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Committee weighs permitting process and heritage-tree designation to protect canopy
Summary
Members discussed drafting a tree ordinance or permitting process—modeled on Hartford/New Haven—requiring permits for some removals, creating a heritage-tree designation, and considering scaled fines; volunteers agreed to draft language and present it to the zoning committee.
Committee members compared regional approaches to protecting significant trees and discussed options for Old Saybrook, including a permitting process for removal of town trees, heritage-tree designation requiring tree warden approval, and a replanting plan requirement for removals. Bill Claffey and others cautioned about enforcement limits on private-property removals, but agreed a permit process for town trees and a heritage designation could give the town more oversight.
The committee asked volunteers to draft zoning/regulatory language and collect examples from Hartford and New Haven. As one member noted, New Haven measures fines by tree caliper in some policies; the committee discussed whether to start with guidelines and a modest permit process rather than immediately imposing steep fines. Members agreed to route a draft through the zoning committee for consideration.
