* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. I AM CALLING TODAY'S HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER. THE CALL OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE FIVE YEAR UPDATE TO THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN, INCLUDING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION, FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY MEETINGS. THE FIRST ORDER BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT. COUNCILOR ZUBI. ABSENT VICE MAYOR, ABSENT COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN. PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILOR NOLAN. PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILOR ZUI. PRESENT. PRESENT, THREE MEMBERS PRESENT TO RECORDED AS ABSENT. THANK YOU. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE CITY, IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES. PLEASE NOTE THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING. THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING THIS MEETING. IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE HAVE SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. IN ADDITION TO IN PERSON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND SIGN UP IS AVAILABLE DURING THE MEETING, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL SECTION OF THE CITY'S WEBPAGE, INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK OUR POSTED. ONCE YOU'VE COMPLETED SIGNUP PROCEDURE, YOU RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING. YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV. TO WATCH THE MEETING, PLEASE TUNE INTO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. WITH THAT, ALL OF TODAY'S VOTES, IF ANY, WILL BE BY ROLL CALL. LET ME BRIEFLY REVIEW THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETING. UH, I HAVE A, AN INTRO TO THE MEETING. WE WILL THEN GIVE AN OPTION. USUALLY PUBLIC COMMENT WAITS UNTIL AFTER THE PRESENTATION AND SOMETIMES THAT CAUSES SOME SCHEDULING ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. SO WHAT I WILL DO IS, IS ASK OUR STAFF, UH, ANYONE WHO HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND WANTS TO SPEAK BEFORE THE PRESENTATION, WHICH WILL TAKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 30, 35 MINUTES. UM, AND IF YOU WANNA SPEAK BEFORE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE PRESENT IN THE ROOM OR ON ZOOM, AND WE WILL CALL ON YOU FIRST. THEN WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, CITY PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE REST OF PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL DELIBERATIONS HOPE THAT'S CLEAR TO EVERYONE. SO, AS THE CALL OF THE MEETING SUGGESTS, WE ARE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LATE 2019 AND A, A PROJECT OF THIS COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS BEEN TO SHEPHERD THE UPDATE TO THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN TO REMIND US OF SOME OF THE PROCESS WE'VE HELD, UH, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN APRIL, 2023, IN OCTOBER, 2025. AND IN THE LAST YEAR, DPW HAS GONE THROUGH A CONSULTANT LED ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF THE ORIGINAL URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN, AND HAS HAD SEVERAL ROUNDS OF REVIEW WITH THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING, AS WELL AS TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS IN THIS MEETING. WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AND DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SECOND ITERATION OF THE UFMP RECOMMENDATIONS. WE'LL REVIEW ARE ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS IN CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO BRING OTHER DEPARTMENTS INTO THIS DISCUSSION TO ENSURE WE ARE WORKING IN SYNC WITH THE RANGE OF CITY GOALS. AS WE EMBARK ON THIS UPDATE, I DO WANNA MAKE A POINT OF ENSURING THAT WE REJECT SOME OF THE FALSE DICHOTOMY THAT COMES WITH THE DISCUSSIONS OF OPEN SPACE AND HOUSING. YES, THERE ARE CHALLENGES. YES, A BALANCE IS REQUIRED, AND YES, WE CAN HAVE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO, UH, HAVE GREEN SPACE AND PROTECT OUR TREE CANOPY BECAUSE IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUE TO DO THAT, AND IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. SO WE CAN AND SHOULD DO BOTH HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND ENSURE IT HAS FUNCTIONAL OPEN SPACE THAT ADDS TO THE CLIMATE RESILIENCY, STORMWATER RESILIENCY, AND LIVABILITY OF THE CITY. THIS MEETING IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT OUR URBAN FOREST GOALS, AND WE HAVE TO HOLD THAT OUR URBAN FOREST GOALS ARE IN LINE WITH MAKING THIS COMMUNITY MORE WELCOMING, BUILDING MORE HOUSING, AND HAVING CLIMATE RESILIENCY, UH, MADE STRONGER. AS THE REPORT WILL GET INTO, THESE ARE SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY, THE COUNCIL, INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS AND RESIDENTS. I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS REPORT IN THIS UPDATE IN A NUANCED WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO PROBLEM SOLVE AND WORK THROUGH COMPLICATED AND SPECIFIC ISSUES AND RESULT IN A BALANCED, STRONGER, GREENER CITY FOR ALL. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK IF ANYONE IN PUBLIC COMMENT IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT IF ANYONE WANTS TO TALK NOW BEFORE THE PRESENTATION. AND I JUST WANNA ALSO THANK MAYOR SIDIKI IS ON THE ZOOM. SHE'S BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, SO THANK YOU MAYOR SIDIKI. AND THERE'S, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE WITH HER HANDS RAISED, SO IF WE COULD CALL ON THEM FIRST BEFORE WE GO TO COMMISSIONER NADONE. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MICHAEL YAMAN. MICHAEL, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. UH, COUNSELORS. UH, I'M DR. MICHAEL YAMAN. I'M A PEDIATRICIAN. I RESIDE ON WYMAN ROAD AND I WOULD WANNA DISCUSS THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF THE TREE ORDINANCE AND GLOBAL WARMING. THERE'S BEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE YEAR ROUND IN INSECT VECTORS AS A RESULT [00:05:01] OF, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE. TICKS ARE NOW PRESENT ALL YEAR LONG. LYME DISEASE IS EPIDEMIC. UH, ANAPLASMOSIS THE LATEST EPISODE OF ALPHA GAL WEST NILE VIRUS. DENGUE TRIPLE E EXTREME HEAT, UH, AFFECTING PARTICULARLY THE VULNERABLE, ELDERLY, AND VERY YOUNG ASTHMA IS EPIDEMIC. THE, UH, INHALERS DON'T WORK DURING EXTREME HEAT, ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, ALL PART OF, UH, ECO ANXIETY. THE, UH, MY CONCERN, UH, HAS TO DO WITH MY NEIGHBORHOOD. 23 TREES AT NINE WYMAN ARE PART OF THE DEMOLITION PLAN FOR NINE WYMAN THAT WILL INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE ANYWHERE BETWEEN SIX AND 10 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT WILL CAUSE 30% INCREASE IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION. AND AS, UH, UH, COUNCILOR NOLAN INDICATED, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MEANS THIS, THIS WILL HAVE THE MAXIMUM ADVERSE EFFECT ON LOW INCOME RESIDENTS. I REALLY SUPPORT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, PROGRAM, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT ENDANGERING THE HEALTH OF OUR CAMBRIDGE CITIZENS. WE NEED TO BALANCE TREE PRESERVATION AND THE HEALTH OF, UH, CAMBRIDGE CITIZENS WITH THE HOUSING NEED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. THE NEXT HAND IS CAROLYN ALPERT. CAROLYN, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. GOOD MORNING. I LIVE IN A TWO FAMILY HOME AT 99 1 0 1 CUSHING STREET, AND I HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC SUGGESTION FOR THE COMMITTEE. CAMBRIDGE ASKS DEVELOPERS TO PAY INTO AN URBAN TREE FUND. WHEN THEY REMOVE MATURE TREES FROM PROPERTIES, THEY ARE FILLING IN WITH NEW HOUSING. AND SO WHEN THE PROPERTY BEHIND MINE WAS FILLED IN WITH ONE NEW HOUSE IN 2021 AND THE BUILDERS GOT PERMISSION TO REMOVE THREE VERY TALL, VERY MATURE CANOPY TREES, THEY WERE ASKED TO PAY INTO THAT FUND. WHAT WASN'T TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, HOWEVER, WAS THE RAPID DECLINE AND LOSS OF TWO MATURE CANOPY TREES ON OUR SIDE OF THE PROPERTY LINE WHOSE ROOTS WERE DESTROYED BY THEIR FOUNDATION LEVEL. DIGGING WITHIN A FOOT OF THAT LINE, BARTLETT TREE SERVICE TOLD US WE FACED A REAL RISK THAT ONE OR BOTH OF THESE MASSIVE TREES WOULD COME CRASHING DOWN DURING THE NEXT STORM, EITHER ON OUR HOME OR ON THE NEW NEIGHBORS. THE TREES HAD TO BE REMOVED, BUT WAS THE CITY COMPENSATED IN ANY WAY FOR THAT FURTHER CANOPY LOSS? NO. THE CITY RECEIVED NOTHING AND NEITHER DID WE. IN FACT, WE HAD TO PAY $8,000 OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THOSE TREES REMOVED. WE HAD NO ASSISTANCE FROM THE DEVELOPER EVEN TO ALLOW ACCESS FOR THE CRANE FROM THEIR CONSTRUCTION SITE. INSTEAD, THE HEAVY CRANE RIPPED APART OUR YARD. MEANWHILE, THE DEVELOPERS MADE OFF LIKE BANDITS PENCILING IN A FEW MILLION DOLLARS IN PROFIT. NOW THIS IS HAPPENING ALL ACROSS THE CITY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE REDUCED SETBACKS. WE'RE LOSING OUR SHARED PROTECTIVE CANOPY. ABUTTERS ARE PAYING THE UPFRONT COSTS. I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT IT BE PART OF THE BUILDING PERMIT APPROVAL PROCESS THAT DEVELOPERS SUBMIT A PLAN FOR RESTITUTION BOTH TO THE CITY'S URBAN TREE FUND AND TO THE ABUTTERS FROM FOUNDATION DIGGING THAT IS LIKELY TO CAUSE COLLATERAL DAMAGE ON NEIGHBORING TREES, PUTTING THOSE NEIGHBORS AND THEIR HOMES AT RISK AND DIMINISHING THE URBAN TREE CANOPY, OUR SHARED RESOURCE. AND BY THE WAY, PAYING INTO FUND INTO A FUND TO BUY YOUNG SAPLINGS CAN NEVER REALLY REPLACE THE ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS OF THOSE VERY MATURE CANOPY TREES WE ARE LOSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHERINE MEETH. KATHERINE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THREE MINUTES. KATHERINE MEETH. GOOD MORNING. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CATHERINE KAMER. SETH AND I HAVE LIVED AT 54 LEXINGTON AVENUE FOR THE PAST 26 YEARS. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY STRONGEST SUPPORT FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN TREE PROTECTION IN CAMBRIDGE. AND EXPLAIN WHY THIS POLICY ORDER IS SO IMPORTANT. I HAVE CURF CAREFULLY NURTURED A RARE ELM TREE AT [00:10:01] THE FRONT OF MY PROPERTY, WORKING WITH THE CITY ARBORIST AND MR. JEFFREY BORK, A PRIVATE LANDSCAPE, A ARBORIST. I REALIZED THAT THE CITY HAS UNDERTAKEN MANY IMPORTANT ME MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO MAINTAIN THE BEAUTY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS INCLUDES THE IMPORTANT GOAL OF INCREASING TREE COVER FROM 30 TO 35%. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, CURRENT TREES THAT ARE OF A SIGNIFICANT SIZE NEED TO BE PROTECTED AND MAINTAINED. