Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee Meeting & Agenda

Comments | 4

• Submitted by cgrotke on July 9, 2013 at 7:21 am

  Save the Shade Trees

  For the last two mornings, residents of Forest Square, the tree streets, have awoke to the sounds of chainsaws and chippers taking down a big, old, beautiful shade tree. The trunk was enormous. This was probably one of the oldest residents in the neighborhood.

  The tree removal is taking place less than 20 yards from the Paint the Pavement mural celebrating the trees in the neighborhood. Volunteers painting that day used this very tree for shade to help get through the hot day. A few weeks later, it is cut down.

  It would be great if the Tree Committee would take up the issue of protecting our oldest, largest trees. It should be very difficult and costly to remove any tree over a certain size or age that is providing shade near sidewalks and streets. Permits, fines, and reviews should make the process much more difficult.

  I’d also like to see rules requiring replacement tree planting when these older trees do have to come down, so that future generations can benefit from the shade the way we have.

  Log in to Reply
  • Submitted by ESchwartz on July 9, 2013 at 8:50 am

    Shade Trees Redux

    Something like this happened on South Main Street some years ago. We woke up to find guys with chainsaws and directions to take down some of the old shade trees along the sidewalk at Prospect Hill Cemetery. We went across the street and talked to the guys, but they weren’t the decision makers and the trees came down. As I recall, some folks from the neighborhood circulated a petition and went to the Selectboard, or the Tree Advisory Committee (or maybe this was what spurred the birth of that Committee). I was under the impression that in response to that some things were put in place to make the process more difficult, but I guess not.

    They did plant new trees to “replace” what was taken down, but it will be years before those trees mature into old shade trees. There is no way to really replace the trees that are gone.

    I am really sorry for the loss of your tree.

    Log in to Reply
  • Submitted by rootrunner on July 9, 2013 at 8:55 am

    Trees

    I believe the difficulty comes about when the tree is mostly on a residential property, then TAC may not be able to step in to preserve such landmark Sugar Maple beauty the neighborhood enjoys. The argument can be the existing tree may pose a threat to the home on the property or they want more light for other plants and such.

    Personally I have four giant red oaks pitched toward my house, even over hanging most of the roofs tops, but it’s worth taking a risk even with seasonal debri or storm damage coming down, whether acorns creating hood dents in vehicles, clinging Spring catkins finding their way in every crevise or mounds of oak leaves to rake, the trade off in shade and visual enjoyment of the nature they attract is overwhelmingly worth the minor inconveniences to me.

    The instance of park trees having to be removed that will die off as a result of the Crowell Lot skatepark development and construction is another situation that will sacrifice neighborhood tree icons others have for so long enjoyed the presence of, such as the towering Norway Spruce and other trees now definitely threatened for removal, their time is running out.

    Others and myself have been speaking out about this to no avail for well over two years to save this green area and preserve these otherwise healthy trees surrounding the skatepark to be. Unfortunately park trees this size (some centurions) can’t defend themselves or just hop over to where some perceive should be out of the way but can more likely be cut in an instant with a revved up chain saw and can be the casualty of man’s ambitions to replace them with concrete or what they deem for all concerned as an improvement. There will have to be an assessed cost replacemnet value owed for the loss to the public put on taking out the Spruce and as I remember could exceed $8,000 depending on who’s doing the calculations!

    I was sad to see that Maple on Murtle that seemed healthy go too and see the irony just after they street painting. It just goes to show what a big hole these giants leave when they’re gone for good and similarly in my opinion will be a sore disappointment to many using Crowell Park altering the landscape forever, the difference here being these are public trees for the community and we do have a right to speak up to save them, even if town officials aren’t listening

    Log in to Reply
    • Submitted by ESchwartz on July 9, 2013 at 9:35 am

      Trees

      Just to clarify, the trees taken down on S. Main were not on residential property. I believe that the Town owns the cemetery. It was a while back and I don’t recall all the details, but I think they were concerned about liability if those trees fell, or something like that.

      Log in to Reply