City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Trees & Greenery Committee, 9 Feb 2022

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From YouTube: 2.9.2022 Trees & Public Greenery Committee

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2.9.2022 Trees & Public Greenery Committee

A

All right, you are reporting, okay. I will call the meeting of the treason, greenery committee to order.

A

We have the minutes from the december meeting.

A

Questions very expensive.

A

Okay, hi all right. We have the.

A

Pre-Request removals uh mcgee drive.

B

Do you wanna yeah, um your name again, uh it's will blanc little bland. Oh.

B

It might make sense for will to speak first to them, and then we can talk about.

B

It, um but the one thing I do want to note is the property line. There is for me, too, close to tell.

B

With our aerial mapping as to whose tree it is, it is very, very hard to tell, especially with.

C

An evergreen you can't see the trunk on the line. The same way you can on.

C

Some hardwood trees, so I just want to be clear on that, but will do you wanna well.

C

We've been there going on 20 years. You know the trees are great they're they're.

C

Beautiful we love them. We've spent a lot of money on those trees on our property.

C

Injecting them with fertilizer and disease, so we've maintained those over the years.

C

The concern I have really is: we've had five of those needs come down, our property goes.

C

All the way down the end of the drive so over the years, they've all gone onto the power lines which.

C

Is fortunate that westerly wind that comes across the pond is the culprit and a big one.

C

That came down last night that thanks, but I hope that, because that was a mess that was.

C

That one had shown it was a shoot that had come off of that it was a little deterioration on that.

C

So but it didn't break it just uprooted, so the I'm not.

C

Saying we need to deforest the thing and cut the trees, but what I'd like to see is if they are.

C

The city purview, then maybe we can come up with a plan where we can assess them on a regular basis.

C

um Have a maintenance situation where, if we see one that is.

C

Going to be a problem, there's a plan of attack take care of it.

C

I know our neighbors next to over 800 there's a couple there that are a little sketchy.

C

The park is coming off from halfway out there they're the two left on that property. There.

C

Look good, but what we've found is when they come down. What inside and what's outside can be two.

C

Different things, so um I just wanted to bring it to the city's attention if it's their trees.

C

Then is there a way that we can come up with a plan to assess and detect issues before.

C

They land uh take the power lines down again, which I'm okay with they come into it, but.

C

Those easterly winds, those westerlies, are real strong. They go into the street. The easterlies.

C

Are what scared me, because the three were multipliers? So that's where my position is.

C

I'm not it's not a request to take the trees down.

C

To help with the assessment and maintain them.

C

So we know what's going on, that's that's really where I stay so thank you. That's kind of a.

C

Position, there's something we could do in that manner. That would you know, I think, we'd all feel.

C

A little more comfortable on the street and just one more point is at the head end of the street.

C

It's not, although some of those trees may have some issues. It's not such a problem because.

C

That's more forested that they have than in the streets, so those trees have.

A

Blanketed more higher end um that has a pretty good patch coming across that pond and that.

C

That's why I took that big one down last month. Thank you.

C

There's a couple things here, so we can't assess risk and, to an extent, uh the the tough part.

C

About these trees is say it's a tree like a silver maple or trees, where we can do reduction, training.

C

To mitigate the sale of the tree, that's not really possible with a norway, spruce.

B

You have what you have there so pruning for what this would do is.

B

Mitigate the sail in the wind, we really can't do that with those trees.

B

It's a tough situation because that whole side of mcgee drive, more or less is lined with runway.

B

Spruces and historically between mr bland's address and all the way to the maple wood. We have.

B

Had failure pretty much every pretty much every year, um some form of patch, usually.

B

It's handled by the power companies as these statements they're, always landing on the wires.

B

But then we also have a skating a little bit of a skating property line. There.

B

Some are very clearly ours and some are.

B

Samples these two it's hard to tell, but it's tough because, as as was stated, the trees there's no.

B

Large hazards to be seen right now, but uh take the norway spruce on middle street, for example,.

B

There was no visible hazard or decay to that tree same species when that did come down last year.