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEALTH AND SU SUSTENANCE OF TREES, WHICH THE PRIOR SPEAKERS HAVE WELL DOCUMENTED, IS A CHALLENGE IN AN URBAN SETTING. THE FIRST STEP IS RECOGNIZING THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF A TREE'S ROOT SYSTEM FOR A HEALTHY TREE. A CHALLENGE IN THE URBAN SETTING IS HOW TO SUSTAIN THESE TREES WHEN DEVELOPMENT MIGHT DAMAGE ROOTS OR POSSIBLY COVER SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF GROUND ABOVE THE ROOTS. WHEN THE SOIL ABOVE THE ROOTS IS PERMANENTLY COVERED OR DISTURBED, THE ROOTS DO NOT RECEIVE THE NECESSARY WATER AND NUTRIENTS TO SUSTAIN THEM AND THE ROOTS WILL DIE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TREE WILL DIE. THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS UNFORTUNATE AND PROPERTY DAMAGING OUTCOME IS NOW PRESENT ON LARGE ROAD AS A RESULT OF A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT 90 LEXINGTON AVENUE, THE REAR OF 90 LEXINGTON AVENUE ABUTS THE REAR OF THE HOUSES WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE AND ENORMOUS TREES ON LARGE ROAD ARE THREATENED. THE PLANS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT ON LEXINGTON REQUIRE THE DESTRUCTION OF A NUMBER OF LARGE, SIGNIFICANT TREES AND ROOT SYSTEMS THAT EXTEND INTO THE CONSTRUCTION FOOTPRINT OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH FALLING TREES AND PROPERTY DAMAGE DURING HURRICANE SANDY ILLUSTRATE THIS DANGER. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO BALANCE AS, UH, COMMISSIONER NOLAN HAS SAID TO BALANCE THE NEEDS FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND TREE PROTECTION. BY ACCEPTING CAREFULLY CRAFTED AMENDMENTS OF THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, I IMPLORE YOU TO UNDERTAKE THESE AMENDMENTS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARYLEE MEYER MARYLEE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. ATTEND DANA STREET. AND I STILL BELIEVE IN THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE ENACTED FIVE YEARS AGO, EVEN THOUGH MENTED A HO ACKNOWLEDGED THE VALUE OF TREATS, ALL ALONG WITH PROJECT REVIEW, HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND PUBLIC MEETINGS. THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE FLAWED MULTIFAMILY ZONING, WHICH DECLARED OPEN SEASON ON VINTAGE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN FAVOR OF LUXURY UNITS AND SCORCHED EARTH. AS DEVELOPERS FLIP TO ONE ANOTHER, RAISING LAND PRICES AND RENTS, TREES DON'T SEEM TO BE PART OF THAT EQUATION AS 100%, UH, A HUNDRED YEAR OLD GREENERY BECOMES IMPEDIMENTS TO MAXIMIZING SQUARE FOOTAGE REGARDLESS THAT THEIR CANOPIES PROTECT RESIDENTS AND SIDEWALKS FROM SUMMER HEAT. THEY MAY EVEN HELP WITH CARBON EMISSIONS FROM TEAR DOWNS. NOW LINING THE SIDE STREETS, TREES CAN BE PART OF GOOD, UM, GOOD DESIGN. SUCH AS THE CASE OF, UH, 10 0 8 MASS AVE, WHERE A SEVEN STORY APARTMENT BUILDING WITH GROUND RETAIL WAS REDESIGNED TO INCORPORATE A GLORIOUS COPPER BEACH TREE THAT THE ONLY, UM, LANDMARK TREE IN THE CITY CREATING GREEN OPEN SPACE. COULDN'T DO THAT WITH THE COUNSELORS WE HAVE TODAY. LAST WEEK'S VOTE TO PROTECT TREES WAS BASICALLY TORPEDOED BY A RIGID AMENDMENT, BASICALLY ERASING THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THAT VOTE BY DECLARING YES PRO, UH, PROTECT TREES UNLESS THEY INTERFERE WITH MORE DEVELOPMENT. THAT IS WHAT VARIANCES ARE FOR THE SPONSOR OF SUCH A CONTRARY AMENDMENT. ONE OF THE RIGIDLY MYOPIC HOUSING ADVOCATES WAS NO SURPRISE, BUT THE COUNCIL FALLING IN LINE WAS ACCOMMODATE MATURE TREES WHERE POSSIBLE SAPLINGS ARE JUST A BANDAID. WE STILL NEED TREE PROTECTION FOR THE HEALTH OF THE CITY, IF NOT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, WE NEED BALANCE AND EQUITY IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND THAT INCLUDES NATURE'S LUNGS WE SEE IN TREES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HINDU HIN. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. CAN YOU HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? YES, WE CAN. PERFECT. GOOD MORNING [00:15:01] CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS HIN AND I LIVE AT 20 5G ROAD. AND HERE TO ASK THE CITY TO ABOUT ADOPT ENFORCEABLE PROTECTIONS FOR LARGE TREES NEAR DEVELOPMENT SITES. AND THIS IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY. TRADE FAILURE IS A SERIOUS AND UNDERRATED RISK. IN 20 25, 34 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES WERE KILLED BY TREES OR BRANCHES BROUGHT DOWN IN HIGH WINDS, AND MORE THAN A HUNDRED WERE INJURED ON MAY 4TH IN THE FOLLOWING TRADE KILLED A 9-YEAR-OLD CHILD ON A SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IN MELROSE, WE CANNOT PREVENT EXTREME WEATHERS OR PER PERFECTLY PREDICT WHEN THE TREE WILL FAIL, BUT WE CAN PREVENT THE AVOIDABLE RISKS THAT MAKE LARGE TREES MORE LIKELY TO FAIL. EXCAVATION CLOSE TO LARGE MATURE TREES IS ONE OF THOSE RISKS. WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT DAMAGES THE STRUCTURAL ROOTS OF MATURE TREE, THE TREE CAN STAND HEALTHY FOR YEARS AND THEN FAIL. IN THE STORM. ARBORISTS CALLED THIS A DELAYED FAILURE. BY THEN, THE DEVELOPER HAS BUILT, SOLD, AND MOVED ON, AND THE RISK FALLS ON THE NEIGHBORS AND ON THE NEW RESIDENTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF. THIS IS NOT ONLY A PRIVATE DISPUTE BETWEEN A A BUTTER AND THE DEVELOPER ACROSS CAMBRIDGE. RESIDENTS ARE LIVING BESIDES DEVELOPING SITES WHERE EXCAVATIONS THREATENS LARGE HEALTHY TREES. BESIDE MY OWN PROPERTY, A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WOULD EXCAVATE DEEP AND CLOSE ENOUGH TO CUT THE STRUCTURE ROOTS OF A 65 FOOT EXCEPTIONAL TREE THAT IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY AND STABLE TODAY BEYOND THE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE OF A LARGE MATURE TREE, THIS IS A PUBLIC SAFETY QUESTION THAT THE CITY HAS BOTH THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE TOOL TO ADDRESS PROTECTING THESE TREES AND BUILDING HOUSING ARE NOT IN CONFLICT. I'M NOT ASKING THE CITY TO DRAW DEVELOPMENT. I AM SIMPLY ASKING THAT THE DEVELOPMENT BE CARRIED OUT WITHOUT DESTROYING AND DESTABILIZING THE MATURE TREES. BESIDES IT, I SUPPORT THE POLICY ORDER FROM THE JUNE 1ST CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THAT REQUIRES A TREE PROTECTION PLAN WHEN THE WORK IS CLOSE TO A SIGNIFICANT TREE. SAFEGUARDS FOR ABUTS TREE DURING EXCAVATION AND DEVELOPERS' RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE HARM THEY CAUSE. THESE MUST BE ENFORCEABLE STANDARDS. VOLUNTARY MEASURES WILL NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR THEM. DAMAGE RULES CANNOT BE UNDO AND THE RESULTING RISK IS FORESEEABLE AND PREVENTABLE. I URGE THE COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL TO ADVANCE THESE PROTECTIONS AND ADOPT THEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THESE PERMANENT RISKS ARE PLANTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. PROTECTING THESE TREES PROTECTS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WALK BENEATH THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PETER STURGIS. PETER, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. MY NAME IS PETER STURGIS, MY WIFE SASHA LAUDER BACK AND I HAVE LIVED AT 98 LEXINGTON AVENUE, A TWO FAMILY HOUSE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. OUR OLDER DAUGHTER AND HER FAMILY LIVE AT 96 LEXINGTON AVENUE, THE OTHER HALF OF OUR TWO FAMILY. TODAY I WANT TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE DATA IN CAMBRIDGE'S. NOVEMBER 19TH, 2025, UPDATED URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN. I THINK IT TELLS A MORE CAUTIONARY STORY THAN THE HEADLINE SUGGESTS. THE HEADLINE IS GOOD NEWS AND IT'S REAL CITYWIDE CANOPY ROSE TO 30.3% IN 2024, UP ABOUT FIVE POINTS FROM 2018. THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS DESERVE CREDIT FOR THAT, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHERE THAT GAIN IN CANOPY CAME FROM AND WHEN IT WAS MEASURED. THE UPDATES ON FIGURES SHOW THAT GAINS WERE DRIVEN HEAVILY BY ACTION ON PUBLIC LAND PARKS, MOST OF ALL WHERE THE CANOPY JUMPED FROM 44 TO 56%. IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY. WHILE PRIVATE LANDS PROVIDE THE MAJORITY OF OUR CANOPY, ABOUT 54%, IT GAINED FAR LESS AND IT IS WHERE CANOPY LOSS IS CONCENTRATED. UPDATE EXPLICITLY SHOWS THAT LOSS IS STILL OCCURRING ON PRIVATE LAND AND THAT RESIDENTIAL PARCELS LOST MORE CANOPY THAN ANY OTHER CATEGORY IN THE CITY. NOW CONSIDER THE TIMING. ALL OF THIS DATA ENDS IN 2024. IT IS A SNAPSHOT OF CAMBRIDGE AS IT EXISTED BEFORE FEBRUARY 10TH, 2025 WHEN THE COUNCIL VOTED TO PASS THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. THE VERY LAND USE THAT HAS BEEN DRIVING CANOPY LOSS PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IS NOW OPEN TO AN UNPRECEDENTED WAVE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT THE 2024 DATA COULD NOT HAVE CAPTURED. MY WIFE AND I ARE NOT AGAINST RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO IGNORE OR RUN ROUGH SHOT OVER MANY OTHER PUBLIC GOODS, INCLUDING THE TREE CANOPY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WE SIMPLY DO NOT ACCEPT THAT THE TWO MUST COME AT EACH OTHER'S EXPENSE BECAUSE OF ZONING CHANGES, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS NOW BEING BUILT OR PLANNED INCLUDE CONSTRUCTION AND EXCAVATION IN BACKYARDS, SIDE YARDS AND OTHER GREEN SPACES LEADING TO [00:20:01] THE LOSS OF TREES IN THOSE SPACES AND TO THE DAMAGE AND OR DESTRUCTION OF MATURE TREES IN ADJACENT YARDS. AS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE NOTED, WE CANNOT ASSUME THAT THE GAINS OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS WILL CONTINUE UNDER ENTIRELY NEW DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS. WE ARE NOT VIGILANT. THE NEXT FIVE YEAR UPDATE MAY WELL SHOW US LOSING MUCH OF THE TREE CANOPY THAT WAS EARNED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THEREFORE, MY WIFE AND I URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO TREAT THE STRENGTHENING OF TREE PROTECTION ON PRIVATE LAND AS AN URGENT MATTER AND TO ACT NOW WHILE THE TREE CANOPY IS STILL OURS TO PROTECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALISON GRAL, FOLLOWED BY ELISE MOORE. ALISON, THREE MINUTES. HI. UM, I ACTUALLY WAS HORRIFIED TO HEAR SOME OF THE STORIES AND OTHER I DIDN'T KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. BUT I LIVE AT 29 CONCORD AVE AND WE TOO LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO WHAT LOOKS LIKE A MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WHERE THEY PLAN TO CLEAR, CUT AND DESTROY EVERYTHING ON THE PROPERTY. AND WE HAVE A NEIGHBORING TREE WITH ROOTS THAT ARE IN DANGER. AND SO I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT WE NEED, UM, TREE PROTECTION OF NEIGHBORS TREES TO GO INTO THE, UM, THE DEMOLITION PERMITTING PROCESS. BUT I ALSO, UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE EXACTLY THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT EXACTLY THE SPECIFICATIONS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO COME FROM. UM, LIKE TO DETERMINE A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT'S NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF A NEIGHBOR'S TREE. I'M AFRAID THAT IF, IF THAT ALL COMES FROM THE DEVELOPER'S ARBORIST, IT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING WE CAN TRUST THAT WILL ACTUALLY PROTECT OUR TREE. I'M WONDERING IF IT'S POSSIBLE IN, YOU KNOW, IN CREATING RULES THAT THEY NEED TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBOR'S TREE TO ACTUALLY CONSIDER INVESTING THE CITY'S RESOURCES FROM THE, THE ARBORIST, UM, THEMSELVES TO COME UP WITH A, A NEUTRAL OR AN UNBIASED SOURCE OF RULES OF WHAT EXACTLY, OR, YOU KNOW, A SET OF REQUESTS OF WHAT'S REQUIRED TO PROTECT THE TREE SO THAT WE CAN TRUST THAT IT ACTUALLY WILL PROTECT THE TREE SO THAT IT'S NOT ON US. