Re: Beacon St Trees

One day last  week 37 trees were cut down on Beacon Street in relation to the Beacon Street Reconstruction project  which is funded and managed by Mass DOT with a contractor chosen through the State low bid process.

I, along with many of my Beacon St Neighbors and friends are shocked and outraged that this has happened. I will continue to send updates as I have them, but here is what I can report so far:

First, my fellow Aldermen and I were never notified or approved of these trees being removed. If we had been, you can bet I would have made sure it did not happen this way.

Second: The City reports that this was not something the Administration was made aware of either. The Mayor and his staff are continuing to meet with MASS DOT to figure out what happened.

I promise to get to the bottom of this. This is not the way residents should be treated.

I, along with my fellow Aldermen, have requested a full public accounting from the City and Mass DOT at this week’s Board of Aldermen meeting.  I will also submit an order asking for a moratorium on the project until we have some answers and also until the City can assign a staff person to monitor this project on a daily basis and provide information and updates to residents in a timely and transparent manner.

I will also work with my fellow Aldermen to amend our tree ordinance and close a loophole regarding tree removal and street construction projects. The full Board is behind me on all of these actions and will not be satisfied until we have answers and see changes.

Since this project began, I have asked for regular updates to the Beacon street reconstruction project, that weekly updates be posted on the City’s website and that the City provide “boots on the ground” to oversee this project because I know, from the Somerville Ave reconstruction project, that local daily oversight is crucial to protecting the City’s residents in relation to such a project.  Contractors who are not hired by the City but are beholden to the State for payment must be aggressively monitored by the City on a daily basis in order to protect residents and the City’s interests.

My request was never fulfilled, had we had such oversight from the City, this wholesale slaughter in one day would not have occurred.

I invite all those who care about trees to join me and other Beacon street residents at a Vigil on Sunday October 15 at 5pm across from Whole Foods and to attend the BOA meeting on Thursday, October 12^th at 7pm.

Maryann Heuston

Ward 2 Alderman

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