B

That was the big one with six telephone poles. You do see that the decay lies on the inside.

B

I think my concern is creating a precedent that.

B

All the spruces on the edge get removed. Maybe we don't want to do that either.

D

Can we do a risk assessment um associated with it to see? If there's you know yeah, we can we.

D

Can do a risk assessment either way? I think that's something that we can definitely do.

E

Side of your driveway there um there's a column of dead wood. It's just a dead stamina that never grew.

E

Essentially was overshadowed yeah, so stuff like that, can be taken out. It's not that big about 15.

E

Feet tall, it's only two inch diameter by removing some of those dead debris limbs they're not going.

E

To come down, you know, unexpectedly, in the storm yeah that one that one that's a smaller one.

E

How expensive was the road construction out on that road.

D

We didn't do, uh I don't believe we did utilities on that section. No, they just started a new tower.

C

They they ran the end of that one line down the end of the street and put a hydrant in.

C

There so they could flush that, because the hydrant was like above our driveway, so there's.

C

The lower section, though so it didn't go, it wouldn't go into the roots. Those trees, correct.

C

No, no, I don't think so. I mean there's only one that.

C

It does go past the one that's on the lower driveway and there's a big pine. That's.

C

That one looks pretty strong. Look, I'm just that one.

C

That big one that came down, that's my 42 inch button, but that had lost a shoe.

C

You could see that that was a little soft, but again it was the it. They wrote it that one. You.

A

Guys took out- and I understand the boundary line, but maybe that's something we can figure out too.

D

Yeah we can work with our staff to see if we can get some indication of where the boundary.

D

Line is so we'll work with jamie. Let's see if there's something there's any pins or markers.

D

On the site that can we have quickly identified, we did take one out, but further back on our.

C

Property with a smaller one, that was right after that big when it came down, and it was.

C

Another windstorm and you could see there was a gap around the trunk and you can see it rocking so.

C

uh Public service came in and took that one out and I called them and said you know.

C

That, but that was a small one similar to the one that decided to be talking about that.

E

Staying turned down so that you know that's usually processed.

E

These trees have been in there for years.

E

No norway spruces actually grow really fast, so they're not 100 years old right. No, it's not! It's.

E

Not like a big sugar maple, that's been there forever um by looking at them and doing some.

E

Damage measurements. We can cross check against stuff that we've already caught in the past.

E

Did you wonder I know I said the same thing I got to go to a new street today it was lovely.

E

They drove out there before.

E

Norway's all alone yeah, it really is something yeah.

E

Somebody got a whole bunch of them for a project um yeah I mean when I first got down.

C

I got my first financial license at the camera and they were.

C

No identification, the theorized director of public works.

C

Checked back to the certified artist, a.j duprey urban.

C

On an foreign committee and peter steve, who is city planner? Well, I I certainly appreciate you.

C

Listening, thank you for coming in should we have a motion to basically monitor this.

A

Yeah, I notice there's there's also some folks on oh yeah online. If there's any.

D

Comments from the the folks that are online, the city council yeah, so welcome. Welcome.

A

At least start with doing a formal tree risk assessment on both trees. um I I think, if.

C

You do that let's do our property 800 on the next door and then those look that lower end.

C

Yeah again, I think the ones I don't know, but once further up seemed to be.

A

So we have a motion to monitor these three age check.

A

Taken well take a look at them, basically follow what you're, suggesting um formal process and and.

A

Through the international society of agriculture called a tree risk assessment.

A

That can only be done by those who possess the qualifications, so we can.

B

We can do a formal one of those revisit it just to see it. I will.

B

Whether other trees on the street get done by the next time we meet. I can't promise that, but we can.

B

Look at doing normal risk assessments to many of those trees yeah, those in my feeling about it.

C

From 790, that's the lower three houses.

A

Thank you very much. Thank.

B

Any questions, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you all right. Thank you. Originally,.

C

That was the main entrance.

D

Association prior to.

A

D

Just want to point that out, you can tell if they raise the end or whatever the process is.

