City doubles down on upping the green
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Where have all the flowering trees gone? And why are they going? These and many other questions are being explored by city officials after many have said enough is enough.

By Jim Clark

City of Somerville officials have been feeling the heat over the past several months, and not strictly from the summer sun, unfortunately so for the many who are concerned concerned with the issue keeping enough healthy trees around.

In a flurry of arboreal zeal, the city’s Board of Aldermen have bandied the issue about for some time now. From questions about why certain numbers of trees have been taken down, to proposals for regulating tree removal on private property, a lot of talk has been going down, with much more to come.

At the Board’s latest regular meeting on September 13, no fewer than nine orders or resolutions directly relating to the the city’s tree population were dealt with. Some of the agenda items addressed were:

An order that the Director of SPCD explain to the Board why not a single tree was spared when they were cut along the commuter rail line, including trees far from the tracks, and what the GLX Team’s plans are to replant trees to prevent erosion on the hills;

An order that the Director of SPCD report to the Board on whether the City plans to plant trees by the fence at the north edge of Junction Park to replace the nearby trees lost when they were cut down recently for the GLX project;

An order that the Director of SPCD update the Board on the status of the Urban Forestry Committee;

A request by Mayor Curtatone for a supplemental appropriation of $61,691 to the SPCD Transportation & Infrastructure Salaries Account, to establish the Sr. Urban Forestry & Landscape Planner position;

An order that the City Solicitor (and the City Arborist) clarify the ordinance requiring tree removal for a new driveway or other construction project as Section 10.6 seems to contemplate the potential need to remove trees to accommodate driveway construction, as follows: “Where new construction or driveway entrances require the removal of existing street trees, the owner shall replace the street trees lost on a one-to-one basis with new trees in compliance with the specifications of this Section.  Replacement of street trees shall be additional to the standard provision of trees on the site in accordance with Section 10.3 of this Article.​​​”;

A resolution that the Administration provide a written response to the petition in #204944 for an accounting of street trees removed from Beacon Street;

An order that the City Solicitor prepare a document for review by the Board’s Committee on Public Utilities and Public Works in preparation for filing a complaint regarding the removal of trees along Beacon Street;

An order that the City Arborist advise whether the discovery of an Emerald Ash Borer in the city will result in any changes to the plan for monitoring/non-removal of Ash trees and, advise the Ward 6 Alderman on the status of the remaining Ash trees on Willow Avenue;

And an order that the Tree Warden and the City Arborist replace the small dead trees on Day Street and Grove Street adjacent to the public parking lots.

Along with special attention paid to the missing trees dilemma, many agenda items dealt with other environmental greenery issues as well.

While it is clear that the Board is taking steps to improve the regulations surrounding tree removal and replacement, some are concerned that actions speak louder than words, and that more green needs to be seen, and that productive action needs to be taken.

In an effort to establish meaningful dialog between concerned residents and city officials, a public hearing on trees has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 3, at 6:00 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers, City Hall. The Open Space, Environment and Energy Committee will discuss and invite brief public testimony on the issue.

Everyone with concerns on the issue is invited to attend.