Tree removal irks Lynnfield abutters

LYNNFIELD – The hot topic at the Board of Selectmen meeting Monday evening came not from the agenda but from angered town residents who wanted to protest trees removed in front of the MarketStreet Lynnfield construction on Walnut Street.Town Administrator William Gustus said some residents brought the issue to his attention last week, complaining that the trees were in both the before and after renderings they saw of the MarketStreet development. Six residents were in attendance at the meeting.Gustus said he spoke last week to Ted Tye, managing partner at National Development, MarketStreet?s developer, and Tye said the tree removal was in the plan approved by the town?s Planning Board. Gustus confirmed this fact and added that Tye said the tree removal was also pertinent to the construction.Tye also mentioned in the conversation that trees and vegetation would be restored to the development?s perimeter by Walnut Street and final landscaping would be completed by spring 2013, Gustus said.?(Tye) is adamant that you will not be able to see the development from Walnut Street if you?re driving on Walnut Street, standing on Walnut Street, whatever you?re doing on Walnut Street once those berms and those trees are put in place,” Gustus said.Through hearing testimony from four of the residents in attendance, the discussion shifted to planning for better communication between the town and the developer.?I think the removal of those trees took us somewhat by surprise,” Gustus said.In addition to Board Chairman Robert MacKendrick acting as a board liaison to the development, Gustus suggested that there be regular meetings for all the town?s regulatory agencies, including the building inspector and the Department of Public Works, who have a connection to the development.?It is our hope that that level of communication will then lead to our ability to influence a contractor before things get out of hand. I think what happened last week was somewhat of a wake-up call,” Gustus said.Gustus said there should also be a coordinator between the different groups in town so that there is cohesiveness in the development oversight.?I see the need for somebody who works as a facilitator and also as a liaison between these various groups,” he said. “You have a bunch of different people looking at pieces of this project.”Sarah Mupo can be reached at [email protected].