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Narberth Shade Tree Commission recommends changes to 100 Essex planting plan, urges tree protection
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Summary
The Narberth Shade Tree Commission voted to advise the planning commission to replace lamb's ear with a native species, add at least one additional street-tree species for biodiversity, and emphasize wider-canopy shade trees along Haverford Avenue. The commission will send a formal letter to planning.
The Narberth Shade Tree Commission voted to send a recommendation to the planning commission asking the developer of the 100 Essex project to replace lamb's ear with a native species, diversify the street-tree palette and prioritize wider-canopy shade trees along Haverford Avenue.
The motion was introduced by the chair (S6) and seconded; the commission recorded an affirmative vote and agreed that staff will draft and transmit a recommendation letter to planning. Chair (S6) summarized the three points to be included: removing lamb's ear, adding at least one more tree species to the proposed streetscape, and emphasizing shade trees to increase canopy cover on Haverford.
The developer's representative, Tim Rubin (S3), told the commission that the plan was driven in part by a prospective retail tenant's strict frontage and interior criteria and that adjustments to the rear footprint were intended to accommodate that tenant and three new apartments above the store. "My name is Tim Rubin, and I represent the development team," Rubin said while reviewing the project's history and how the site came onto the market.
Kayla McKay (S5), the landscape architect from Stuart Associates, presented the planting palette and explained species selection: a columnar hackberry (Prairie Centennial) along Haverford, four serviceberry trees in the parking lot, 11 salt- and heat-tolerant shrubs, a native mountain mint perennial and some lamb's ear. She also said the design team plans to protect an existing honey locust on Essex Avenue. "We've had discussions ... and we would like to hopefully protect that tree during this process," McKay said.
Commission members pressed for changes aimed at increasing species diversity and long-term resilience. Commissioners raised concerns about over-reliance on a single street-tree species in downtown streetscapes, noting risks from pests and diseases such as emerald ash borer and beech leaf disease. McKay said some details'for example, whether the proposed continuous trench would provide stormwater capture'depend on civil drawings and could be confirmed at the planning stage.
By approving the recommendation, the Shade Tree Commission does not change the developer's permit; instead it formalizes the commission's technical observations to planning staff as part of the review process. The chair said she will prepare a letter that includes the commission's three recommendations and send it to Maggie to forward to the planning commission ahead of the applicant's May appearance.
The commission's next procedural step is to transmit the recommendation letter and to monitor the planning review for responses or required revisions from the applicant.