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE FEEL THAT WE NEED TO HIRE OUR OWN ARBORIST OR, YOU KNOW, HOPE THAT THE CITY ARBORIST CAN HELP US PERSONALLY. UM, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF, UM, UNBIASED PLACE WHERE THE SPECIFICS ARE GONNA COME FROM. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD ACTUALLY NEED TO INCREASE THE ARBORIST CAPACITY OF THE CITY ITSELF OR PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE OWNERS TO HIRE THEIR OWN ARBORIST SO THAT WE CAN TRUST WHAT, WHAT THOSE RULES WILL BE AND THAT THEY WON'T BE BIASED BY A DEVELOPER WHO SAYS WHATEVER THEY WANT. AND THEN THE TREE DIES LATER AND NO ONE'S RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE TECHNICALLY THEY DID THEIR, THEY DID THEIR DUTY. UM, SO, BUT OTHERWISE EVERYONE HAS SAID, WANTED TO SAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELISE MOORE. ELISE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES ON MUTE. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. OH, YAY. THANK YOU. UM, I'M SPEAKING REGARDING THE STRENGTHEN THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE. I AM ASKING THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT DEVELOPERS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BOTH FINANCIALLY AND LEGALLY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DURING THE RENOVATIONS AND BUILDING OF THEIR CAMBRIDGE PROPERTIES. DUE TO NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY CONCERNS, DEVELOPERS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO OPEN ESCROW ACCOUNTS TO COVER ANY FINANCIAL OR SAFETY IMPACT TO NEIGHBORS AND FUTURE OWNERS BASED ON THE DEVELOPER'S DECISION TO CONSTRUCT FOUNDATIONS THAT HARM EXISTING SIGNIFICANT TREE ROOTS OR BRANCHES ON THE DEVELOPER AND NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, AS THE IMPACT COULD TAKE YEARS TO DEVELOP ACCORDINGLY DEPENDING ON THE SIGNIFICANT TREE'S RESPONSE. MY EXAMPLE FOR CONSIDERATION IS FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, ROUGHLY 10 YEARS AGO IN 2016, I PURCHASED MY DEVELOPER RENOVATED HOME AT 12 AVON PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE, BUILT IN 1873, WHICH INCLUDED A SIGNIFICANT RED OAK TREE OVER 100 YEARS OLD, TWO STORIES HIGH AND 47 INCHES IN DIAMETER. [00:25:02] IN DEVELOPING THE BACKYARD, THE DEVELOPER CUT SIGNIFICANTLY, SORRY, CUT SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE ROOTS OF THE FRONT OF THE TREE IN ORDER TO BUILD A PATIO. OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, THE TREE STARTED LOSING LARGE BRANCHES, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, BOTH TO MY PROPERTY AND MY THREE ADJOINING NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTIES. AND CLEARLY THE SIGN OF A FAILING TREE, THESE LARGE BRANCHES STARTED FALLING TO THE POINT WHERE I CONSIDERED CUTTING DOWN THE TREE FOR MY FAMILIES AND MY THREE ADJOINING NEIGHBORS SAFETY. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE RED OAK TREE WAS NOT DYING, THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WOULD NOT DECLARE THE TREE ELIGIBLE FOR REMOVAL BY THE CITY BETWEEN THE LOCAL TREE COMPANY'S VERY EXPENSIVE ESTIMATE TO CUT DOWN AND REMOVE THE RED OAK TREE, WHICH INCLUDED TAKING OUT THE ROOT BALL AND RESTORING THE TREE, THE SOIL AROUND THE TREE. AND THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE'S VERY EXPENSIVE FEE FOR TAKING DOWN A SIGNIFICANT TREE ON MY PROPERTY. I NEEDED TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION. LUCKILY, THE COST OF A TREE RETRENCHMENT CLEANING AND THINNING OF THE RED OAK TREE IN 2023 WAS MORE AFFORDABLE. SO I WENT WITH THE TREE RETRENCHMENT, WHICH IS WHEN THE BRANCHES ARE CUT BACK CONSIDERABLY AS THE HEIGHT OF THE TREE IS, SORRY. SO THE TREE BRANCHES ARE ABOUT ROUGHLY A THIRD AS LONG AS THEY WERE INITIALLY AFTER THREE YEARS OF RECOVERY, THE RED OAK IS STARTING TO THRIVE IN ITS REDUCED STATE. ELISE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YANG LEE YANG. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. OKAY, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS YANG LEE. I LIVE AT 25 GROSS ZERO ROAD WITH MY WIFE AND OUR CHILD UNDER AN EXCEPTIONAL TREE. I AM A PHYSICIAN, SO I WANT TO ADD A PERSPECTIVE FROM MY EXPERIENCES IN MEDICINE. IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, WE DO NOT WAIT FOR CATASTROPHE BEFORE WE ACT ON A KNOWN AND ESCALATING RISK. I HOPE YOUR OWN PHYSICIANS ACT THE SAME. WE INTERVENE EARLY BECAUSE BY THE TIME THE DAMAGE IS VISIBLE, IT IS OFTEN TOO LATE TO UNDO WHAT YOU HEARD THIS MORNING CALLED DELAYED FAILURE IS EXACTLY THAT KIND OF RISK. IT IS THE KIND THAT WE ARE TRAINED TO TREAT BEFORE IT BECOMES A CRISIS, NOT AFTER ACTING. ONCE A TREE HAS ALREADY FALLEN IS NOT A SAFETY PLAN, IT BECOMES A POSTMORTEM. LET ME BE PLAIN ABOUT WHAT IS AT STAKE BECAUSE I PERSONALLY TAKE CARE OF TRAUMATIC INJURIES. A MATURE TREE STRIKING A PERSON IS NOT A NEAR MISS. IT IS CATASTROPHIC. IT IS OFTEN FATAL, ESPECIALLY TO A CHILD. I SEE THESE PATIENTS, I CARE FOR THEM AND I SEE THEIR FAMILY'S DEVASTATION. PEOPLE SURVIVE THESE EVENTS ONLY BY LUCK AND LUCK SHOULD NOT BE A PUBLIC SAFETY POLICY. THERE IS A PRINCIPLE IN PUBLIC HEALTH THAT APPLIES HERE. WHEN ONE PARTY CREATES A RISK AND A DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE HAS TO CARRY IT WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT AND WITHOUT ANY WAY TO SEE IT OR AVOID IT, PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS COME IN TO REGULATE THAT RISK. THE NEIGHBORS, THE PEDESTRIANS, AND THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF OUR ABUTTING DEVELOPMENT NEVER AGREED TO LIVE BENEATH A DESTABILIZED TREE. THEY CANNOT INSPECT ITS ROOTS. THEY CANNOT KNOW. THE DANGER IS THERE. THEY'RE SIMPLY EXPOSED TO IT AND THE PEOPLE WHO CREATED THAT EXPOSURE WILL BE LONG GONE BY THEN. SO PREVENTION IS CHEAPER. A ROOT PROTECTION REQUIREMENT BEFORE A PERMIT IS ISSUED IS A SMALL PREDICTABLE COST. A FAILED TREE IS AN UNPREDICTABLE ONE AND SOME OF ITS COST AS YOU, AS I JUST MENTIONED, CANNOT BE UNDONE AT ANY PRICE. I AM NOT ONLY HERE AS A PHYSICIAN, I AM HERE AS A FATHER AND AS A RESIDENT WHO WILL LIVE BENEATH THIS EXCEPTIONAL TREE WITH MY FAMILY FOR YEARS TO COME. WE ASK THE CITY TO ACT ON A FORESEEABLE RISK WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME TO PREVENT IT. AND I EXHORT YOU THAT TIME IS NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. THAT WAS ALL THAT HAD THEIR HANDS UP FOR THIS ADVANCE PORTION OF PUBLIC COMMENT. GREAT, THANK YOU. SO WE'LL NOW GO TO THE DPW PRESENTATION. IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE WHO HAD SIGNED UP PRIOR AND WANT TO SPEAK AFTERWARDS, WE'LL CALL ON THEM AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL DELIBERATION. SO RIGHT NOW I WANT, UH, COMMISSIONER ARTONE, IF YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOUR TEAM AT THE TABLE AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, THROUGH YOU MADAM CHAIR. UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, [00:30:01] THIS IS OUR FIVE YEAR UPDATE TO OUR URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING TODAY. TODAY WITH ME, I HAVE, UH, ANDREW PUTNAM, WHO IS OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF FORESTRIES. WE HAVE DAVID LECO BEHIND ME, UM, OR SOMEWHERE BACK THERE. UH, CITY EST, UH, JENNIFER RA, WHO IS WITH OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND MEGAN BE OUR CITY SOLICITOR IS ALSO HERE. AND THEN FINALLY WE HAVE ERIC KRAMER, WHO HAS IS FROM REED HILDEBRAND. HE'S BEEN ON OUR URBAN FORESTRY JOURNEY SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING. SO, UM, I WILL JUST ADD A COUPLE THINGS HERE AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO ANDREW AND TO ERIC. SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE BACKGROUND OF HOW WE GOT HERE, WHY WE STARTED WITH AN URBAN FORESTRY, UH, MASTER PLAN, OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GOALS AND OUR NEW TARGETS, OUR PLAN TO THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. WE HAVE A LOT OF SLIDES TO GET THROUGH. WE'RE GONNA DO IT AS QUICKLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. UM, AND UH, WITH THAT I'LL HAND IT OFF TO THESE FOLKS, RIGHT? AND JUST FOR THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY, THE STAFF IS GONNA WHIP THROUGH A LOT OF STUFF BECAUSE SOME OF THIS WE'VE SEEN BEFORE. SO, AND WE'RE GONNA HOLD ALL QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THROUGH THIS. GREAT. THANK OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, I'M GONNA JUST GO OVER THE PRESENTATION TAPE. APOLOGIES. CAN YOU PULL THE MIC CLOSER? WE'RE HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE HEARING YOU. HOW'S THIS? ALRIGHT, GREAT. UM, OKAY. I WILL GO THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE AND PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND, WHICH WILL MANY PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN A PART OF THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE AND THIS JOURNEY THROUGH THE URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN PROCESS ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE THINGS. BUT JUST TO SET SOME CONTEXT FOR SOME NEW PEOPLE OR JUST HOW WE GOT HERE. AND FROM THERE, ERIC WILL TAKE TAKE ON THE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE GOALS AND THE PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AS AT THE END. SO NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SORRY, IF YOU CAN SPEAK UP JUST A LITTLE LOUDER. FOLKS ARE HAVING TROUBLE. I ALL THE WAY IN. HOW'S THIS? THANK YOU. UM, OKAY. SO THE WHAT IS, UH, KNOWN TO PUBLIC WORKS AND MANY PEOPLE IS THAT A, A HEALTHY FORCE IS A VITAL PART OF A HEALTHY CITY. THERE'S A A LOT OF BENEFITS THAT TREES PROVIDE TO RESIDENTS OR PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, WHETHER THAT'S, UM, REDUCED HEAT OR COOLING CORRIDORS OR, UH, FILTERING OUT PARTICULAR MATTER OR CREATING ECOSYSTEMS. AND SO THAT A HEALTHY FOREST IS PART OF A HEALTHY CITY. AND WE ALL SHARE THAT RESPONSIBILITY, UH, WHETHER IT'S DPW STAFF, CITY STAFF, RESIDENTS, UM, TO BUILD AND CARE FOR OUR URBAN FOREST. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE ORIGINAL 2019, UH, URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN UPDATE WAS BUILT, BUILT UPON THE FINDINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND THE GOALS SET OUT BY THE CLIMATE CHANGE PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE STUDY. THIS STARTED IN 2019. WE EMBARKED ON A LONG PROCESS TO DEVELOP A, A MASTER PLAN THAT WOULD GUIDE THE CITY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BUILT ON THE CORE VALUES OF ENVISION CAMBRIDGE, WHICH WAS AN EQUITABLE AND LIVABLE CITY IN THROUGHOUT EQUITABLE AND LIVABLE CITY IN CAMBRIDGE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLBEING. