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Resident says DPW pruning damaged street trees; council to pause trimming and pursue training
Summary
Kristen Gellner said workers improperly pruned young cherry trees outside her house and flagged a 2015 redevelopment ordinance that requires Japanese lilac plantings; council members said pruning will pause and DPW staff will take Rutgers training before further work.
Kristen Gellner of 23 Vander Veer Avenue told the Somerville Borough Council during public comment on Oct. 6 that crews from the Department of Public Works had severely pruned two newly planted cherry trees outside her house, leaving one with roughly half its canopy removed and another in poor condition.
"They cut it literally straight down to the trunk," Gellner said, asking whether the trees would be replaced if they die and whether there is any recourse for residents. She also said a 2015 redevelopment ordinance that specified Japanese lilac trees for redevelopment zones has resulted in non‑native plantings that are not thriving.
Jeff Kaiser, vice chair of the environmental commission, told the council that New Jersey issued regulations in 2023 requiring municipalities to adopt tree removal and replacement guidelines, including permitting for removals and options to replace trees on private property or pay in‑lieu fees. He emphasized exceptions in the ordinance for hazardous or dead trees.
Council members acknowledged the residents’ concerns. A liaison said he reported the pruning to DPW, that the contractor said trees were trimmed to make way for a street sweeper, and that the borough has arranged Rutgers tree‑trimming training for DPW staff and asked crews to stop pruning until the training is complete.
The council said planning‑board and environmental‑commission work on a tree removal/replacement ordinance is ongoing and will be scheduled for future public meetings; members encouraged residents to attend planning‑board sessions where the revised ordinance and stormwater rules will be discussed.
Why it matters: Several residents raised the issue at public comment, citing both immediate damage to street trees and longer‑term concerns about species selection in redevelopment plantings and canopy loss. Council actions — pausing pruning and arranging training — create a near‑term remedy while ordinance revisions proceed.
Next steps: DPW staff will undergo Rutgers training; the planning board will schedule meetings to review the tree removal/replacement ordinance and stormwater ordinance with public notice.
