Planning board approves removal of two eastern red cedars at 46 Scarsdale Road, requires 6–8 ft replacements and maintenance condition

The Dennis Planning Board voted Jan. 12 to allow the removal of two eastern red cedar trees at 46 Scarsdale Road to make room for a driveway, with conditions requiring two 6‑ to 8‑foot eastern red cedar replacements to be planted and maintained in perpetuity.

Thomas Moore of Moore Home Design, representing the property owner, presented a revised plan that would retain three of the existing cedars, remove or relocate two middle trees and replant two new trees elsewhere on the frontage. "We are proposing to keep 3 of the trees... and try to either relocate 2 of them or potentially remove 2 of them and replant 2 trees," Moore said during the public hearing.

Neighbor Annie Walker, speaking from 36 Scarsdale Road, said the neighbors walked the property with the owner and asked the board to minimize harm to the mature cedar and flagged underground utilities near the trunks. "The water department said that if trees next to each other were to be removed, only one tree should happen at a time... the ground holding the pipe that was put in in 1946 needs that pressure of the ground so that it doesn't blow the pipe out," Walker said, describing measurements showing the water main about 16–20 inches from tree trunks.

Board members and staff discussed options. Several members, including Jeff Aldridge and Rick Hamlin, said removing and replacing the trees is preferable to risky tree‑spading near a shallow water main. Hamlin moved the board adopt the plan to remove the two cedars as shown on the plan dated 11/11/2025, revised 12/16/25 by Moore Home Design, with two conditions: (1) if the trees nearest the driveway impair sight lines the two nearest trees shall be relocated to the south along the Scarsdale Road right of way as shown on the plan; and (2) replacement eastern red cedars (6–8 feet) must be maintained in perpetuity and replaced if they do not survive.

The motion was seconded and the board voted: Liz Patterson, yes; Rick Hamlin, yes; John Terry Jr., yes; Sally Bickford, abstain; Michael McGee, yes; Jeff Aldridge, yes. The motion carried.

The board instructed staff to add specific planting and replacement language to the approval so that responsibility for replacement and maintenance is binding on the property and recorded as part of the approval. Paul (current and long‑range planning) said staff will include language requiring proper planting of native replacements and a replacement schedule if a tree fails.

Next steps: staff will record the conditions and the approval; the applicant must follow the planting and maintenance conditions and obtain any required municipal sign‑offs prior to driveway construction.