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SOME OF THE, THERE WAS SEVERAL GOALS OUTLINED IN THE 2019 URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN, BUT THE OVERALL THEME WAS TO GROW CANOPY TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE LIVABILITY, RESILIENCY AND WELLBEING OF CAMBRIDGE AND ITS RESIDENTS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, UH, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THOSE LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE GOALS OF THE FIVE YEAR UPDATE WAS TO INITIALLY ASSESS THE, UM, PROGRESS OF THE 2019 URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN AFTER, AS IT HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR JUST OVER FIVE YEARS AND EVALUATE WHAT WAS WORKING, WHAT WASN'T WORKING, AND RECOMMEND MODIFICATIONS OR NEW STRATEGIES TO CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS LAID OUT IN THAT AS WELL AS ALSO LOOKING IF THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW GOALS, MORE AMBITIOUS GOALS. AND AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE NOW SET THE FIVE YEAR PRIORITIES, THE NE THE PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN IDENTIFYING WHAT'S THE MOST IMPACTFUL AND, AND FEASIBLE FOR THE CITY. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS A BRIEF TIMELINE OF, UM, THIS PROCESS THE CITY HAS EMBARKED ON. UH, 2019, AS I SAID WAS WHEN THE, WE EMBARKED ON THE FIRST MASTER PLAN IN 2023. WE SAT IN FRONT OF THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE AND, AND PRESENTED A [00:35:01] CANOPY REPORT. UH, WE HAD A SUBSEQUENT LIDAR SURVEY IN 2024, AND HERE WE ARE SHOWING THE FIRST DRAFT IN THE KEY FINDINGS OF THE FIVE YEAR UPDATE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS JUST A BREAKOUT OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THE PROCESS OF CREATING THE FIVE YEAR UPDATE. THERE WAS, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN BROKEN OUT INTO THREE PHASES. WE'RE CURRENTLY IN PHASE C WORKING ON DOCUMENTATION, UH, TO COM COMPLETE A REPORT AND WE MET INITIALLY AN ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION IN NOVEMBER WITH THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING WAS ANOTHER PUBLIC FORUM WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE COMMITTEE. UM, AND WE HOSTED A PUBLIC MEETING IN NOVEMBER 20TH. ONCE WE HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, WE PRESENTED THOSE FOR FEEDBACK TO THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING. AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AT ANOTHER PUBLIC MEETING IN MAY 19TH. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE BACK AND FORTH INPUT AND FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING AND THAT SECOND MEETING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHICH I'M NOW GONNA HAND OVER TO ERIC WHO'S GONNA WALK THROUGH THE PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS AND NEW TARGETS. GREAT. THANK YOU ANDREW. NEXT SLIDE. I THINK THE FIRST THING TO DO IS JUST TO SAY THAT, UM, WHEN WE LEFT THE 2020 PLAN, WE SET FORWARD A HUGE NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE FOCUSED ON A FIVE YEAR LOOK AHEAD OF WHAT CAN BE DONE IN FIVE YEARS. THIS IS THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FIVE YEARS AGO AND IT IDENTIFIES THAT ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR STARTED, ARE REALLY FULLY IN PROGRESS. AND THE ONLY ONE THAT HASN'T YET IS ESTABLISHED A TREE TRUST, WHICH WE CAN COME BACK TO NEXT SLIDE. WE ALSO WERE LOOKING AT THESE THREE BIG IDEAS, EQUITY, RESILIENCE, AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AS THE KIND OF GUIDING, UH, PRINCIPLES OF THE REPORT. AND AT THAT TIME WE SET A TARGET OF CANOPY COVER CITYWIDE OF 30%. WE RECOGNIZE AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE THAT CANOPY COVER ISN'T A STATIC THING LIKE ALL FORESTS, IT'S GOING TO RISE AND FALL OVER TIME. AND SO WE DREW THIS SQUIGGLE IDENTIFYING THAT THERE WAS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WOULD, IT WOULD GO UP AND DOWN. IT WASN'T GONNA BE A STATIC THING. NEXT SLIDE. THE GREAT NEWS HERE AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS THAT WE HAVE MORE CANOPY COVER THAN WE DID IN 2009. WE'VE GONE FROM 26.7 TO 30 POINT A HALF PERCENT CANOPY COVER CITYWIDE. AND THERE'S REALLY TWO PARTS OF THAT WHICH ARE SUPER IMPORTANT. ONE IS THAT THE RATE OF LOSS, THE NUMBER OF TREES COMING DOWN CITYWIDE HAS SLOWED. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG PRINCIPLES. HOW DO WE SLOW LOSS? AND THE RATE OF GAIN HAS INCREASED. SO BOTH TREES ARE GROWING, EXISTING TREES ARE GROWING AND MANY, MANY TREES ARE BEING PLANTED. SO THAT HAS ENABLED US IN THIS FIVE YEAR WINDOW TO TURN THE CURVE FROM WHAT WAS PERSISTENT LOSS TO GAIN THAT HAS LED US TO RECONSIDER THE 30% GOAL. NEXT PLEASE. AND TO SAY WE THINK, AND WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE POTENTIAL THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO RESET THAT GOAL TOWARDS 35%. AND THAT'S AN OVERALL CITY CANOPY GOAL AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE. UH, OVER THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, I DO WANT TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THE, UM, THE KIND OF THEMES OF EQUITY, RESILIENCE AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC TARGETS THAT WE SET FORWARD, UM, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET, AND THEN, UM, UH, WHAT WE WANT TO PUT FORWARD FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BASED ON ALL OF THESE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD THAT ANDREW DESCRIBED. SO NEXT BEGINNING WITH EQUITY, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. UM, WE HAD SET A GOAL IN THE 2020 PLAN OF 25% MINIMUM CANOPY COVER, UH, BY NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AND SO THAT WAS PARTICULARLY AIMED AT INCREASING CANOPY COVER IN THE AREAS THAT WERE LOW CANOPY COVER, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE OF THE POPULATIONS MOST VULNERABLE. NEXT SLIDE. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CITY, THIS IS CANOPY COVER IN 2024. BASED ON THE MOST RECENT ANALYSIS, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT IT IS NOT EXACTLY ABLY DISTRIBUTED. WEST CAMBRIDGE, WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH 40% CANOPY COVER AND EAST CAMBRIDGE AND MIT ARE STILL IN THE TEENS IN TERMS OF CANOPY COVER. SO WE ARE NOT REACHING THE GOAL YET. NEXT SLIDE. WHAT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THOUGH IS THAT WHEN WE SEE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS [00:40:01] WHERE CANOPY COVER HAS INCREASED, EAST CAMBRIDGE GETS SOME OF THE HIGHEST INCREASES IN THE 20% MARGINS. SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT THERE YET, A LOT OF GROWTH IS HAPPENING. SO INTENTIONAL PLANTING, UM, AND WORK IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS IS STARTING TO PAY OFF. AND NEXT SLIDE, WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT HOW MANY TREES PER ACRE. SO A KIND OF EVENING OUT ACROSS THE CITY. AND YOU SEE THAT THE CITY'S WORK IN THOSE EAST CAMBRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE THE LEAST CANOPY COVER, THAT'S WHERE THE MOST TREES PER ACRE ARE BEING PLANTED. AND SO THE WORK IS HAPPENING TO TURN THE TIDE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. NEXT SLIDE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS BREAKS DOWN BEYOND NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE SORT OF DARKER, UH, GOLD THERE SHOWS WHERE CANOPY COVER IS GROWING THE FASTEST. IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE A LOT OF THAT HAPPENING IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND NORTH CAMBRIDGE. AND THOSE OUTLINES ARE THE AREAS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN CAMBRIDGE. SO A LOT OF THE GOOD GROWTH IS HAPPENING IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. NEXT, WHEN, UH, NEXT SLIDE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE UM, NEIGHBORHOOD SIDE BY SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE DARKER FILL IS THE, UM, 2024 CANOPY COVER AS, UM, REVEALED THROUGH THE LIDAR SURVEY AND THE 2025, THE 25% GOAL, THE SHADED BAR ABOVE THAT IS PROJECTED. SO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS LOOK AT THE TRENDS OF PLANTING AND GROWTH IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WE SAID IF THAT JUST CONTINUES FORWARD, WHERE WILL THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BE AS THOSE TREES MATURE? AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT TWO MORE NEIGHBORHOODS WILL MAKE THAT 25% CANOPY COVER TARGET. NEXT SLIDE. UM, WHAT WE DO WANNA SAY IS THAT WE STILL HAVE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS, EAST CAMBRIDGE AND MIT AND AREA TWO THAT ARE STILL BELOW TARGET. AND EVEN WITH THE PROJECTED CANOPY AND NEED QUITE A BIT OF WORK, WE THINK THAT KEEPING THE 25% MINIMUM BY NEIGHBORHOOD IS STILL A GOOD TARGET TO AIM FOR, UH, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN THE PLAN. WE DID LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE CAREFULLY, UM, AT EAST CAMBRIDGE NEXT SLIDE, UM, TO SEE WHETHER WE THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MEET THAT 25% TARGET. SO THE DARK BAR THERE IS THE 20 25, 20 24 CANOPY COVER. THE LIGHT BAR IS WHAT THE PROJECTED GROWTH WILL BE IF ALL OF THE TREES THAT HAVE PLANTED THERE, UH, MATURE AND THEN WHAT WE CALL LARGE PROJECTS. WE'RE PROJECTING THERE'S A NUMBER OF LARGE PROJECTS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT PLANTING THAT WE CAN GET TO 22%. