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Yarmouth planning board approves Old Main Street replanting plan tied to stormwater retrofit
Summary
The Planning Board unanimously approved a replanting plan for Old Main Street that pairs 14 replacement trees with a stormwater trenching retrofit designed to improve water quality flowing to Bass River; work is contingent on a state coastal grant and, if funded, construction is targeted for spring 2027.
The Yarmouth Planning Board voted unanimously June 17 to approve an Old Main Street replanting plan tied to a stormwater retrofit designed to reduce nutrient runoff into Bass River.
Town Engineer Amanda Lima told the board the west‑side project is currently 75% designed and is funded through a grant application to the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. The work would pair tree replacement with a perforated pipe “pre‑trench” that redirects catch basin runoff to newly planted trees to support establishment and reduce nutrients flowing to the outfall, she said: "we're going to be directing the storm water runoff to help water the trees and also do the nutrient uptake," Amanda Lima said.
The plan in the packet calls for planting 14 trees in the area where six of the 10 previously removed trees stood; four additional removed trees on the east side will be handled in a later phase. Lima said the project's preliminary cost estimate for the west side is over $500,000. The town submitted the grant in spring and expects a decision by the end of summer; if funded, the consultant will finish 100% design and the town anticipates bidding work over the winter for a spring 2027 construction window.
Board members pressed for details on species selection, sight‑line safety at driveways and intersections, the constraints of overhead utility lines and drought tolerance. Lima said two species on Eversource’s pre‑approved list — serviceberry and eastern redbud — are part of the recommended palette; three additional native species have been submitted to Eversource for review. She described contractor responsibility for first‑year establishment watering and noted the trench design routes small rain events directly to tree root zones.
Planner Kathy reminded the board of the May 30, 2024 decision that required one‑to‑one replacement and that trees be installed within three years of that approval; the board discussed how a grant denial or schedule slip could require a return to request an extension. After discussion, the board approved a motion to "approve the Old Main Street replanting plan shown on L9, L10, and L11 of the June 2026 plans prepared by Horsley Whitten," with species "to include but not limited to serviceberry and eastern redbud." The motion was seconded and the vote was recorded as unanimous among members present.
Next steps: staff will notify abutters, continue coordination with Eversource and utility arborists for final species approval, and report the grant decision when received. If the state grant is not awarded, staff said it will seek scope reductions or resubmit on a future cycle.
