Report Excerpt:
As a general matter, the Select Board supports recognizing and supporting the value of Arlington’s tree canopy. It is not yet clear what the resolution proposes to add to the Town’s commitment to or recognition of such a resource whether articulated in the Town’s already existing “Tree Protection and Preservation Bylaw;” evidenced in the work of the Tree Committee established by the Select Board; or as protected by the Town’s Wetlands Bylaw, or even the General Law’s public shade tree laws. For example, the Town’s Tree Preservation bylaw highlights the importance of trees relative to air quality, heat, noise pollution, and flood control, as well as their aesthetic value. While a minority of the Board sees no harm in forwarding the resolution to Town Meeting, the majority does not wish to recommend a resolution without understanding with some specificity what the resolution seeks to recognize where there is broad agreement between the Select Board, Town Departments, and Town Meeting. | | | |