Tree Ordinance Heads to Planning Board for Public Hearing and Review

By Adam Swift

The town’s tree committee is recommending an ordinance change that would require the approval of a tree plan by the tree warden for new multi-family, industrial, and commercial development in Winthrop.

The recommendation was forwarded to the planning board for a public hearing at a future date. While the recommendation was moved forward, several councilors said they would like to see some more clarity about the plan before any potential adoption by the full council.

The proposed ordinance would ask for a tree plan indicating the species, size, and location of trees, as well as set the number of trees required for each project based on size.

Several councilors did question whether the proposed ordinance would fall under zoning since it had requirements for building, and whether the existing landscaping review and regulations under site plan review cover the same bases.

“In general, about trees, they contribute greatly to the town,” said Tree Warden Tom Derderian. “The town is and has been for quite a while losing its tree cover, so anything that helps us maintain and develop the tree cover in town is a positive for the community. It increases property value, shade, contributes oxygen, and mitigates rainfall, so these are all good things.”

Resident Jack Dowd asked how the town would mandate the planting of trees in more densely packed apartment developments.

“How are you going to mandate planting trees if there is no place to plant trees?” Dowd asked.

Tree committee member Joanne Hillman said that if there is no space at the development itself for planting trees, the developer could plant trees in a nearby area or donate street trees to the town.

“It’s not meant to be cumulative, it’s meant to just enhance … whatever they are building to have tree cover,” said Hillman. “Also, keep in mind that there are a lot of mature trees coming down not by the town, but on private property. I don’t know if people realize if you say we’ll just put two or three more to take this 30 to 40 year tree down, it’s not equivalent in terms of carbon sequestration, it just doesn’t do the same thing that that mature tree is doing, so we have to wait 20, 30, 40 years for those little trees to do what that one tree is doing.”

Terence Delehanty said there were still some questions about the ordinance and whether it applied to two-family homes, which are considered multi-family homes under Winthrop zoning.

“I just think there is a lot of clarification that needs to be done to make sure that we are not further complicating processes, but streamlining the process, and whether that’s the planning board coordinating with the tree warden to be sure the planning board understands what is needed in the town and having this through site plan review,” said Delehanty.