Greenpoint Landing developers paid $400,000 to the city to cut down three trees

How bad do developers want to take over the Greenpoint waterfront these days? Bad enough to pay the city $400,000 to cut down three elderly trees that were in their way. From Brooklyn Paper:

The department said it is not in favor of felling mature foliage, but five trees at Newtown Barge Park — at the corner of Commercial and Dupont streets — were blocking the forthcoming Greenpoint Landing 10-tower mega-development, so it gave the real-estate company the green light to topple the topiary and slugged it with a $414,000 penalty for the privilege.

The city claims it will use the money to plant new trees nearby. Read more at Brooklyn Paper.