ABOUT High Line Arborist aka H LINE Arborist ▪ HLArb
H Line Arborist Difference
While most arborists and tree services are focused on tree removals, cutting limbs, etc, our specialty is instead tree preservation, particularly for ones owned by New York City along streets and parks. Why?
Foremost because, amid constant whirlwind construction in NYC, NYC tree preservation is the law and involves strict protocols that all entities, including gov't agencies, must abide by or face stiff penalties. HLArb exists to prevent them.
Second, city (street) tree preservation requires specialized administrative skills, root-zone knowledge, and site experience that few other ISA-Arborists or tree care pros have. Simply compare our services and projects to others.
Consulting Arborist I Services
HLArb fills a real need for such practicality in big-city forestry, and educating 'Treekeeping' clients about it.
Establishment in 2015
While HLArb is not associated with The High Line in Chelsea, it was inspired by the park's progressive thought, and then office proximity marked an initial service area. Service quickly sped up the Hudson reinforcing ‘H Line’ name.1
HLArb’s mission has always been to consult on design and construction projects in order to preserve NYC Parks street/public trees, increase their number and shade tree canopy overall in NYC.
Owner Michael V. Ruggiero, MVR
RLA, ISA-Certified Arborist ▪ CA in 2008
Treekeeping Clients:
Verizon ConEdison
NYC Dept of Transportation DOT
NYC Dept of Parks & Rec. DPR
NYC Dept of Env Protection DEP
Metropolitan Transit Authority MTA
NY State Dept of Transportation DOT
Consulting Arborist II Services Advanced, Multidisciplinary Tasks
CADD Tree Surveys Plan Reviews
Advanced capability stems from multi-disciplinary AE practice as a NY State Reg. Landscape Architect since 1999, where collaboration with surveyors, engineers, and architects is a way of life, as is producing construction documents for design work. See Section 'AE Urban Highlights' below.
Tree Appraisals Arborist Legal Letters
Qualification is a result of focused study and years of rigorous technical writing in academia and for AE project specs since.
Academia
Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Master in Landscape Architecture I
1991
Ohio State University, BS in Landscape Horticulture w Honors, summa cum laude
1987
AE Urban Highlights
MVR NYS Landscape Architect Practice (Architecture & Engineering)
2003-12 Urban Design at AECOM NYC
2009-11 Project Arborist/ Field RLA
World Trade Center | West St. Promenade
Route 9A @ Battery Park City, W. Thames Park (WTP)
9A was the ultimate streetscape project. It shined a light on the importance of planting details, street tree preservation & pruning of nursery trees in city street planting. And, how amazing neighborhood parks can arise along busy city highways. WTP is a minute walk from the 9/11 Memorial.
Client: New York State Dept of Transportation
The first set 4 Record Images right are from 2010-11.
The second set of 4 Record Images are from Fall 2023.
2008-09 Chief Landscape Architect, AECOM
Battery Park's Peter Minuit Plaza
At MTA South Ferry Subway Terminal
NYCDOT SI Ferry Whitehall Terminal,
(Southern end of Manhattan)
Clients:
New York City Dept of Transportation
Metropolitan Transit Authority
New York City Dept. of Parks and Recreation
1997-2003 Site Planning Tristate NY | CT
At Divney Tung Schwalbe, emphasis on roadways, stormwater, and utilities enabled NYS Registered Landscape Architect (RLA) status two years into practice..
For DTC supported teams on large building sites. Worked out site circulation/ parking/ grading, finalized entry plazas and courtyards, unified sites with tree plantings. Completed projects show the value of trees in dense city areas, often industrial.