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO 25%? WELL, IT TAKES PLANTING 952 MORE CANOPY TREES OVER TIME. NEXT SLIDE. AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED A SERIES OF PLACES WHERE WE THINK IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO THAT WORK, WE CAN HIT THE 25%. SO WE'RE TESTING FEASIBILITY, SO PARKING LOTS, WHICH WE ALL KNOW ARE UNDER CANOPIED, UM, PLACES, UH, MAXING OUT THE, THE STREETS AND SIDEWALKS SO THAT ALL THOSE EMPTY, UM, FREEWAYS ARE PLANTED. UM, LOOKING AT STREET INTERSECTIONS, SO THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING BUMP OUTS AT THE, UM, WHERE CROSSWALKS ARE AND WHERE CARS SHOULDN'T BE PARKING ANYWAY, TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CANOPY COVER AT THE INTERSECTIONS AND DCR LAND, UM, ALONG EDWIN LAND BOULEVARD AND MEMORIAL DRIVE. IF ALL OF THOSE AREAS ARE PLANTED, WE GET THAT ALMOST A THOUSAND MORE TREES AND WE BELIEVE WE CAN HIT THE 25% CANOPY COVER. NEXT SLIDE. RESILIENCY. WE HAD SET A NUMBER OF TARGETS ABOUT CANOPY COVER OVER SIDEWALK REDUCTION OF HEAT ISLAND HOTSPOTS AND CANOPY COVER DIVERSIFICATION, SO TO RESIST, UM, UH, UM, UH, CATASTROPHIC LOSS FROM SPEAK FROM PESTS AND DISEASES. NEXT SLIDE. IN TERMS OF CANOPY DIVERSITY, THE CITY HAS, UM, REALLY CHANGED ITS PLANTING PRACTICES AND IS NOW, UM, AND THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS PLANTED 109 UNIQUE SPECIES. THIS SHOWS YOU SOME OF THEM. WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE HERE IS SOME OF THE HIGHEST REPRESENTED TREES IN THE CANOPY TODAY, LIKE HONEY LOCUST HAVE REALLY BEEN REDUCED IN THE NUMBER OF PLANTINGS AND THEY'RE PLANTING MORE TREES THAT ARE LESS WELL REPRESENTED TO, UM, INTENSELY DIVERSIFY THE FOREST. NEXT SLIDE. UM, WE ALSO THINK THAT WE SH WE SH WE THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE THAT TARGET OF 10% OF A SINGLE SPECIES, 20% OF A GENUS AND 30% OF A A FAMILY ACROSS THE CITY. BUT THIS IS TO NOTE, WE'VE NOTICED THAT AS IF YOU LOOK NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE DON'T ALWAYS HIT THOSE TARGETS. SO SOME NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE A HIGHER PROPORTION OF CERTAIN TREE SPECIES, WHICH LEADS TO THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, CANOPY LOSS FROM PESTS AND DISEASES. SO [00:45:01] WE THINK WE SHOULD THEN BE LOOKING NOT JUST AT THE WHOLE CITY, BUT NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HITTING THAT 10, 20, 30 CANOPY GOAL. NEXT SLIDE. WE ALSO THINK THAT GENETIC DIVERSITY WITHIN THE FOREST IS IMPORTANT. MOST TREES THAT COME FROM NURSERIES TODAY ARE GENETIC CLONES, SO THEY SHARE ALL THE SAME, UM, RISKS IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, PESTS AND DISEASES. THEY ARE ALSO, UM, GROWN OUTSIDE OUR ECO REGION, SO THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY ADAPTED. WE THINK THAT THE CITY COULD PILOT STARTING TO PLANT IN PARKS AND, UM, NATIVE AREAS. UM, MORE NATIVE TREES SOURCED LOCALLY AND WITH GENETIC DIVERSITY. NEXT SLIDE AHEAD. WE HAD LOOKED AT THIS TARGET OF GETTING 60% CANOPY COVER OVER CITY SIDEWALKS. UM, WE HAD BIG, UM, UH, GROWTH BETWEEN 31 AND 39%. UM, BUT WE'VE DONE SOME FEASIBILITY TESTING AND WE ACTUALLY THINK WE SHOULD ADJUST THESE TARGETS SLIGHTLY. NEXT SLIDE. UM, AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THE CITY STREETS, WE'VE LOOKED AT THEM AS DIFFERENT TYPES. THERE REALLY ARE MAIN STREETS AND AND ARTERIES AND THEN THERE ARE SECONDARY STREETS. AND SO WE THINK THAT THOSE GOALS, AND WE'VE DONE SOME FEASIBILITY TESTING, WE THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO HIT 50% CANOPY COVER OVER WHAT WE CALL TYPE ONE CARTERS LIKE MASS AND CAMBRIDGE STREET, AND 55%, A LITTLE HIGHER PERCENTAGE OVER WHAT WE CALL THE TYPE TWO CORRIDORS. AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT KEY CIRCULATION CORRIDORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE, TO HELP THE CITY PRIORITIZE PLANTING AND MANAGEMENT, WE'VE DEVELOPED A TOOL FOR THE CITY, UM, WHICH WE DESCRIBE AS A, AS A PRIORITIZATION, UM, FRAMEWORK. THIS LOOKS AT POPULATIONS VULNERABLE TO HEAT, SO THIS IS SCHOOLS, UM, ELDERLY HOUSING, THE MOST, UH, COMMONLY TRAVELED CORRIDORS. SO ALSO LOOKING AT BUS STOPS AND BLUE BIKE STATIONS. UM, AND THEN WHERE IT IS HOTTEST IN THE CITY TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. WHEN WE COMBINE THOSE ALL TOGETHER, WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT THE CITY AT MUCH MORE GRANULARITY, SEEING WHERE WE THINK THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AREAS RIGHT NOW. CAN IT BE COVERED IN THOSE AREAS IS ONLY 11%. UM, LOOKING AT WHAT'S FEASIBLE, WE THINK WE SHOULD TARGET 17% WITHIN THOSE AREAS. NEXT SLIDE. AMONG THE 2020 GOALS FOR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, UM, WE HAD ARGUED FOR A 10 TO 25% INCREASE IN CANOPY COVERALL ACROSS ALL LANDOWNER TYPES, SO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. NEXT SLIDE. AS WE LOOKED AT THOSE, ACTUALLY EVERYONE HAS REALLY MET THOSE GOALS PRETTY MUCH EXCEPT FOR INSTITUTIONAL. UM, AND WE HAVE, UM, AND THAT'S A GOOD SIGN EVERYBODY IS DOING THEIR PART IN THE PROCESS. UH, NEXT SLIDE. REMINDING EVERYONE AGAIN THAT THE MAJORITY OF CANOPY COVER IN THE CITY IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO INCENTIVIZE PRIVATE PROPERTY TO DO THEIR, OUR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO DO THEIR PART. NEXT SLIDE. WE DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE GAIN IS HAPPENING, SO THE THE BARS ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND WHERE LOSS IS HAPPENING, THE BAR IS MOVING TO THE LEFT OF OF CENTER. WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IS ONE WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO MORE NET, UH, MORE GAIN AND REDUCING LOSS. NEXT SLIDE. LOOKING AT WHAT'S FEASIBLE, UM, AND ACHIEVABLE. WE, UM, ARE LOOKING AT AGAIN, EACH OF THESE PROPERTY TYPES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, AND SETTING VERY SPECIFIC CANOPY COVER TARGETS. SO NOT PERCENTAGE INCREASE, BUT ACTUALLY GOALS FOR CANOPY COVER FOR EACH OF THESE ZONES OVER THE, UM, TO AIM FOR OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. NEXT SLIDE. ALRIGHT, SO WE NOW WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL COME OUT IN THE, IN THE UPDATE. UM, AND WE'RE FRAMING THOSE AROUND FOUR BIG IDEAS. NEXT SLIDE. FOCUS ON QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, MANAGE MORE STRATEGICALLY, SHARE RESPONSIBILITY AND ALSO SHARE COSTS AND BROADEN WHAT RESILIENCY MEANS. AND I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH EACH OF THESE FOR YOU. NEXT SLIDE. LIVE. WE TALK ABOUT FOCUSING ON QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE CITY HAS PLANTED OVER 1200 TREES A YEAR AND THE IMPACT OF THAT IS QUITE VISIBLE. THE REALITY IS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE PLACES WE HAVE TO PLANT ARE GONNA BE HARDER AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING IN MORE CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENTS. NEXT SLIDE. AND SO THE GOAL WOULD BE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE HARD WORK, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE PLANTING IN HARDER TO PLANT PLACES IN HARDER TO ESTABLISH LOCATIONS WE MIGHT NEED TO INVEST MORE PER TREE THAN PLANTING LARGE [00:50:01] NUMBERS OF TREES. IF WE DO THAT, WE THINK WE CAN PLANT 750 TREES A YEAR INSTEAD OF 1200 THAT IS ON TARGET TO MEET OUR GOALS. AND THIS ADDITIONAL WORK CAN REDUCE THE MORTALITY RATE OF NEW TREES FROM AN ALREADY LOW 10%. AND I JUST WANNA SAY, AS A PRACTITIONER WHO PLANTS A LOT OF TREES, 10% IS A GREAT PERCENTAGE OF NEW TREES, ESPECIALLY IN THE KIND OF CON CONTEXT WE'RE WORKING IN ON CITY STREETS AND IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. BUT ADDITIONAL WORK IN THESE HARD TO, UH, PLANT PLACES CAN REDUCE THAT EVEN MORE. NEXT SLIDE. SO MANAGE MORE STRATEGICALLY. FIVE YEARS AGO WE REALLY SET OUT A SET OF GOALS CITYWIDE. IT'S VERY HARD TO THINK ABOUT MANAGING EVERY INCH OF THE CITY IN THE SAME WAY. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, THE URBAN FORESTRY DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP MAPS, TO OPTIMIZE AND ORGANIZE THE CITY'S MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON SPECIFIC CONDITIONS, LIKE WHAT TYPE OF SITE, WHAT CONDITIONS DOES THAT TREE PLANTING IN, UM, AND WHAT IS THE RISK LEVEL FOR THOSE TREES. THIS WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO APPLY RESOURCES IN THE MOST TARGETED AND IMPACTFUL WAYS. NEXT SLIDE. SHARE RESPONSIBILITY AND ALSO SHARE CO COST. WE RECOGNIZE THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF PLANTING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IS THAT THERE ARE POTENTIALLY HIGH COSTS BOTH TO PLANTING AND TO CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF TREES OVER TIME. UM, SO WE WANT TO COME BACK TO THIS IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT WORKING WITH, UM, WITH THE CITY POLICY TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL ON PRIVATE PROPERTY BY HELPING TO SHARE COSTS. NEXT SLIDE AND BROADENING WHAT RESILIENCY MEANS. SO HERE AGAIN, GOING BEYOND, UM, SPECIES DIVERSITY TO TALK ABOUT GENETIC DIVERSITY, UM, AND TO DISTRIBUTE SPECIES STRATEGICALLY AROUND THE CITY TO MINIMIZE RISK FROM CLIMATE PRESSURES. SO PLACES, UH, PRONE TO FLOODING, BEING VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT KIND OF SPECIES WE'RE PLANTING THERE, PLACES PRONE TO DROUGHT, ET CETERA. SO THIS IS ABOUT THAT REALLY TARGETED WAY OF THINKING ABOUT PLANTING. NEXT SLIDE. SO INSTEAD OF RECOMMENDATIONS, I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE FALL UNDER EACH OF THESE FOUR, UH, HIGH LEVEL CATEGORIES. SO THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, UH, UPDATING THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, UM, FOCUSING ON CITYWIDE BIODIVERSITY PROMOTING THESE, UH, CITYWIDE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES. NEXT SLIDE. BUT WE'VE ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE IN TERMS OF HOW THEY NEED TO BE, UM, UNDERTAKEN. SO THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT THE CITY AND THE URBAN FORESTRY DEPARTMENT DPW CAN DO INTERNALLY WITH CITY ACTION. THERE ARE ARE THE THINGS THE CITY CAN DO WITH RESIDENT SUPPORT, AND SOME OF THAT IS ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF RESIDENTS. AND SOME OF IT IS POLITICAL ACTIVITY TO BRING THE KIND OF POLITICAL WILL TO BEAR FOR THE COUNCIL TO MAKE DECISIONS, UM, ON THINGS LIKE UPDATING THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE. AND THEN THERE ARE THINGS RESIDENTS NEED TO DO, PARTICULARLY ON THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY, THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY PLANT AND WHAT KINDS OF TREES THEY PLANT. UM, BECOMING MORE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF SOME OF THE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, UM, AND, UH, WORKING THROUGH TO FOSTER, UH, STEWARDSHIP OF THE, OF THE URBAN FOREST. NEXT SLIDE. WE'VE ORGANIZED THIS AGAIN INTO A FIVE YEAR ACTION PLAN, IDENTIFYING THE KEY PRIORITIES. THIS WAS ALSO THANK YOU TO THE, UM, THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING AND WORKSHOPPING WITH US TO HELP IDENTIFY THESE PRIORITIES, UM, AND A AND A KIND OF TIMELINE OVER THIS NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR HOW THEY CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. NEXT SLIDE. UM, I WANNA FOCUS ON A COUPLE TODAY. SO THINKING ABOUT THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE ZONING AND CAPACITY WITH, UH, IN URBAN FORESTRY TO LEAD COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH, WHICH WE KNOW IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROJECT. NEXT SLIDE. SO WITHIN THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, WE, WE DUG KIND OF DEEPLY INTO WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. SO 2,500, UH, TREES WERE REMOVED, UM, UNDER PERMITS, UH, THROUGH THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE. IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT TODAY HAZARDOUS TREES TO TREES THAT ARE DEAD OR DYING AND CAUSE A HAZARD TO, TO THE PUBLIC, UM, CAN BE REMOVED WITHOUT MITIGATION. SO 1600 OF THE TREES WITHIN THAT NUMBER WERE REMOVED AND DID NOT REQUIRE MITIGATION TREES REMOVED BY CHOICE 942 DID GO THROUGH A PROCESS, SOME THROUGH GREEN FACTOR, OTHERS THROUGH JUST THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE. AND THOSE REQUIRED MITIGATION BECAUSE WE MITIGATED ON A CALIPER INCH SCALE. UM, ACTUALLY 1900 TREES WERE PLANTED TO MITIGATE THOSE 942 TREES. THOSE [00:55:01] TREES THAT AREN'T PLANTED, UM, CAN ALSO BE MITIGATED THROUGH PAYMENTS. AND SO $2.4 MILLION WERE PAID INTO THE TREE FUND, UH, AS PART OF THIS MITIGATION PROCESS. UH, NEXT SLIDE. