Falmouth planners close hearing on Old Dock Road sidewalk after debate over removing a 28‑inch maple

The Planning Board closed a public hearing Oct. 21 on a Town of Falmouth Engineering Department proposal to install a roughly 700‑foot, 5‑foot‑wide asphalt sidewalk on Old Dock Road that would require removing a 28‑inch red maple at 31 Old Dock Road.

Town engineer presenters said the sidewalk — intended to connect the bike‑path parking lot to the town boat ramp — had been discussed since earlier projects in 2009 and 2015 and is now being advanced in two phases because of road geometry and funding constraints. The applicant and engineering staff said the alignment will require shifting a short section of the road and will cut about 8 inches of soil in the tree’s critical root zone.

Jeremiah, the town’s tree warden, told the board that excavating the root zone would “compromise” the tree and that “there is no real saving the tree” if the sidewalk is built in the proposed alignment. He said the town plans to plant two replacement red maples (2–3‑inch caliper) on or near the site and seek the best available nursery stock.

Resident Dan Shearer urged the board not to remove the tree unless the sidewalk is completed all the way to the town dock, warning that a partial sidewalk could deposit pedestrians at a congested ramp and create a safety hazard. Engineering staff acknowledged the phased approach and said the section to the dock may be constructed in a later year depending on funding; they said public‑works operating funds could cover some work but full completion depends on annual budgets and town meeting approvals.

Board members debated whether to condition a positive determination on securing funding or completion of the full sidewalk. Some members argued for moving forward with a determination for the tree removal so the project can proceed in phases, while others pressed for a funding condition to avoid removing mature shade trees before pedestrian safety is fully addressed.

The board voted to close the public hearing; planning staff advised that, under the Scenic Roads bylaw, the board must file its determination with the town clerk within 21 days and offered to prepare and file a positive determination on the board’s behalf. The record indicates the board discussed but did not adopt a funding condition; staff will file the determination and the select board’s earlier positive decision remains linked to this planning board determination.

Next steps: the planning staff will file the board’s determination with the town clerk and prepare any recommended conditions for the board’s next meeting; replacement‑tree locations and final species are to be determined in coordination with abutters and the tree warden.