A

D

If you have your hand up, please feel free to.

D

To comment or oh yes, there we go um just thank you for letting me join you today I was. I was very.

A

Curious about um everything that occurs in this meeting and I'm excited to be here and to listen.

B

Thank you. Welcome and haley did you want to do you have anything you wanted to speak to.

D

No, it doesn't sound like it.

D

Okay, I believe pat, is on as a panelist hi there. I miss you guys.

D

All right so haley's just saying excited to listen. Thank you! Haley. Yes, dick adams decided.

D

Not to take time away from saint croix.

A

Any place you want peter, can you.

A

Here is the um open space coordinator by the person overseeing and the open space plan and.

D

Give us a presentation on there right now is pat able to see this.

D

I believe she can see it. I can thank you.

F

Yes, good morning, don't know me, I'm peter says I'm one of the principal planners in.

F

The fire department- and I was tasked with kind of being the project manager for getting this plan.

G

Through the process, be good next slide.

A

There we go um so this is just kind of highlighting what the city has.

G

Done over the past 10 or 15 years, as far as environmental studies or assessments.

G

And so one of the things the open space plan focuses on is the study that was done in 2010.

G

For the public, undeveloped lands assessment or the puma.

G

And go ahead to the next slide. The master plan that was adopted calls out.

G

You know developing an open space plan, so this is kind of where we got our.

G

You know our calling card to go forward with.

G

Going to city council and asking for money, if you go to the next slide, the 50 000 was allocated in.

G

The 2018 cip, this is, after the master plan, was adopted to develop an open space plan.

D

What you're seeing here is a typical element sheet for the capital improvements plan, so.

D

It calls out the department it's involved in and just kind of has some information.

G

Okay- and you can see on the bottom where, where it's coming from the master plans.

G

So this is the purpose of the plan. uh As I mentioned, it was building off the existing cooler.

G

And other studies to prioritize an additional undeveloped land for protection or acquisition.

G

Or improvements in the next slide- and these are just the goals that were outlined and what we.

G

Did was we put an rfp out and got, I think, six or eight proposals? If you go to the next slide,.

G

The rfp was issued in 2018, the city selected, resilience, planning and design out of plymouth new.

G

Hampshire and then we established after meeting with them, we established the steering committee.

G

um And then, as you can see, the plan played out.

G

Next slide shows representation on the steering committee. Aj was on the steering committee.

G

And we had the landing board chairman at the time members of the conservation commission.

G

And that other representation and the steering committee did a really good job in kind of.

G

Providing feedback to the consultant and kind of driving the direction of the plan.

G

Go to the next slide, so before this we had, we had many kind of unique public output.

G

Outreach we had a couple public world cafe, meetings where we had stations that people could.

H

Write on maps and leave comments, we had a wiki map, which is an online map. You can go on and.

H

Click on places that you visit or recreate and what you do there leave comments so plan.

H

Has all that information in there, but it was kind of unique trying to find alternate ways that the.

H

Outreach meetings, um the first one we had, I think, was like the first nice day in may or.

H

June, so it was kind of poorly attended but yeah. The second one was: we had better attendance and.

A

We had a lot of, we had a lot of input from the wiki map and through online opportunities.

G

So, at the culmination of all the research and data and input we developed two.

G

Maps, one is the opportunities map that shows where our potential opportunities are. If you look, if you.

G

See the the parcels that are in red, I believe, are there identifies the opportunities parcels.

G

One's outlined in red, yeah: okay, what are the green or what uh they're two shades? There's.

G

Actually, three shades of green, the um neon green is their their conservation and public lands.

G

The dark green are city parks and then there's a different shade of green. That.

G

So then, for each math, there's a matrix of trying to trying to rank them was kind of hard to figure.

G

Out how to rank them, but the consultant came up with different criteria and trying to prioritize.

G

Them whether they're high meteor, medium or maybe long-term future goals go to the next math peter.

D

This study is online, it stays online. Is it under the plan portsmouth.

