HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-21-TREE-min
Lexington Tree Committee
Meeting minutes
May 21, 2024
Meeting was conducted via Zoom.
Present: Pat Moyer, Gavin Grant, Barbara Tarrh, Rachel Summers, Alicia Morris, Nancy Sofen,
Tim Lee. A quorum of the Tree Committee was present. Guest: Martha Sheridan, Quincy Tree
Alliance.
Called to order at 1:01 pm.
1. Minutes of meetings of April 2, April 9, April 23, May 1, May 7, May 14 approved
unanimously.
2. Draft regulations and certification form (both attached) for removal of hazardous trees
agreed upon. The form should be passed by Town Counsel, DPW and IT. Issue of
conflict of interest of certified arborist: can an arborist who certifies the tree as
hazardous be the one who removes it? We decided yes, because that is simpler than
hiring two tree professionals and because we assume that arborists value their
professional reputations. Wellesley allows this.
3. Question: how do photos of a tree in January prove that it’s dead?
4. Mandatory Street Front Planting for Mitigation
a. Starting with the Tree Planting Guidelines appendix to the Recommendations for
Tree Planting policy, 3 new guidelines were added (distance from house,
distance behind wires for large trees, mitigating circumstances re solar) to create
the standalone document Tree Planting Guidelines. (attached)
b. Do we need to specify other mitigating circumstances such as ledge, wetlands?
c. Our preference is that trees be planted in the setback and not the ROW.
d. From the standpoint of creating public shade, a small tree under wires (with
acceptable tree list to be created) will be considered equally good as a large tree
farther back on the lot.
e. Tim cautions that small trees near the road do not have a high enough canopy
for bike lanes, pedestrians, even some vehicles. Upright or vase-shapes when
mature are best. Broad trees with low branches would require awkward pruning.
f. Revisit distance from stop sign (20’). Jeff Speck’s Walkable Cities points out that
having trees near the street and even near signs makes drivers slow down, with
fewer accidents.
g. Rachel to ask Mark Sandeen what parameters for mitigating circumstances for
solar should be. Starting point may be that the tree would shade solar
installation within 10 years (technology may change beyond that). Encourage
“small large shade trees” of ~40’ height in these cases.
5. Meeting adjourned about 2:40 pm.