A plan to remove trees at EMC Park will go to the Select Board for a vote following public objections at a hearing with the Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday.

Department of Public Works Director Kerry Reed and Dave Daltorio, the town engineer, met with the commission to review a plan to build a path between the Elmwood Farms neighborhood and EMC Park. It was approved at Annual Town Meeting in 2023. Daltorio noted the project went out to design last year.

The path would go between EMC Park and Fitch Avenue, connecting to Blueberry Lane. It would be 5 feet wide, paved with asphalt and have one end near the skate park, with the other cutting between two homes on Blueberry Lane.

As part of the project, the DPW also recommended building a 10-foot driveway that would allow vehicles to get back behind the Hank Fredette Skate Park and the nearby catch basin for maintenance.

Daltorio told the commission that the project requires cutting down 19 trees along the proposed sidewalk route. He said the number appeared high because any plant that’s greater than 4 inches in diameter is considered a tree. The plan was designed to follow existing footpaths through the property in order to minimize the number of trees removed, he added.

“You start going through and adding every 4-inch tree, it adds up to a lot of trees,” he said. Daltorio clarified that four or five of the listed trees for removal are 10 inches and above, and that there may be opportunities to “avoid some of those on the fringes of the path.”

If the board approved the plan without objections, Daltorio noted, the project could start as early as mid-July. He and Reed intend to coordinate with Parks & Rec Director Jon Lewitus to implement the removal schedule. Neither anticipated interruptions to normal activities at EMC Park during workdays.

“In general, the park should be open for all users,” Lewitus confirmed to the commission.

Residents oppose tree removal

During public comment, several residents raised objections and concerns about the current plan. Barbara Burnham, a Hayden Rowe Street resident, questioned whether the paved pathway was “a done deal.”

Reed confirmed that it was approved at ATM and tree removal is part of the process. “If the trees aren’t approved to be removed, the design needs to be changed,” she added.

Parks & Rec chair Kyle Smith clarified to meeting attendees that the purpose of the hearing was to get the commission’s approval. Following public comment, commissioners would deliberate and vote whether to approve or deny.

Burnham continued to raise objections. “We don’t need more sidewalks in this town,” she said. “Lord knows we have enough that we don’t use.”

Daltorio provided additional context for the project, explaining that residents in the area of Fitch Avenue have expressed interest in having a path to get to EMC Park as an alternative to driving. “We heard from folks that they would use it to get to events,” he said.

Sean Kimball, a member of the Trails Committee, asked about the feasibility of the asphalt, noting that the roots from remaining trees could disturb the path over time. Reed responded that she felt the value of the trees outweighs the long-term concerns over their roots. As well, she noted that asphalt is easier to maintain.

In addition to public comments and objections in the meeting, Reed entered a letter sent to her by a resident into the record. The letter also raised objections, asking that the town preserve the existing mature tree canopy and consider how removal of the trees could impact resident privacy and security concerns.

During the discussion, Reed stated that if anyone raises objections in a public tree hearing, the tree warden no longer has the authority to approve the removal. The plan instead would go to the Select Board either for approval or requests for a redesign.

Even though the proposal will go to the Select Board, the Parks & Rec Commission still voted to approve the pathway design.

Prior to the vote, member Brad Fenn asked whether the commission’s vote could include a recommendation to replace the 19 trees somewhere on the EMC Park property. Smith said that since that proposal would require funding, the commission would need to hold a separate public hearing. 

“We need to be careful that we don’t commit to planting all of these plants and that we have to find a budget for it,” cautioned member Amy O’Donnell.

Reed stated there could be room in the tree warden’s budget for tree replacement. She added that it depends on the type of plants and what the commission would be looking to do. Reed also stated she would request the plan be put on the next Select Board agenda.