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Pawling Planning Board approves ASPCA timber‑harvest permit with conditions
Summary
The Pawling Planning Board approved a permit allowing removal of about 70 trees from a fenced dog‑exercise area at the near‑complete ASPCA facility, conditioning the work on no heavy machinery, leaving downed trees in place, and waiving certain Chapter 187 submission/referral requirements; one member voted against the measure.
The Pawling Planning Board on a majority vote approved an environmental timber‑harvest permit for the ASPCA facility, allowing the removal of about 70 trees from a fenced dog‑exercise area while imposing conditions intended to limit ecological and noise impacts.
James Karras of JMC, who said he represents the ASPCA, told the board the site plan is nearly complete and that a roughly 2.2‑acre area designated for the outdoor fenced exercise yard contains numerous dead, diseased or storm‑damaged trees that make the area unusable as planned. "Weare here requesting your consideration of an environmental permit for the timber harvest," Karras said during the board presentation.
Ted Kolowski, introduced in the meeting as the arborist/forester who prepared the recent study, told the board most of the trees marked for removal are small‑diameter, ash trees affected by disease and that the remaining larger live trees would remain in place. "This site is not being clear cut," Kolowski said, adding that where possible the work should be manual and that downed limbs could be left as chips to serve as mulch and protect root systems.
Board members pressed the applicant about replacement planting, noise mitigation and how removals would be enforced. The board adopted an amended motion that (a) approved the harvest for the fenced dog‑yard area, (b) required that downed trees/limbs be left in place where feasible, and (c) prohibited the use of heavy machinery in the wooded area. The motion also included a waiver of certain Chapter 187 submission requirements and a waiver of a public hearing as part of the amended language presented to the board.
The motion carried with one recorded dissent. Meeting discussion acknowledged neighborshad raised noise and screening concerns but noted the town consultant and applicant reports concluded many of the identified trees were already dead or in poor condition and that the installed earthen berm and screening plantings provided mitigation. The board directed that permit conditions be enforced through inspection and monitoring by appropriate town staff or a qualified arboreal monitor.
Next steps: the approval authorizes the applicant to implement the work subject to the stated conditions; the board did not specify a replanting requirement for the interior area in this action. The board record will reflect the permit conditions and the waiver language adopted at the meeting.