D

Section resources and I can send a link out to the group.

G

So the prior act was looking at opportunities that included potential partials for acquisition or.

G

Preservation, this map looks at improvements to existing.

G

um Lands that are protected or under conservation and if you go to the next site.

G

I thought it had a team, but it has a similar matrix for ranking prioritizing, but improvements.

G

The next two slides just show um what we have in the draft cip going forward this year. um The.

G

First, one was for the great bog, and this one was ongoing for and the great blog is out on.

H

33. yep is that correct? Okay? So that's where you're starting the rail trail, um 33 and 95.

D

Sort of fanfield road- that's a subway and is that all the new development going on in banfield is.

H

That kind of connecting into the whole thing is that all sort of emotion, just because it's the new.

H

Development, I don't think that it's yeah the new development on manchester united, that it abuts.

D

It doesn't it butts uh conservation land uh out there, the head farm.

D

It's one side of it: uh 83 carverly hill road, which is the project that's recently been approved.

D

Stretches down all the way to there and the um the girl scout camp wraps around um that area as well.

D

But the acquisition of the the identification and acquisition of the great blood was probably.

A

30 or 40 years ago, we can't be recognized in the city started to require pieces in it. Yeah.

D

It's a beautiful if you haven't had a chance to fishing eight holes, part of that scope of.

D

If you haven't had a chance to go out there, um the the rail trail walking on the railroad tracks.

D

Gives you access to a lot of side trails that it's just beautiful land out there? It's really.

D

Yes, exploring habitat okay, so this this request is to add additional funding for future acquisition.

D

The conservation commission has actually been using this plan to identify.

H

Parcels look to look at for acquisition and they narrowed it down to six properties that they're.

H

Going to approach the owners to look into the wiring, that's that's really good to know.

H

This is there's a plan on our I mean a page on our planning website, with the open space plan and a.

H

Link there's a link up there, so hopefully we'll continue to add projects in cip use. This plan.

G

Have you mentioned how this committee can use it? I don't know what your thoughts are, but I.

H

Was just wanting to educate myself about, I think open space is something that's.

H

Important, especially with the uh the code that has made people really turn to the outside, so.

H

I think there's a remote interest and I think also I hear a lot about development and I think.

H

That's the open space plans, a good place to sort of balance out people's angst about development.

H

And I think it's also a wonderful way to mitigate urban climate change, to easy nonpartisan.

H

People love, trees, love green space, and so it's um happy. Thank you.

H

Just wondering how we can assist.

G

I think that was less.

A

D

I'm not sure why it's stuck on that.

H

Is the acquisition of the um community campus? Is that under this that's something else? Okay,.

D

Out of curiosity, if I go.

A

D

Yeah I apologize um pat, do you see? Do you still see the presentation.

A

uh I don't okay, we we do it's a little awkward for us, but um no, I don't see it either. Okay, let's.

D

Put you here all right, any questions for peter so right now at the queue. What you're working on most.

H

Immediately is acquisitions or that's right? The conservation commission is using this to.

H

Identify properties for acquisition.

H

Like last year, we had a couple requests, just like five thousand dollars for.

G

Trail maintenance, a great blog, and then we got two in this year. So we'll probably continue to add.

G

Requests in cip going forward.

G

When people come in with projects, um we consult this to see if that property was identified for.

G

You know in this plan I know I have one: that's a property that is for sale. People come in.

G

And we, you know, part of the property is identified in this plan and so we're encouraging them to.

G

Not develop that property or conserve that portion of the property.

G

So we use it as a resource and then once the city takes on.

H

You know acquires more, I know the city probably doesn't particularly like to be landowners. There's.

D

I don't believe, there's I don't think we're adverse to it. um I mean it depends on the.

D

Responsibilities associated with it, I mean a lot of the open spaces that the city owns are.

D

Unimproved in our past recreation, so it's very little from a maintenance standpoint very little.

D

Involvement on a lot of the lands, however, as you said, with people going out and recreating more and.