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT, UM, SO HERE'S THE HAZARDOUS TREES WERE REMOVED. SO 75% OF THOSE. SO ONE QUESTION ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION IS WHETHER EVEN FOR HAZARDOUS TREES, A ONE FOR ONE MITIGATION, UH, COULD BE REQUESTED OF HOMEOWNERS. SO IF YOU'RE TAKING IT DOWN A TREE THAT IS DEAD OR DYING, PUT BACK ONE TREE TO REPLACE THAT, UM, AND SORT OF KEEP THE CYCLE OF THE URBAN FOREST GOING. FOR THOSE HOMEOWNERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO WORK WITH GREEN CAMBRIDGE OR ONE OF THE OTHER NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UM, TO HELP, UH, PAY FOR OR IMPLEMENT THAT PLANTING? NEXT SLIDE. UM, THE ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWED THAT, UM, OF THE CANOPIES THAT CANOPY TREES THAT ARE BEING REMOVED, 50% OF THOSE ARE BEING REPLACED WITH UNDERSTORY TREES. SO TREES THAT HAVE MUCH LESS, UM, IMPACT ON COOLING AND SHADE IN THE CITY WHEN THEY ARE MATURE. ONE QUESTION FOR THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO REQUIRE AT LEAST ONE OF THE TREES BEING REPLACED OR ONE OF THE REPLACEMENT TREES BEING A CANOPY TREE? SO EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE REPLACING SOME OF THEM WITH SMALLER UNDERSTORY TREES, THAT ONE OF THOSE TREES WILL OVER TIME REPLACE THE CANOPY AND SHADE OF THE TREE BEING REMOVED. UM, WE ALSO THINK IT IS QUITE, UM, UH, IT THERE COULD BE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CITY ADD LANGUAGE THAT THE TREES COME FROM ONE OF THE RECOMMENDED SPECIES, UM, AND THAT THEY ARE CLIMATE SUITABLE, UM, AND REPRESENTING THE GENETIC DIVERSITY, UH, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET WITHIN THE, THE FOREST. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF TREES, UM, IS BEING IMPACTED BY ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT. SO WE ARE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DEFINE THIS TREE PROTECTION ZONE, UM, THAT EXTENDS ONTO PUBLIC SIDEWALKS AND PUBLIC PROPERTY SO THAT EVEN IF A TREE IS, UM, UH, BEING IMPACTED ON AN ADJACENT PROPERTY, THAT IF THAT IS A TREE THAT HA THAT IS ON THE CITY'S PROPERTY BUT IS BEING IMPACTED, THE ROOT ZONE IS BEING IMPACTED ON ADJACENT PROPERTY, THAT THAT COULD GO ON THROUGH THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE AND MITIGATION. UM, AND THAT ON ALL CITY APPLICATIONS FOR BUILDING PERMITS AND, AND TREE REMOVALS, THAT TREES WITHIN 30 FEET OF THOSE PROPERTY BOUNDARIES BE IDENTIFIED SO THAT ANY IMPACT ON THOSE TREES, UH, WOULD BE NOTED. UM, IT IS ALSO A QUESTION OF WHETHER THE INTENSIVE PRUNING OF TREES, UH, COULD BE ADDED TO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE SO THAT WE CAN MONITOR THE KIND OF INTENSIVE PRUNING OF TREES EVEN IF THOSE TREES ARE NOT BEING REMOVED. NEXT SLIDE. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN OUR RESEARCH WAS THAT THERE ARE PLACES LIKE IN FRESH POND AND AIS RESERVATION, UM, WHERE TREES ARE GROWING IN LIKE OF THE FOREST AND THEY'RE NATURALIZED. AND WHEN THE CITY IS LOOKING TO REMOVE INVASIVE TREES, INVASIVE SPECIES, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MITIGATE AT THE SAME REQUIREMENTS, UH, FOR MUL UH, TREE, UM, SORRY, THE, UH, DBH OF THE TREE TO PLANT MULTIPLE TREES, UM, IN THESE NATURALIZED AREAS. ONE QUESTION IS TO ENABLE THE KIND OF MANAGEMENT OF THE WOODLAND, WOULD IT BE CHANGED TO HAVE A ONE-TO-ONE REPLACEMENT? SO NATIVE TREES GOING BACK TO REPLACE THE INVASIVE SPECIES IN A ONE FOR ONE, AGAIN IN FRESH POND AND OTHER NATURALIZED AREAS. NEXT SLIDE ZONING IS THE OTHER AREA WHICH, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF IMPACT AFTER THE 2020 PLAN. SO GREEN FACTOR CAME OUT OF THAT. 70 PROJECTS HAVE GONE THROUGH GREEN FACTOR SINCE 2023, AND SO WE'VE ONLY BEGUN TO BE ABLE TO DO THE UH, UH, DEEP DIVE ANALYSIS. BUT A COUPLE THINGS COME UP. SO OF THOSE PROJECTS WE, WE SAW THAT 858 TREES WERE RETAINED ON THOSE PROJECTS. SO THAT'S HOPEFULLY, UM, A SIGN THAT THE INCENTIVES IN THE GREEN FACTOR FOR MAINTAINING EXISTING TREES IS DOING ITS JOB AND A THOUSAND TREES WERE PLANTED. THE REALLY INTERESTING THING IS WHAT WE DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED AND ALL THE NEW TREES THAT ARE BEING PLANTED, WE PROJECTED THOSE OUT TO MATURITY. AND SO IF THOSE TREES SURVIVE AND GROW TO MATURITY, EACH OF THOSE [01:00:01] PROJECTS WOULD HAVE 30% CANOPY COVER WHEN THEY GROW IN. THAT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD SIGN AND THAT'S ON TARGET WITH OUR GOALS FOR THESE KINDS OF PRIVATE PROPERTIES. SO THE QUESTION IS, IS IT WORKING AND OR CAN IT DO MORE? SO WE DO WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR CONTINUED CONSIDERATION. NEXT SLIDE. SO GREEN FACTOR RECOMMENDATIONS. SO ONE IS NOT ALL PROJECTS GOING THROUGH CITY REVIEW RIGHT NOW GO THROUGH GREEN FACTOR, SO IT WAS UNDERSTOOD AS A PILOT COULD WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT EXPANDING WHAT PROJECTS GREEN FACTOR APPLIES TO. WE SHOULD. WE DO THINK IT'S WORTH REVIEWING THE WEIGHTING STRUCTURE OF THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, PARTICULARLY PRESERVING EXISTING CANOPY. UM, EVERYTHING GETS A VALUE IN, IN THIS SYSTEM A WEIGHT. UM, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INCREASE THE VALUE, UM, OF, UH, PRESERVING TREES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE INCENTIVIZING THAT. SO WE SHOULD LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS. UM, ONE THING WE DIDN'T DO WAS REQUIRE OR VERIFY COMPLIANCE WITH MINIMUM SOIL VOLUMES FOR NEW TREES. THAT COULD BE AN ADDED, UH, FEATURE. UM, AND WE DO THINK MOVING FORWARD IT IS WORTH TRACKING AND ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF THE ZONING CHANGE OF THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND SEE WHAT IMPACT THAT HAS ON THE NUMBERS. UM, AND AGAIN, REQUIRING, UM, CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY AT THAT MOMENT THAT THE TREE PLANTING THAT WAS REQUIRED AS PART OF THE GREEN FACTOR AGREEMENT, IT HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN AND THAT THOSE TREES ARE PLANTED AND BEGINNING TO ESTABLISH NEXT SLIDE BECAUSE THE QUESTION OF THE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING HAS COME UP. UM, WE JUST WANT TO IDENTIFY THERE ARE A COUPLE FACTORS OR A COUPLE OF THEMES THAT CAME OUT IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY. UM, SO ONE IS CALIBRATING GREEN FACTOR, UM, TO MAYBE DO MORE WORK IN THAT PROCESS, UM, AND TO THINK ABOUT HOW IT CAN HELP US, UM, REEVALUATING THE SETBACK QUESTION AND OPEN SPACE DEFINITIONS. SO GREEN ROOFS AND BALCONIES, SHOULD THEY COUNT AS OPEN SPACE OR OPEN SPACE ON THE GROUND WHERE CANOPY TREES CAN BE PRESERVED AND PLANTED. CAN WE THINK ABOUT HOW THAT CAN ADJUST IN THE, IN THE ZONING? AND THEN AS WE SAID IN THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, CONSIDERING WAYS TO PROTECT TREES AND THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONES OF TREES ON PUBLIC PROPERTIES AND ADJACENT PROPERTIES AND STREETS. NEXT SLIDE. AND LAST, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH. THIS IS A HUGE PART OF COMMUNICATING WITH, UM, PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES ABOUT HOW TO BE STEWARDS FOR THE URBAN FOREST. UM, FRANKLY, THE CITY HAS DONE A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK, UM, GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE FOREST FRIENDS AND, UM, WATERING WHEN IT'S DROUGHT CONDITIONS, BUT THE URBAN FORESTRY DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE INTERNAL SUPPORT TO DO THIS. THEY DO A LOT OF IT THEMSELVES AND WITH OTHER CITY AGENCIES. UM, ONE QUESTION IS, AGAIN, IF THE, IF THERE'S MORE STAFF SUPPORT TO HELP, UM, GUIDE THIS WORK AND ENABLE THE PUBLIC TO DO THE WORK OF STEWARDSHIP, BECOMING TREE ADVOCATES, SPEAKING UP, VOICING SUPPORT FOR POLICY CHANGES AND, AND, AND GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT THERE. SO AGAIN, THIS COMPONENT OF ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH IS ALWAYS CRITICAL. NEXT SLIDE, AND I'LL JUST END ON THIS. PUTTING UP THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORK OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS FRANKLY BEEN HEROIC IN THE CITY ABOUT MAKING THESE CHANGES. UM, AND WE, UH, FEEL STRONGLY THAT SETTING THESE VERY SPECIFIC TARGETS AND GOALS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO DO THE WORK, UM, TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE URBAN CANOPY, HOPEFULLY HITTING THAT 35% GOAL IN THE FUTURE. UM, AND JUST WANT TO ADVOCATE THAT AGAIN, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, I HOPE WE'RE BACK IN THE SAME PLACE. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO THIS KIND OF REALLY EVALUATION OF THE WORK TO GET DEEP INTO UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE VERY SPECIFIC SCALE, NOT TO JUST TRUST THE KIND OF BIG PICTURE AND THEN TO MAKE WHAT I THINK ARE THESE VERY, VERY TARGETED CHANGES WHERE WE SEE PRESSURE POINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WE'RE NOW MOVING BACK TO, AND I JUST WANNA POINT, THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER SLIDES THAT ARE BASICALLY AN APPENDIX INCLUDING SOME, UH, MORE SPECIFICS ON RESPONDING TO THE MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONING, SOME COUPLE MORE GRAPHS ON MEASURING PROGRESS AS WELL AS TWO PAGES ON, UH, POLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS ON PARKING FACILITIES. SO WE CAN, UM, WE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING OVER THEM NOW, BUT, UM, 'CAUSE THE PRESENTATION OVER. WHAT I WANNA DO IS GO BACK, IF THERE'S ANYONE LEFT IN PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, I DO WANNA GET TO COUNCIL DELIBERATION. SO, UH, ANYONE IN PUBLIC COMMENT? UH, PLEASE. UH, MADAM CHAIR, YOU HAVE ABOUT 10 PEOPLE LEFT, SO PEOPLE DO NOT NEED TO RAISE THEIR HANDS. [01:05:01] I'M JUST GONNA CALL THE REMAINDER. OKAY. AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'LL GIVE YOU THE SAME THREE MINUTES, BUT A FEW PEOPLE IN THE EARLY ONLY TOOK ONE OR TWO MINUTES, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US. SO THOSE OF YOU WAITING, IF YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING NEW, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC. IF YOU JUST ECHOED WHAT OTHERS SAID, JUST SAY THAT AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON. THANK YOU. OUR SPEAKER IS KAREN BRUCHE. KAREN, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. HI. