HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-09-16-TREE-min
Town of Lexington
Lexington Tree Committee
Minutes, September 16, 2010
A meeting of the Lexington Tree Committee was held on September 16, 2010,
7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Samuel Hadley Public Services Building, Room 125. A
quorum of seven was present.
Members Present: John Frey (chair), Jewel Kuljian, Karen Longeteig, Gerry Paul,
David Pinsonneault (Tree Warden), Anne Senning, Nell Walker, Jim Wood
Members Absent: Deborah Mauger (Selectman Liaison)
Friends of Trees Present: Jane Beswick.
The meeting acted on the following items:
1. Anne Senning was appointed as scribe, and the minutes of August 12, 2010
were approved as corrected.
2. Tree Warden David Pinsonneault ’s report:
There have been the following Tree removal applications and tree activity since
10/1/01:
Total sites: 722 Total closed: 597
Total to plant: 2182 Total planted: 1412
Total to remove: 903 Total removed: 719
Since 08/04/08, a total 2715” inches in permitted diameter were removed and a
total $27,150 fees were collected.
In three street tree removal hearings: Dawes Rd., Whipple Rd., and Waltham St. at
Marrett Rd., the trees were approved for removal.
The watering of new street tree plantings on Fletcher Ave, and Winchester Drive,
in Tower Park, and the Revere Street Traffic Island as well as the installations at
Estabrook and the old Harrington School were reviewed. David Pinsonneault will
talk with Shawn Newell at the School Administration about watering maintenance
at the schools through the fall.
3. Tree Bylaw expansion (Planning Board meeting 9/15/10):
John Frey and Gerry Paul attended the Planning Board meeting 9/15/10 and
discussed the Tree Committee proposal to expand the Tree Bylaw to include a
larger fraction of the site covered for large sites and to have no excluded sites. The
Planning Board will assign a liaison to work with the Tree Committee on these
issues.
4. MA House Bill 4791 filed by Representative Barry Finegold to amend Chapter
87:
John Frey, Chairman will get a written response from Representative Jay Kaufman
to his email of 9/1/10 for 10/14/10 Tree Committee meeting for further
clarification and discussion.
5. Urban & Community Forest Challenge Grant for 2011 Tree Inventory:
David Pinsonneault stated that Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
had set a notice that grants were open for 11/1/2010; Intents to Apply are due
10/1/2010. The Tree Committee plan is to submit a grant for 2 interns to complete
Precincts 7, 8 and 9 during the summer of 2011. This would be done in
conjunction with the Urban Ecology Institute as in the past. Jim Wood agreed to
call Eric Seaborn, Acting Urban Forest Coordinator at DCR to clarify if Lexington
would be eligible to apply for this year’s grant. Anne Senning agreed to write the
grant.
6. Meeting with Judy Seppala, GIS/Database Administrator:
Anne Senning stated that Dorinda Goodman, Director of IT/MIS requested a
meeting with interested members of the Tree Committee and Judy Seppala, the
new GIS/Database Administrator, for the purpose of acquainting Judy with the
Tree Committee Tree Inventory data. John Frey, Chairman, David Pinsonneault
Tree Warden, Karen Longeteig and Anne Senning plan to attend. The first choice
of times is Monday, 9/20/10 2 p.m., the second is Tuesday 9/21/10 at 9 a.m. at the
DPW. Anne Senning will coordinate with MIS staff.
7. Nursery/Tree Planting Progress:
Jim Wood reported that three crabapples at the Harrington School are in fair
condition; three American Basswoods are in poor condition. All crabapples at
Estabrook and Diamond are in good condition, to which Jim has provided
supplemental watering. Of the four trees on Fletcher Ave, two are in good
condition, two have been killed by over watering. David Pinsonneault will replace
two of these at a later time. Jim reported on the trees installed on Winchester Drive
among which are two American Basswoods in fair condition. He will report on the
remainder of the trees at the schools at the October 14, 2010 Tree Committee
meeting. Jewel Kuljian reported that four of the remaining Sourwoods on Meriam
Street are in fair condition. She has been providing these with supplemental
watering. David Pinsonneault will put these trees on the list for the watering truck.
All remarked on the difficulty of the exceptionally hot, dry summer. David
Pinsonneault reported on the work that Matt Foti has done to the trees on Lincoln
Street in Lincoln Park: root pruning, fertilization and pruning. Nell Walker
reported that these trees health has improved. The Yellowwood and River Birch
on Clarke St were not discussed.
8. Status of Scarlet Oak in Tower Park:
John Frey, Chairman reported that the Scarlet Oak (Jeanne Krieger’s
Commemorative’s Tree) in Tower Park is in fair condition: top ¼ is brown, the
bottom ¾ is green. He has been providing supplemental water and the watering
truck has been watering it regularly.
9. Status of Tulip Trees in Lincoln Park:
Karen Longeteig reported that one of the two Tulip trees (Mayo Commemorative
trees) in Lincoln Park has scale on one branch. David Pinsonneault stated that he
would look into the problem.
10. Proposed letter to off-berm tree recipients:
The Tree Committee discussed the letter in question. It is complete. It has been
approved. David Pinsonneault has the original. Jewel Kuljian will obtain a copy
and share it with the Tree Committee at the October 14, 2010 meeting.
11. Purchase of a brush saw for the Tree Nursery:
Purchase of a brush saw was requested, approved, and voted for clearing the brush
in the Tree Nursery. Jim Wood will coordinate with David Pinsonneault to
complete this task.
12. Tree Nursery Work Date:
Jim Wood will arrange a work date after completion of mowing the brush in the
Tree Nursery.
13. Belfry Hill, Black Swallowwort eradication:
Anne Senning reported that Belfry Hill has had a difficult season, due to lack of
rain. Many of the plants, which were installed this season have failed. The Tree
Committee will need to wait another growing season to see what comes through
the year. The Black Swallowwort vine has not been eradicated, but it has been
curtailed. A Work Day is planned for Friday 9/24/10, 9 a.m.
14. NStar pruning, HATS:
Discussion postponed until 10/14/10 Tree Committee meeting.
15. Tree Committee Appointments by The Selectmen:
John Frey, Chairman reported that the Selectmen have reappointed Jim Wood and
Jewel Kuljian for terms on the Tree Committee. Both members accepted.
16. Friends of Trees Distinctive Tree Project:
Tree Committee members agreed to use the Magnolia macrofolia at the Samuel
Hadley Public Services Building, 201 Bedford Street for the next distinctive tree.
17. Lincoln Park Committee Open House Sunday 9/26/2010 3:00 p.m.:
Nell Walker presented the invitation to the Open House as well as a ‘before’ photo
of the Park when it was The Town Dump.
18. Other:
Planting Protocol Tree Committee discussed the need to establish a planting
protocol. This might involve a report on how trees thrive in the planting areas,
using the standard measure of the Tree inventory or some other standard measure
at regular intervals. Other possible measures to be considered: watering tubes, or
Treegaitors, structural soil, hiring a private watering service. Jim Wood will talk
with David Pinsonneault about these measures and report the Tree Committee at
the 10/14/2010 meeting.
19. Pending Items:
Cost estimate for CPA bittersweet removal grant application and Website:
eventually update Tree bylaw and Tree manual were not discussed.
There was no remote participation. The meeting was not audio recorded.
Respectfully submitted, Anne Senning, Scribe