Chesapeake Beach board approves removal of 24 tulip poplars at Mary Lou Lane with replanting conditions

The Chesapeake Beach Tree Board on May 12 approved a permit allowing the removal of 24 tulip poplar trees at 3408 Mary Lou Lane, subject to a replanting plan and mitigation requirements.

The board voted to approve the homeowner’s application after reviewing a town arborist report that identified canopy loss of about 21,000 square feet if all trees were removed and noted one of the marked trees is a sycamore that is not included in the removal. The approved conditions require a replanting plan that covers the current canopy area and uses a mix of large-canopy and understory native species, with species selection coordinated with the town arborist and a six-month guideline for completing plantings (with seasonal flexibility).

The board’s decision responded to safety concerns raised by the homeowner, Deborah Kendall of 3408 Mary Lou Lane, who described frequent tree failures and erosion in the nearby gully. “These poplars, we’re lucky that the ones that we want to take down are still standing,” Kendall said, adding that trees in the area “just flip over on their own” and have damaged neighboring structures and vehicles. Contractor Matthew Curtin of Spencer Tree Service told the board the company planned to harvest some of the removed wood and have it milled for reuse.

Town staff materials presented to the board said 22 of the 24 trees are protected under the Chesapeake Beach ordinance (Chesapeake Beach Ordinance, chapter 2-63 Urban Forest). The arborist report described the poplars as “excessively tall with minimal branching” and said that condition increases vulnerability to wind and structural failure. The report also recommended that the single sycamore not be removed.

Board members and the town arborist (Bartlett Landscaping, under contract to the town) discussed mitigation and site stabilization, particularly given nearby erosion and shallow rooting in low-lying areas. The board required either a one-for-one large-tree replacement or two smaller native trees per removed large tree, and asked the applicant to provide a planting plan listing species from the Calvert County / Chesapeake Beach native-tree recommendations. The board also discussed stump handling: contractors may grind to grade but should not excavate root systems on eroding slopes.

A motion to approve the permit and mitigation conditions was made and seconded; the vote was recorded in the meeting as unanimous among board members present (three ayes recorded). The board said it would send a written recommendation to Sharon at town hall and that the town would issue the formal permit and timing guidance to the homeowner. The board noted that if planting cannot take place in the immediate summer months, it will allow a later planting window (generally September–October) to improve survival.

The board’s action preserves the town’s ability to require replacement planting and species selection intended to reduce future hazards while addressing the homeowner’s immediate safety concerns. The town’s written permit will specify mitigation species, installation standards and enforcement consequences if replanting commitments are not met.