Bamboo Ordinance

Upon reading the highlights of the past Town Council meeting, I felt compelled to write to the editor.  I noticed that a potential Bamboo Ordinance was brought to the table again, and except for one lone” no” vote, scheduled for a public hearing on March 13.  I’m thrilled that it’s back on the table, and that Ms. Berland has taken up the cause again.  I think that what’s upset me so much is Mr. Cuthbertson’s closed minded attitude in regards to this issue.  To say nay to a public hearing and declare his mind already made up shocks me.  This is NOT the candidate I voted for.  Living through my own bamboo invasion has been one of the most horrific, aggravating and costly experiences I’ve been through.  My property was overrun by a 150 foot stretch of bamboo.  The neighbors planted it as a screen, and it grew through the barrier that the previous owners of my home had installed.  
 
Let me share just some of the negatives of bamboo: it can grow up to 3 feet per day; it sends up hundreds of razor sharp shoots that can penetrate a human foot; it grows  through concrete (foundations, swimming pools, patios etc.); it is uncontrollable unless planted properly, with a barrier; it does not respond to chemicals; it kills other vegetation by strangling out root systems.  Scary stuff!!  The removal process is even worse!  After many years and attempts to control it myself, I decided I had no choice but to have it professionally dug out. In the process, my property was destroyed completely.  I lost my fence, my trees, my garden and at times, my sanity.  The cost was enormous, as we had to pay for the removal, the new barrier to be installed and a concrete retaining wall to restore some of the property.  I still haven’t figured in the cost of the new fence and trees I need to replace.  There is, after all of this expense and destruction, a chance that it will come back.  Oh, it can jump barriers too.   

 Bamboo is NOT indigenous to the area.  Planting it is a direct threat to the safety and enjoyment of one’s own property.  It is a nuisance and quite frankly, a form of trespass.  An ordinance MUST be passed to keep this awful thing at bay.

Amy Buffone
Huntington Resident