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M KAREN BRUT FROM 51 CUSHING STREET. I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR THIS REPORT. I FULLY SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM IT AND ALSO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED BY COUNCILORS, ZUBI, ZUI, AND FLAHERTY. HOWEVER, I WANNA ALSO STATE THAT TO MAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS EFFECTIVE, WE MUST FIX HOW WE MEASURE OUR FOREST. CURRENTLY, THE CITY IS BLURRING OLD 2024 AND BEFORE DATA WITH NEW DATA. AND BY PRESENTING DATA ONLY THROUGH 2024, WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS OF HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT. UM, AND WE'RE PRESENTING A MUCH SHADIER STORY, PUN INTENDED, THAN THE ONE WE ARE ACTUALLY LIVING IN WITH DEVELOPERS. NOW, BUILDING TO THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK LINES, WE NEED TRANSPARENT, DISTINCT DATA, COMPARING THE BEFORE AND AFTER EFFECTS OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ZONING PER THE BACKUP. SLIDE 62. UM, WE'RE TOLD THAT THE CITY PROJECTS ONLY A MINOR DROP IN TOTAL CITYWIDE TREE CANOPY LOSS FROM 30% TO 28% DUE TO MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ZONING. BUT I WANT THEM TO DIG DEEPER INTO THIS BECAUSE IT APPEARS TO BE BASED ON MINIMUM OPEN SPACE ASSUMPTIONS NOT SETBACKS. AND SETBACKS ARE WHAT TRULY DRIVE PLANTABLE SOIL AND OUR TREE PROTECTIONS NOT THE ZONING PERCENTAGES FOR MINIMUM OPEN SPACE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT UNDER OLD RESIDENTIAL B ZONING, THE MANDATORY SETBACKS NATURALLY RESERVED OVER NEARLY TWO THIRDS. 64% OF THAT PLOT, MUCH MORE THAN THE MINIMUM OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS UNDER NEW ZONING. THOSE PROTECTED SETBACKS ARE EFFECTIVELY CUT IN HALF AND WORSE, DEVELOPERS CAN MEET HALF OF THEIR OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS WITH BALCONIES, PERMEABLE PAVERS AND GARDENS. ROOF GARDENS, YOU CAN'T PLANT A TREE ON A BALCONY OR A GARDEN. UM, SO WE'RE TRADING THESE DEEP LIFE SUSTAINING SOIL, UM, AREAS AND THRIVING TREES FOR HIGH MAINTENANCE ENGINEERED SERVICES THAT FAIL TO PROVIDE EVEN A FRACTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF OUR TREE CANOPY. THE CURRENT TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE IS NOT A SHIELD, IT'S A PAY TO PLAY PERMIT FEE, A LINE ITEM IN A DEVELOPER'S BUDGET THAT'S DWARFED BY THE PROFITS GAINED. SO I URGE THE COUNCIL TO INCREASE SETBACKS TO ENSURE SIGNIFICANT TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ARE PROTECTED TO REDEFINE OPEN SPACE SO THAT IT EXCLUDES BALCONIES, PERMEABLE PAVERS, AND GREEN ROOFS. AND TO STRENGTHEN OUR ROOT ZONE PROTECTION, I URGE YOU TO PROTECT ALL CITY TREES. BUT PLEASE PUT SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE PRIVATELY OWNED TREES THAT ARE NEWLY EXPOSED TO DEVELOPMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, PLEASE DIG DEEP AGAIN, PUN INTENDED, INTO THE NEW DATA TO SEE HOW THE ZONING IS IMPACTING OUR CITY. WE AREN'T JUST LOSING TREES, WE'RE INCREASING THE HEAT IN OUR CITY, REDUCING OUR FLOOD RESILIENCY AND REMOVING VITAL SAFETY PROTECTIONS FOR OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUZANNE BLEIER. SUZANNE IS NOT ON. WE WILL GO TO PATRICIA ELLINGSWORTH, FOLLOWED BY EASTERN BANK. PATRICIA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. OKAY. MY NAME IS PATRICIA ELLINGWORTH, UH, AND I LIVE AT 30 LEXINGTON AVENUE. I WANNA BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE IMPACT THE TREE ORDINANCE WILL HAVE ON HUMAN HEALTH AND WHO WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TREES. THIS IS SOMETHING THE TREE ORDINANCE IS ULTIMATELY ABOUT HUMAN HEALTH AND WHO HAS ACCESS TO IT. THE TREE ORDINANCE SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH. THE BENEFITS OF TREES ARE NOT SOFT OR SENTIMENTAL. THEY ARE MEASURABLE IN MEDICAL. AS THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SUMMARIZES THE RESEARCH, SPENDING TIME AROUND TREES REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY, LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE, AND IMPROVES MOOD. SIMPLY VIEWING NATURE FROM A HOSPITAL WINDOW CAN SPEED RECOVERY TIME. OTHER STUDIES SUGGEST THAT VIEWING A TREE FROM YOUR BEDROOM WINDOW COULD ALSO HAVE HEALTH BENEFITS. A UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDY FOUND THAT EXPOSURE TO NATURE CAN EASE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND AN ANXIETY, ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE. THESE ARE REAL EFFECTS ON REAL BODIES AND A MATURE TREE CANOPY DELIVERS THEM EVERY DAY TO EVERYONE WITHIN REACH OF IT, PROVIDED THAT WE CARE FOR THE TREES AND ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO THEM. CAMBRIDGE HAS EMBRACED EQUITY TO ACCESS AS A FIRST [01:10:01] STATED GOAL UNDER THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN. SO CONSIDER WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THE CITY. WE ARE ADDING DENSITY, NEW BUILDINGS, MORE UNITS, AND MORE NEIGHBORS. BUT WHEN DEVELOPMENT REMOVES THE LARGE ESTABLISHED, UH, TREES ON THOSE SAME PARCELS, HERE IS THE RESULT WE WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS INTO HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN STRIPPED OF EXACTLY THE CANOPY THAT DELIVERS THE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT EVERYONE IN CAMBRIDGE NEEDS AND DESERVES. THE NEW ARRIVALS, OFTEN IN THE DENSEST NEW HOUSING INHERIT BEAR LOTS AND SAPLINGS THAT WILL NOT PRO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL SHADE OR CANOPY FOR 20 OR 30 YEARS. THIS IS DEEPLY UNEQUAL AND UNJUST. IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT OUR MASTER PLAN PROMISES. WE WOULD BE BUILDING A TWO-TIER CITY ESTABLISHED RESIDENCE UNDER MATURE CANOPY AND NEW DENSER HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT IT BREATHING HOTTER AIR WITH LESS OF THE PROVEN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS A FEW DOORS DOWN ENJOY DENSITY SHOULD NOT COME BUNDLED WITH WORSE HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE NEW RESIDENTS, THESE UNITS WILL HELP US DESERVE TREES AROUND THEM JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE WHO ALREADY LIVES HERE. THE WAY TO HONOR BOTH OUR HOUSING GOALS AND OUR HEALTH AND EQUITY GOALS IS TO PROTECT THE MATURE CANOPY WE HAVE WHILE WE BUILD, NOT TO REMOVE IT AND PROMISE REPLACEMENTS DECADES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. I URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO STRENGTHEN TREE PROTECTION SO THAT ADDED DENSITY AND ACCESS TO NATURE RISE TOGETHER NOT AT EACH OTHER'S EXPENSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS POLLY SHANE COBB, FOLLOWED BY LEE GILMORE. IF YOU CAN JUST PRESS THE BUTTON AND WHEN THE LIGHT IS GREEN, PLEASE GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS P*****K SANDY COBB. PEOPLE CALL ME. I'VE LIVED FOR 55 YEARS AT ONE 40 LEXINGTON AVENUE. I'M HERE TO PROVIDE MY OWN THOUGHTS ON OUR TREES AND THEIR VALUE TO LIFE IN A CITY SO DENSELY POPULATED. I WANNA PROTECT PARTICULARLY OUR NATIVE SPECIES. WE SHOULD REJOICE THAT THESE TREES ARE SURVIVING AT ALL. IN A WORLD THAT HUMANS HAVE BROUGHT TO THE BRINK OF ECOLOGICAL FAILURE BY SHAMELESSLY POLLUTING THE AIR, THE WATER, AND RECKLESSLY IMPEDING THE GROWTH OF TREES. THEY CLEAN THE AIR WE BREATHE, THEY GIVE US SHADE, THEY ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDE AND PROVIDE US WITH OXYGEN. WE SHARE THE ONLY PLANET THAT WE KNOW FOR SURE IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. HARBORS SUCH DELIGHTFUL DIVERSITY AND THE BEAUTY OF LIFE. OUR SMALL ISLAND SHOULD PROTECT THEM, NOT WILLFULLY IGNORE THEIR BENEFITS TO PLEASE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE PROVIDING FAR FEWER OF BENEFITS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS TREES HEALTHY IS SPACE, NOT JUST BETWEEN THEM AND OTHER TREES, BUT BETWEEN BUILDINGS AND THE TREES. ALLOWING NEW HOUSING TO BE BUILT UP TO THE PROPERTY LINE REMOVES ALL TRACE OF SPACE ADEQUATE FOR THE TREES. IF DEVELOPERS ARE ALLOWED TO FILL FULL LOTS, WHICH IS DANGEROUS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE OF THE FIRE RISK AND THEY CAN CUT DOWN TREES WITHOUT ANY REQUIREMENTS FOR MITIGATION, THEN THE CITY BECOMES IMPERILED. THE CANOPY WE SHOULD ALL CHERISH BECOMES IMPERILED WHILE DEVELOPERS BUILD JUST ENOUGH UNITS IN ANY ONE PROJECT TO ESCAPE THE 20% REQUIREMENT FOR LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING. SO THE VERY POINT OF THE MULTIFAMILY FAMILY ZONING IS THWARTED. WE HAVE MORE HOUSING, SURE, BUT IT WILL BE WHAT THE DEVELOP DEVELOPERS LIKELY LIKE LUCK TO CALL LUXURY HOUSING. WE ALSO HAVE FEWER TREES WHILE THOSE THAT REMAIN STRUGGLE TO FIND SUN, WATER, AND SPACE TO BE HEALTHY. THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN WAS DESIGNED TO RESPECT THE NEEDS OF TREES AND NOT THE WISHES OF DEVELOPERS. IT WAS DONE TO BENEFIT EVERYONE LIVING AND WORKING IN CAMBRIDGE. IT SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED. MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF DEVELOPERS IS ANTITHETICAL TO THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEE GILMORE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LEE GILMORE AND I LIVE AT 1 0 2 LEXINGTON AVE IN CAMBRIDGE. I WANNA SPEAK FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, SPECIFICALLY TO A BENEFIT OF MATURE TREES THAT OFTEN GETS OVERLOOKED STORMWATER AND A GAP IN HOW OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE HANDLES TREE LOSS. CAMBRIDGE HAS A SERIOUS AND EXPENSIVE [01:15:01] STORMWATER PROBLEM. MUCH OF THE CITY IS STILL SERVED BY COMBINED SEWERS WHERE STORMWATER AND SEWAGE SHARE THE SAME PIPES. WHEN HEAVY RAIN OVERWHELMS THE SYSTEM, THE RESULT IS BASEMENT BACKUPS FLOODED STREETS AND OVERFLOWS INTO THE CHARLES AND ALEWIFE BROOK. OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, CAMBRIDGE HAS BUILT 12 UNDERGROUND STORM WATER STORAGE SYSTEMS THAT TOGETHER HOLD MORE THAN 2 MILLION GALLONS, AND IT IS INVESTING IN TENS OF MILLIONS MORE, INCLUDING A 1.2 MILLION GALLON HOLDING SYSTEM TIED TO THE TOBIN AND VASSAL LANE SCHOOLS TO REDUCE FLOODING IN THE ALEWIFE AREA. THE CITY'S OWN ENGINEERING STANDARDS NOW REQUIRE NEW PROJECTS TO DESIGN FOR PROJECTED 2070 RAINFALL. NOT TODAY'S, BECAUSE EVERYONE PLANNING THIS CITY'S FUTURE KNOWS THE WATER WILL KEEP RISING. A LARGE MATURE TREE IS A PIECE OF STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THE CITY DID NOT HAVE TO PAY TO BUILD ITS CANOPY, INTERCEPTS RAIN BEFORE IT HITS THE GROUND AND ITS ROOTS. DRAW ENORMOUS VOLUMES OF WATER OUT OF THE SOIL AND RELEASE IT BACK INTO THE AIR. NOR DOES ANY TREE ACCOMPLISH THIS ALONE, BUT IN INTERLOCKING ROOT STRUCTURES THAT ARE NOT DELIMITED BY PROPERTY LINES. WHEN A DEVELOPER REMOVES A 65 FOOT TREE, WE ARE NOT JUST LOSING SHADE. WE ARE DISRUPTING WORKING FLOOD CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSFERRING THAT BURDEN ONTO THE CITY'S PIPES, THE PUBLIC BUDGET AND OUR NEIGHBOR'S BASEMENTS. WHEN THE CITY ALLOWS A PROTECTED TREE TO BE REMOVED, OUR ORDINANCE LEAN HEAVILY ON MITIGATION, USUALLY A PAYMENT INTO THE TREE FUND. THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN'S OWN FIGURES SHOW THAT SINCE THE 2019 ORDINANCE, MORE THAN 2.4 MILLION HAS BEEN PAID INTO THAT FUND. YET