Land bank, committee map Liberty Tree Project and potential elm plantings on North Liberty Street

The town tree committee discussed concrete steps to participate in the national Liberty Tree Project, including designating a large high‑school elm as the town’s Liberty Elm and planting elms along Liberty Street and North Liberty Street.

Emily Murphy, representing the land bank, presented a schematic for the North Liberty Street parking‑lot restoration and said, “we're planning to start the restoration of this park this coming September,” with the work expected to take “between one and two years” and include a summer break in construction. She identified two or three potential planting locations near the parking lot that she believed would be appropriate for elms but cautioned that some parts of the site are wet and that species tolerance will need to be considered.

Mary Longaker told the committee the land bank had been contacted and that Rachel Freeman, the land bank director, had tentatively indicated support for planting on the land‑bank lot; she said the committee could remove that site from its own planting plans if the land bank confirmed trees would be included in its restoration. Longaker also emphasized coordination with other town bodies, noting a Liberty Elm designation “would have to go through the commission” and that the select board and the school committee would likely need to be involved before any public ceremony.

Committee members discussed planting in other public parks, including Milh Hill Park, which already contains elms, and proposed a walking tour to identify additional locations along the Liberty Street corridor. Members agreed the wording for any commemorative plaque should reflect continuity with other Liberty Tree designations.

On timing and logistics, the committee reviewed preliminary cost estimates for a boulder‑mounted plaque: a brass plaque was estimated at about $900 for up to roughly 90–100 letters, while the total stone and installation costs for a finished boulder and plaque were discussed in a range of about $1,500–$1,800 depending on text length and finishing. Members said the boulder supplier would need roughly a month to carve and return the finished stone and that the town Department of Public Works would place the boulder once procured.

Next steps the committee set before the April meeting included: (1) asking the land bank commission to confirm whether planting and a Liberty Elm designation are acceptable on the North Liberty Street lot; (2) drafting and circulating proposed plaque text for review; (3) scheduling a walking tour to identify other planting opportunities; and (4) confirming whether a July 4–area ceremony is feasible pending select board and school committee approval. The committee will revisit plans at its next scheduled meeting.