Torrington commission permits removal of three trees in Cedar Knoll conservation easement

The Torrington Conservation Commission voted Tuesday to let property owners at 34 Cedar Knoll remove three trees within a legacy conservation easement, after staff described safety concerns and proposed replacement plantings.

Assistant City Planner Nate Nerdy Cyrus told the commission the request covers two large pines that routinely shed branches and a red maple showing clear rot and base injury. Cyrus said the shed replacement was outside the easement but that the three interior trees presented potential hazards to the house and yard. He recommended allowing removal, stump removal only at the owner’s option, and replacing each removed tree with a smaller, lower‑growing specimen to preserve the screening function the easement was intended to provide.

Commissioners reviewed the easement language, which requires commission permission for removals and authorizes removal for safety or aesthetic reasons where appropriate. After discussion about whether stumping should be required and confirmation that the proposed replacement plantings would maintain the screening purpose, the commission moved and approved a motion to permit removal of the three trees as described and to require replacement in kind.

The vote was taken by voice; the chair announced the motion carried. Staff said they will incorporate the commission’s decision into the property’s zoning permit and monitor the work through the permit process.

The vote and the commission’s direction are procedural approvals of this specific request only; the easement’s authority and future monitoring remain with the commission and, where applicable, the state monitoring program described in the easement documentation.