08/03/2022 PLANNING BOARD Minutes

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6 Town 0j,-Maslipee mae. tiara ? ash ec ? err •. huselts .Y c ac Report to Planning Board July 27, 2022 Windchime Point Tree Inspection and Decisions Vice-chair Faulkner and Town Planner Evan Lehrer, at the request of Ms. Karen Kingsley, Board Member of the Windchime Point Condominium Association, inspected a number of trees proposed for removal at Windchime Point behind the unit addressed as 56 Gold Leaf Lane due to safety concerns. The inspection took place beginning at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The Vice- Chair and Town Planner were accompanied by Ms. Kingsley, Mr. Ed Ledwith (owner of 56 Gold Lead Lane), and other residents/board members of Windchime. Mr. Ledwith, along with an arborist, had marked a number of trees for discussion generally located behind his unit at 56 Gold Leaf Lane. None of the trees appeared to be dead or diseased or otherwise in poor health however Mr. Ledwith noted that over the winter in a severe storm event large limbs from one of the identified trees fell and severely damaged the deck. This tree shown as Photo 1 attached to this report is a mature scrub pine or oak that looms in close proximity to 56 Gold Leaf Lane. It was determined by the Vice-Chair that this tree constituted an obvious threat to the safety of residents or of serious damage to structures and that it may be removed on the condition that it be replaced by a relatively mature native species in a location to be determined by the arborist where it can be expected to thrive. The Town Planner noted to Mr. Ledwith that large native shrubs could be considered to replace the tree in the general vicinity of its removal. The Planner requested that the species selected and the planting site be identified in writing and submitted to the Planning Office. A list of suitable native tree species was provided. Additionally the Vice-chair determined that another tree marked by Mr. Ledwith and arborist could be removed due to the potential threat to safety and serious damage to structures. This tree is shown in Photo 2 of the attached. This was a relatively healthy and mature tree growing towards the sun and thus leaning out over the condominium unit and attached deck.The vice-chair authorized its removal under the same conditions as above: must be replaced by a suitable native species in a location determined by an arborist where the tree will thrive.