The Newton Cemetery & Arboretum (NC&A) has written an open letter to the Newton community offering information and context regarding its request for a waiver of a strict application of Newton’s Tree Preservation Ordinance with regard to NC&A’s planned removal of 219 trees in order to develop more burial space. Marc Welch (Urban Forester and Deputy Commissioner of the Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department) denied NC&A’s request, and NC&A appealed to the Mayor, who has yet to announce a decision on the matter.
The Tree Preservation Ordinance requires replacement of removed trees (that are at least 8 inches in diameter) with trees that together have at least the same total diameter, and this must be completed within 18 months or else fees must be paid. NC&A’s president, Mary Ann Buras, points out that NC&A is as much an arboretum as a cemetery, planting new trees all the time. It is requesting that, in addition to the replacement trees planted this year for its expansion of burial space, NC&A could include trees planted in the previous five years as well as the trees that NC&A plans to plant over the next ten years. NC&A claims that without this expanded window for replacement planting, the requirements of the Tree Preservation Ordinance would force NC&A to operate against best practices for arboretum stewardship and/or pay fees that would be financially infeasible.
The Newton Conservators supports NC&A’s approach. Green Newton initially opposed it but reversed its decision and now supports NC&A’s approach. The League of Women Voters of Newton and the Newton Citizens Commission on Energy have each written to the Mayor in support of Director of Forestry Marc Welch’s decision and against NC&A’s approach.
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