One of three trees makes the cut to live

With a bare quorum at the table, a special meeting of the Board of Zoning Adjustment on Sept. 26 would require a unanimous four votes for approval. Commissioners needed three tries to find consensus, and Donald and Tracey Carroll received permission to remove two of the three trees they had marked for removal at 35 Benton St. 

The agenda began with public comments, and Steph Gordon-Glassford thanked commissioners for progress with the tree ordinance and regulation of rental properties. She objected to the request to remove the trees, which she described as “healthy” and “holding up the hillside.” Gordon-Glassford said a proposed deck could be built without removing the mature trees. “We’re concerned about new people coming to town for the charm and then cutting it down,” she said.

Contractor Penny Pemberton, attending by phone, represented the owners. She described plans to rebuild a stone retaining wall. Some stones have already fallen from that wall, and Pemberton said it would have to be taken down completely before rebuilding. The height of the wall would be increased to match another existing stone wall.

The application called for removing two trees close to the house and another tree farther from the house. Pemberton said the limbs of one of the trees already threaten the house, and that work on the rock wall might compromise the trees.

Commissioner Tom Buford expressed some skepticism. He noted that the wall is already there,and has not adversely affected the trees. He also objected to cutting trees simply because of their proximity to a house. He voted against the original proposal, leading to a new motion for a revised approval.

Buford moved to cut one of the trees closest to the house and leave the other two. Chair Susan Harman took a long pause before voting against the motion. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving one of them there,” she said.

Commissioner Ann Tandy-Sallee said the lot contains so many trees that cutting the proposed trees would not make a substantial impact.

The commissioners then voted to remove the two trees close to the house and leave the third tree in place.

Pemberton said the tree removal would take two weeks and would require a crane and climbing gear. In response to a question, she said all the wood from the trees would be removed from the site.