D

Exploring areas there's more requests for you know doing things to those you know, property.

D

Either expanding trails or cleaning or working on trees, and things like that, so I mean, as you said,.

D

It's a it's an amenity for for the residents. It's it's a quality of life. It improves.

D

That's a global warming thing I mean there's a lot of reasons to be supportive and I I believe it's.

D

Consistent with the city's master plan, which is supported by the city council, so it is something.

D

That's you know part of our mission, uh so there's no issue, you know acquiring property or having.

D

Having open spaces or additional city property for me, that's that's a personal priority for the town.

H

To acquire to have landed open space because that's really makes my property tax feel fine.

G

I mean the plan looks at also identifying underserved areas.

G

With areas that don't have access to to public lands or open space, so you know- and some of the.

G

Opportunities may actually see, especially out you know, on wood barrier by market basket. That's.

H

Heavily developed trying to identify parcels out there that could be open space parcels or parts.

H

Yeah, I mean I mean if you look at the plan. You'll see properties throughout the town.

H

I'm balancing, like the west end development and the north end development with green space, but.

G

Sure I mean the projects you know have a certain amount of open source that they have to provide.

G

But we are, we also, I mean without going into too deep with the zoning you know.

G

There aren't sounds for developers if they provide community space, not all open spaces.

G

You know green, but it can be. You know urban, open space. You have community, sidewalks or areas to.

G

You know congregate, that's that's kind of just.

G

Like in the zoning ordinance, not necessarily at this point.

A

Any other questions for peter.

F

Peter may I speak sure, certainly um yes, I did pull up the link. I found it online.

F

um On the city website- and um I apologize, we just had a fender bender outside our house.

F

So I've been a little distracted, but um I um that the purpose is to interconnect these open.

F

Spaces is that correct um over time, um similar to what has been historically done in boston.

F

um So that we have open green connected spaces for the public to utilize throughout the city.

G

I think, where we're possible it is, it is a goal to connect properties.

G

Obviously, we can't connect them all, but you know if you can connect groups of properties. Yes,.

H

Okay, and also for wildlife coordinators yeah. Thank you.

A

Now any other questions from you. I have one more.

F

Does our committee um get involved with any of this going forward.

F

I guess it would be more tangential um as a interesting group, but I don't know that.

A

We have any um any formal role yeah, it's really not the purview of this committee.

D

um You know other than you know, supporting efforts to protect lands and have open space.

D

Once the property's purchased the trees on the property uh would be, you know our purpose.

A

Okay, yes, thank you and the greenery aspect of it. Yeah the tree's angry keep talking about trees.

H

These are just big greenery.

A

Okay, well anything we can support you in sure. Thank you. Thank you.

A

um um I think adam's our old business, especially specialist, how about any new business.

D

uh I just want to make folks aware that we are looking at the bridge street lot.

D

uh For um rehabilitation and uh revitalization um so we'll be bringing a plan forward to everybody.

D

uh Both parking traffic and safety and greenery uh next month, uh the intent is to uh to rework.

D

The uh space and to expand um some of the park area up on the islington end to coincide with.

D

The 400th anniversary, as well as creating a gateway to islington the west end. um But when.

D

We're doing this we're looking at uh reworking the sidewalks instead of having two sidewalks down the.

D

Maplewood avenue side looking at one sidewalk, which is opportunities to deal with those shrubs.

D

Which other greenery and trees in that area to improve that and we're looking at putting a free.

D

Line of trees on the bridge street side.

D

So we'll bring that forward and have a chance to comment on that and make recommendations relative.

D

To species all right great now, who's who's, leading the uh mark, batchelor and dave defosus.

D

They will come and uh give a brief presentation. Wonderful, wonderful, that's really fun and what's.

H

What you've all done going down islington street is just it's just great. I love the brick. The.

H

Concrete that that dual look, I think, uh tightening it up and the lamps. It looks great.

H

Yeah, it really does that project is continuing on as well yeah. I.

H

Would expect to see construction starting probably summer on the.

A

Yeah a good place to avoid yeah.

