest in receiving some of the trees.

Enviroscape Company Ltd. began the pruning exercise on Tuesday, May 19, 2015, but the trees must sit for almost three or four weeks before consideration for removal.

An employee of Enviroscape Company Ltd. works on the trees at Potter’s Cay Dock. (BIS photo/Letisha Henderson)