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Select Board continues hearing on removing two white oaks at 122 Jericho Path to June 8
Summary
A public hearing on removal of two white oaks for a new driveway at 122 Jericho Path was continued to June 8 after the tree warden recommended cutting only the smaller tree and the applicant offered to plant more replacement trees; neighbors urged saving the older oak and the board asked the applicant to submit a revised plan.
The Select Board continued a public hearing on June 1 on a request to remove two public shade trees (white oaks) at 122 Jericho Path so the applicant can build a driveway for a new house.
Tree warden staff recommended allowing removal of the smaller (15‑inch DBH) tree but preserving the larger (19‑inch DBH) oak because the larger tree is established and has greater ecological and canopy value.
Chris Ryder, principal of Noville LLC and the project applicant, said the project team will "plant more trees than were there prior to us building this home," noting plans to add several larger trees and over 100 shrubs as mitigation. Ryder said retaining both trees would pose safety and functional issues for access to the proposed garage and driveway.
Several residents urged preserving the older oak. Local resident Sandy Stoves told the board that mature trees are irreplaceable in a human lifetime and that replantings often die or do not provide the same canopy benefits. "Cutting them down...takes a lifetime to regrow," she said.
Board members asked the applicant to revise the site plan to explore configurations that would preserve the larger oak. The hearing was continued to June 8 so the applicant can provide a revised plan showing alternative driveway configurations and tree protection measures; the board said it may reconvene earlier if the applicant can produce plans sooner.
Action: Hearing continued to June 8; no final vote taken.