A

Any of a new business- okay- chuck: have you placed your way up for this year? The order is in oh.

B

So it was a little tough. This year um it was a battle for species, so pretty much.

B

Went back and forth two times with the wholesaler: it's just there's a lot of competition. I think the.

B

Towns are towns and cities, especially in massachusetts, they're planting a ton of trees.

B

And uh anyways we have great trees coming in same amount, a hundred um so anyways it's in.

B

I I have a about half of the list sourced right now, so we can talk more about that, but.

B

It's funny because we have some a lot of not a lot. We have maybe six five or six replacements.

B

From last year and then we were going to focus on.

B

Areas that need canopy cover undecided, open a suggestion. So if you have you're in your in.

B

Your travels have some thoughts or green strips that you notice are empty. Our big thing is.

B

Watching out for overhead utilities and then having areas that.

B

One have room for a tree, but also a lot of times. It's the perfect area.

B

And then you find out there's going to be a sidewalk project. The following season.

B

So, balancing that, but I can send out the tentative list- I think I have about 60 out of 100 trees.

B

Located so 40, it's not as big but pierce island is a big one. Obviously we can remove all those.

B

Red pines, I think we need to get some canopy in there and the president residents have come to me.

B

So we'd like to do that, what kind of feedback have you got.

B

uh It's upsetting um but understandable because they were dead.

B

But the feedback is definitely to replant to make sure we replant and we want to.

B

Replant shade trees, because there's no utilities right, so they can big. Yes, yeah.

B

So anyways so you'll be taking those stumps out eventually when they're around. Yes, if they were.

H

A little closer you could see kids using those little stepping stones, they're really sweet. Yes,.

H

And thank you for leaving those four yeah. um So I was going to follow up and perhaps that.

H

Would be something that you know my garden club could do? Is some type of educational, uh signage.

H

And work with you about that about, you know what it becomes sort of a bug, hotel, so perfect.

D

um The rotary club has graciously donated uh monies for planting 100 trees um and it's.

D

Part of what we're calling 400 on the 400, so what our goal is is in 2023 to plant 400 trees.

D

uh So the city would contribute 100 rotary to 100 and then we're talking.

D

We're trying to figure out how the last 200, actually I was going to reach out to aj, to.

D

See if the state has any um any program that you know we're figuring, you know that 200 we can put.

D

On city property and maybe work with residents to plant on private property at the balance system,.

H

So you would do a citizen drive for the last yeah we're just we're just starting the concept.

D

Right now, but um so it was something that we thought uh would be exciting to try to plant.

D

400 trees now, obviously, that would entail a lot of attention from our staff for a couple of years.

D

But talking to chuck uh corn, you know it seems like something that would be really fun to do.

D

uh Really symbolic for the city on its former university, I love that it would spill over to.

H

Citizens, having you know, personal ownership and a partnership yeah, I know it's for management.

B

Yeah, well, it's also in our very early stages. We've talked aj about possibly some smaller trees.

B

In the state nursery that weren't as labor intensive for residents versus.

D

Big trees, you know, so we can look at targeting some of these on these. Some of these baseballs.

D

The the other um item that I need to bring up is.

D

Reminding me this uh cyborg projects uh penalty manor, as well as.

D

That you know potentially could be impacting well will impact trees generally definitely.

D

And so we're working with chuck to identify that and try to figure out ways to mitigate.

D

Those impacts, so that's something that david fosus uh once we've got our hands wrapped around. Where.

D

What we're doing and where it's going we're still in the public process state we're going to survey.

D

In those two neighborhoods over the fall and so we're going to digest that survey and present.

D

To the neighborhoods uh and then based on that.

D

And working with chuck to try to figure out what needs to mitigate. I noticed a lot of linden that.

D

Are impacting the sidewalks out in in panaway they've, been a source of discussion in the past.

D

um So we want to be cognizant of those impacts and try to where we can mitigate them. Balance.

F

Thank you all very much. Thank thank you. Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you all right.

A

You don't know where my place is.