2022-04-07-TREE-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Town Manager, Select Board, DPW Director April 7, 2022 Town Of Lexington Lexington Town Office Building, 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420 Dear Town Officials, We understand that the Town is planning the removal of 37 white pine trees on the path behind the swimming pools and tennis courts in the Center Recreation Complex. The Lexington Tree Committee met on April 7, 2022 and, by a vote of 5-0, voted in favor of the following statement: • The Tree Committee recommends that no tree be removed until the following issues are resolved. • We recommend that the Town work constructively with an arborist employed by the neighborhood to determine methods to mitigate risk presented by any weaknesses in the trees. Removal should be a last resort. • The 2-page report by A & B Tree and Landscape, March 3, 2022 is an inadequate basis for making decisions. This report is not a risk assessment for individual trees. Rather it is a summary of observations concerning the 37 trees in general. Before any given tree is declared a hazard an individual assessment should be performed for that tree consistent with such a standard as that of the International Society ofArbor Culture: in /basictreariskassess�-ietit.fot� �-i These trees are too valuable and provide too many benefits to be declared informally as hazards without appropriate documentation. • Finally, we respectfully request that the Town Manager commit to developing, documenting, and putting in place, by September 1, 2022, a process (for non-emergency situations) for hazard tree determination that provides visibility, transparency, and accountability. A commitment was made to such a process in October 2020 when the tree at 5 Fulton Rd was under consideration; the process does not yet exist. We look forward to the Town Manager's response to our recommendation and request. Sincerely, Gerry Paul, Chair Lexington Tree Committee