HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-01-13-TREE-min RECEIVED
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Lexington Tree Committee TOWN UEl
Meeting minutes of January 13, 2022 k. INC1°" N 11
7:30 am on Zoom
Members present: Gerry Paul (chair), Mark Connor (co-chair), Gloria Bloom, Marty Kvaal, Pat
Moyer, Nancy Sofen, and Jim Wood (near the end)
Guests: Marcia Gens, Dan Miller, Barbara Tarrh
Absent: DPW staff
Scribe: Marty Kvaal was appointed.
Minutes of December 9, 2021 were approved.
Applicability of Tree Bylaw to unaccepted streets. Town Counsel determined that no bylaw
changes are needed for the Tree Bylaw to apply to demolition and major construction sites. The
street to the center line is part of the property and covered by the bylaw.
Applicability of Tree Bylaw to tree removal by Eversource at Bowman School. Town Counsel
ruled that the tree bylaw applies. Eighteen (18) trees, with a value of around $70,000, were cut
without permission from the town. The Town Manager is working with Eversource to resolve the
issues.
30 Ingleside Road: At a hearing last week, there were no objections to remove the Tree of
Heaven (ailanthus) trees. Thus there will be no Select Board hearing and no required payment
to the Town.
Tree Removal Company License/Reporting Requirements: Drafting a regulation with the
DPW on this issue will be stay on the Committee's back burner given the current issues being
worked.
Presentation to the Permanent Building Committee: Nancy Sofen with Marcia Gens and
Charlie Wyman presented to the Committee (PBC), in December, the Sustainable Landscape
Standards (SITES and Lexington-Specific) and the Lexington Plants List. The Committee
hopes the PBC will adopt the standards for town building projects as has the town's Planning
Board. It is too late now to apply the standards to the new police station project, but they will be
applicable to the new high school project.
PBC Presentation (attached to last month's minutes)
SITESv2 Reference Guide
SITESv2 Scorecard
Lexington-Specific Landscape Standards
Lexington Master Plant List
Sidewalk Construction on Cedar Street and Lincoln Street. Several Tree Committee
members walked the sections of these streets where sidewalk construction has been approved.
Both sites will involve removing several very large trees.
The Assistant Town Engineer accompanied the group on the Lincoln St walk and indicated that
the funding Article for 2022 Annual Town Meeting will be for design only. The Committee
should be able to review the design next fall.
Article 33 implementation: Dave Il linsonnaullt, DPW Director, has asked the Tree Committee
to review the newly developed application for implementing the Viewpoint Cloud system
required by the new Bylaw, Article 33. The Committee reviewed the implementation and took
the position that the current on-line implementation of Article 33 passed at Annual Town
Meeting 2021 does not reflect the will of Town meeting. The Committee voted unanimously
(Jim Wood not present) to authorize Gerry Paul, Mark Connor, and Nancy Sofen to work with
Town management to resolve the issue.
Tiny Tree program: Mark Connor is planning for the program in which seedling trees will be
offered free to town residents. The goals are to heighten the awareness of the importance of
planting trees and to increase the number of trees in town. The program will begin as a pilot,
perhaps in the Monroe Hill neighborhood. Lexington Living Landscapes is interested in our
working together. Those volunteering to help include: Marcia Gens, Marty Kvaal, Pat Moyer,
Shannon Murtagh, and Barbara Tarrh.
Tree Committee membership: Marty Kvaal will be resigning from the Committee when a
replacement is found. Gerry will publicize the vacancy.
Respectfully submitted,
Marty Kvaal