Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Trees Wetlands topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission authorizes removal of four dead trees at 46 Weber Road, sets conditions to protect nearby wetlands
Summary
The Brookfield Conservation Commission voted to authorize property owners Deborah and Richard Brigham to remove four dead trees near wetlands at 46 Weber Road with conditions: leave stumps, cut low, do not chip on site, and remove debris that falls into the wetland buffer.
The Brookfield Conservation Commission voted Nov. 19 to authorize the removal of four dead trees near wetlands at 46 Weber Road, after commissioners who visited the site concluded the work could be completed with limited impact to resource areas.
At the meeting the property owners, Deborah and Richard Brigham, said the trees were failing and posed a risk to vehicles parked on their property: “This summer … they’re even leaning,” Deborah Brigham said, explaining the group’s request to remove the trees after an arborist’s review. Commissioners said the trees sit less than 50 feet from the road and are easily accessed from the roadside.
Commissioners reported a site visit by Steve Santuchi, Paul Spencer and other members. The commission’s inspector summarized findings that the trunks appear to be outside the protected wetland but may sit within the wetland buffer; the official registry of deeds, the inspector said, clarifies property lines where assessor maps are inaccurate.
To limit ecological harm, the commission attached conditions to its authorization: leave the stumps in place, cut stumps low, remove any fallen debris from the clearing that encroaches on the buffer and do not chip removed material on site. Commissioners discussed removing the leaning tree in sections, using a boom truck where needed, and avoiding ground disturbance. The paneler agreed to draft a brief approval letter enumerating these conditions and email it to the Brighams.
The motion to authorize the chair to send an approval email passed on a roll-call voice vote of attending commissioners (Steve Santuchi, Paul Spencer, Bill Mer, Megan Crane and Steve Carman all recorded as in favor). The commission noted that if trees or debris end up inside the wetland proper, additional remediation or replication might be required.
The commission said it would monitor compliance and follow up if site conditions change or if work appears to extend into the resource area.
