NORTHBOROUGH – Concerns about trees removed as part of the Brigham Street Burial Ground beautification project were voiced by Select Board members during the June 12 meeting.
Member Lisa Maselli said the project was different from what was discussed at Town Meeting, which she said called for 20 trees to be removed.
According to Maselli, between 85 to 90 trees have been removed. She said it was a “little bit of a surprise” in the way they were logged and removed.
“There’s been talk of [how] before there was a canopy of trees, and they didn’t have really maintain the property that much,” Maselli said. “Things are going to change now that it’s all open.”
Member Laura Ziton voiced concerns that heavy equipment was used to remove the trees.
“But I do think that we could’ve done it in a more respectful way. These are the founding families of our town that have been laid to rest here,” Ziton said.
The article on the 2022 warrant specifically asked if voters wanted to spend $137,500 from the Community Preservation fund and historic preservation fund for improvements to the burial ground, including removing dead trees, installing a sign post and fencing and roadside improvements.
Interim Town Administrator Bob Reed said a certified arborist identified “a number” of trees that needed to be removed. Department of Public Works Director Scott Charpentier, who is the tree warden, said the arborist reported that the hemlock trees were infested with a fungus that was slowly killing them. All of the trees that were removed were dead, dying or diseased, Charpentier said.
The equipment was that size so the tracks would have less depth of impact, said Reed. Charpentier added that there wasn’t a financial possibility to remove the trees with a crane from the street.
Reed said while the site is a cemetery, it’s also a construction site and may not look pretty at the moment.
“But I think when all is said and done, it’ll live up to its title, which is a beautification project,” Reed said.
Charpentier said there was a surplus from the Town Meeting allocation after the bid came in that could be used for efforts such as additional trees or more signs at the property.
“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “The planting season is coming up in early fall. Bear with us, it’s going to look nice.”
Meanwhile, there will be time to do soil analysis and amend it, if needed, if there is a fungal infestation, Charpentier said. Hemlock trees will not be replanted, he added.
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