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Maplewood committee instructs DPW to deny removal of 271-year-old London plane at 62 Pearson Road
Summary
After expert testimony and extensive public comment, the Maplewood Township Committee instructed the Department of Public Works to deny a tree-removal permit for a large London plane tree at 62 Pearson Road, citing specimen/rare-tree protections and drainage/aesthetic impacts.
The Maplewood Township Committee on adjournment instructed the Department of Public Works to deny the issuance of a tree removal permit for a London plane tree on the property at 62 Pearson Road. Mayor Vic DeLuca cited the township tree ordinance and the arborist's assessment as the basis for the committee’s action and said there was no evidence the tree posed a safety risk that would justify removal.
DeLuca summarized witness testimony and correspondence, including an arborist estimate that the tree is roughly 271 years old and a state forester calculation that would place the tree among the largest of its species in New Jersey. He said the ordinance requires weighing drainage, canopy and screening impacts and concluded "we will instruct the Department of Public Works to deny the issuance of a tree removal permit." The committee did not record a formal roll-call vote during the public hearing; the mayor announced the instruction to DPW as the committee's decision and provided no timetable for written confirmation or an appeal process.