EVEN WHEN A REPLACEMENT TREE IS PLANTED, A NEWLY PLANTED SAPLING PROVIDES A TINY FRACTION OF THE STORM WATER CAPTURE, THE SHADE AND THE COOLING THAT A MATURE TREE DELIVERS AND IT WILL NOT CLOSE THAT GAP FOR DECADES. STRENGTHENING TREE PROTECTION IS SOUND, FLOOD CONTROL AND SOUND FISCAL POLICY. I URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO PROTECT MATURE TREES AS THE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE THEY ARE IN A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT REMOVAL IS A TRUE LAST RESORT FOR THE GOOD OF ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THOMAS POUNDS. THOMAS, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. GOOD DAY. MY NAME IS TOM POUNDS, I LIVE AT 1 0 2 LEXINGTON AVENUE. I HAVE TWO CONCRETE SUGGESTIONS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE TPO THAT I BELIEVE MAY ADDRESS MANY COMMENTS WE HEAR TODAY QUITE DIRECTLY. FIRST, WE ALL KNOW THAT NEW ZONING CODES ALLOW NEW HOUSING TO BE BUILT WITHIN FIVE FEET OF PROPERTY LINES. THIS MIGHT LEAD US TO IMAGINE THAT THE GROUND IN THAT FIVE FOOT BUFFER ZONE REMAINS UNDISTURBED, BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE TO BUILD THE FORM WORK FOR CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS TO SUPPORT WALLS FIVE FEET FROM THE PERIMETER OF A SITE EXCAVATION TYPICALLY EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO THE PROPERTY LINE, REMOVING EVERYTHING INCLUDING TREE LIGHTS, TREE ROOTS, TO LEAVE A SHEER SIX TO EIGHT FOOT VERTICAL WALL ON THE GROUND RIGHT AT THE PROPERTY LINE. EXAMPLES OF THIS CAN NOW BE SEEN IN DEVELOPMENTS AND SUBMITTED PLANS IN PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY, BUT TO TO PROTECT ANY TREES ON ABUTTING PROPERTIES AT OR NEAR A PROPERTY LINE WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING. RECOGNIZING THIS PRACTICE IS VITALLY IMPORTANT. THE SAMPLE AMENDMENTS IN THE JUNE ONE ORDER SUGGEST THE DISTANCE TO AN ABUTTERS TREE FROM THE BUILDING OR ANY UTILITY MIGHT BE USED TO TRIGGER A TREE PROTECTION PLAN. BUT THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. TREES CARE FAR LESS ABOUT WHERE THE FACADE OF A NEW BUILDING WILL ULTIMATELY STAND THAN ABOUT WHAT PORTION OF THEIR ROOTS GET CUT AND REMOVED IN A DEEP EXCAVATION DURING CONSTRUCTION. GIVEN THIS, I URGE THE COMMITTEE AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO AMEND THE TPO TO REQUIRE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTS TO SUBMIT AND GET APPROVED. A TREE PROTECTION PLAN. IF EXCAVATION FOR A BUILDING PROJECT IS TO REACH WITHIN THREE TIMES THE DBH OF ANY SIGNIFICANT TREES ON AN ABUTTING PROPERTY, IT'S EXCAVATION THAT KILLS TREES. CLEARANCE TO FUTURE BUILDING FACADES IS REALLY NOT SO RELEVANT. SECOND, AS WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS TODAY, WHEN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT KILLS A TREE, THE BURDEN FOR ITS REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT GENERALLY FALLS ON THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER. TO ADDRESS THIS, THE TPO SHOULD REQUIRE PROPERTY DEVELOPERS TO ESTABLISH AN ESCROW ACCOUNT EQUAL TO THREE TIMES THE ASSESSED REPLACEMENT VALUE OF ALL SIGNIFICANT TREES ON ABUTTING PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THREE TIMES THE DBH OF THE CLOSEST SITE EXCAVATION. THIS SHOULD BE SEPARATE FROM PAYMENTS INTO THE TREE FUND. THE ACCOUNT SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE FOR SEVEN YEARS FOLLOWING PROJECT COMPLETION AND TO BE AVAILABLE TO COVER THE COSTS OF REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ANY NEIGHBORING TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES THAT DIE FROM CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS PER THE JUDGMENT OF THE CITY ARBORIST. THIS WOULD CREATE INCENTIVE FOR DEVELOPERS TO CONSIDER TREES IN THEIR SITE PLANS AND PROTECT TREES DURING CONSTRUCTION. ENSURE PROPERTY OWNERS AGAINST UNEXPECTED AND UNFAIR FINANCIAL BURDENS AND ENSURE THAT HAZARDOUS FAILING OR DEAD TREES WILL BE REMOVED PROPERLY BEFORE THEY THREATEN PEOPLE OR PROPERTY. IT WOULD ALSO KEEP GREEN CAMBRIDGE OUTTA THE BUSINESS OF REPLACING TREES WHICH HAVE BEEN KILLED BY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. SO [01:20:01] TAXPAYERS DON'T END UP FOOTING THE BILL. THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH NELSON. SARAH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. HELLO COUNSELORS. MY NAME IS SARAH NELSON. I LIVE AT 17 ROCKWELL STREET. AS YOU KNOW, I'M A PEDIATRICIAN AND A CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT OF 22 YEARS. I WANNA THANK COUNCILORS, SSIE AND CO-SPONSORS, COUNSELORS NOLAN IAN FLAHERTY FOR CREATING THESE TREE PROTECTION ENHANCEMENTS. AS A CLINICIAN, I WANNA UNDERSCORE WHY TREE PROTECTION MATTERS. URBAN TREE CANOPY DIRECTLY REDUCES CHILDHOOD ASTHMA ANXIETY AND HEAT RELATED ILLNESS. MATURE TREES DO THIS WORK IN WAYS A NEWLY PLANTED SAPLING CANNOT REPLICATE FOR DECADES. WHEN WE LOSE A MATURE TREE, WE LOSE A GENERATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH BENEFIT. THE SIERRA CLUB CALLS TREES ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE DATA BEAR THAT OUT. CITY TREES REMOVE NEARLY 800,000 TONS OF AIR POLLUTION ANNUALLY. NATIONWIDE STREET LEVEL STUDIES SHOW URBAN TREE CANOPIES REDUCE IMMEDIATE SO CONCENTRATIONS BY UP TO 37%. THIS IS IMPORTANT WITH ALL THE DEMOLITIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY. TREES ARE NOT LANDSCAPING. THEY'RE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AS ESSENTIAL AS A SEWER LINE OR A SIDEWALK. THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WAS POINTED OUT TODAY, IS NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGHER PROPORTIONS OF LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF COLOR HAVE LESS TREE CANOPY. A PATTERN THAT MAPS DIRECTLY ONTO CAMBRIDGE'S HISTORY OF REDLINING EASTERN CAMBRIDGE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE REDLINED IN THE 1930S HAVE SOME OF THE LOWEST CANOPY COVERAGE IN THE CITY TODAY. AND THESE ARE PRECISELY THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE CAMBRIDGE'S NEW MULTI-FAMILY ZONING IS GENERATING THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF NEW DEMOLITIONS. YOU CAN LOOK AT CAMBRIDGE PORT TO THIS SMALL PROJECTS CLUSTERED BELOW THE INCLUSIONARY ZONING THRESHOLD, BRINGING NEITHER AFFORDABLE UNITS NOR REPLACEMENT CANOPY. I UNDERSTAND THAT SEVERAL OF OUR COUNSELORS ARE ENDORSED, ENDORSED BY THE SIERRA CLUB MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY ADVOCATED FOR PRIORITIZING TREE PLANTING AND CANOPY INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITIES THAT BEAR AT THE LEGACY OF DISINVESTMENT. THE WORK YOU ARE DOING TODAY IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT FRAMEWORK. PROTECTING THE TREES THAT REMAIN IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ISN'T INTENTION WITH HOUSING, IT IS THE FLOOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WE CANNOT ALLOW A ZONING CHANGE THAT BRINGS CONSTRUCTION FIVE FEET CLOSER TO NEIGHBORS TREES WITHOUT A CLEAR PROTECTION AND A CLEAR REMEDY, ESPECIALLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ALREADY ABSORBED THE GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN. THE FRAMEWORK COUNCILOR ZEY HAS DRAFTED IS THE RIGHT FOUNDATION. I URGE YOU TO FINALIZE AND STRENGTHEN IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ABIGAIL RANDS. ABIGAIL, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. PLEASE GO AHEAD. UH, MY NAME IS ABIGAIL MEYER. I LIVE AT ELERI SQUARE. AS AN ARCHITECT AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL EDUCATOR, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE. TREES ARE PART OF CAMBRIDGE'S INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY ARE NOT DECORATIVE ELEMENTS ALONG A SIDEWALK. THEY COOL OUR HOMES AND STREETS REDUCE URBAN HEAT, ABSORB STORM WATER, IMPROVE AIR QUALITY, SUPPORT BIODIVERSITY AND PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH. ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY. AS OUR CLIMATE CHANGES, THESE BENEFITS BECOME VITAL IN ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN. WE SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME ASKING WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT AND WHAT OUR C WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE. HOW DO BUILDINGS CONTINUE TO PERFORM? HOW DO NEIGHBORHOODS REMAIN SAFE AND LIVABLE UNDER UNCERTAIN EXTREME HEAT? THE ANSWER LIES NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR BUILDINGS, BUT IN THE SPACES BETWEEN THEM AND ACCESS TO DAYLIGHT AND CROSS VENTILATION COOLED BY NEARBY VEGETATION AND THE PUBLIC AND SHARED SPACES PROTECTED BY A TREE CANOPY THAT MAKES OUR NEIGHBORHOODS MORE COMFORTABLE, EQUITABLE, AND RESILIENT. FOR THIS REASON, I URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO PRIORITIZE THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING TREES AND VEGETATION WHEN REVIEWING DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS. THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE IS A YES AND OPPORTUNITY. WE NEED MORE HOUSING, BUT WE NEED AS OF RIGHT ZONING PARAMETERS THAT PROTECT AND PROMOTE A LIVABLE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT FUTURE FOR THESE NEW RESIDENTS. THEY WILL THANK US, BRING PLANTABLE SOIL BACK TO THE GROUND. GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ARE NOT COMPETING GOALS. THEY MUST ADVANCE TOGETHER. I SUPPORT ALL OF THE TESTIMONIES TODAY. LASTLY, I ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO JOIN A CAMBRIDGE CLIMATE WALK LED BY ATTA IAN FROM THE CENTER OF ADVANCED URBANISM. AT MIT. HIS WORK MAPS HEAT STRESS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE WITH HIM, YOU CAN EXPERIENCE WHAT THE FULL GROWTH TREES ON PRIVATE LOTS TOO. FOR ALL OF THE IN BETWEEN SPACES AND FOR THE PUBLIC STREET. EXPERIENCING CAMBRIDGE [01:25:01] THROUGH THE LENS OF URBAN HEAT MAKES CLEAR THAT TREES ARE NOT AN AMENITY. THEY ARE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY DO ESSENTIAL WORK FOR US. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIANA KRUEGER. OKAY. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSELOR CITY STAFF AND OTHERS. MY NAME IS MARIANA KRUEGER AND I'M A FORMER RESIDENT OF SOMERVILLE, UM, HERE VISITING TODAY FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHERE I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. I'M HERE TODAY IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY ON VACATION TO LEARN WHAT I CAN FROM YOU ALL AND TO EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH THE AREA'S CURRENT RESIDENTS. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ADVOCATING TODAY FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. TRUE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY, NOT LUXURY DEVELOPMENTS THAT DISPLACE THE MOST MARGINALIZED AND A MATURE, THRIVING TREE CANOPY THAT BENEFITS NOT ONLY HUMAN HEALTH, UH, BUT PROVIDES CRITICAL WILDLIFE HABITAT AS WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL MASS EXTINCTION EVENT. I'M STRUCK TODAY BY HOW SIMILAR THE CONVERSATIONS ARE, UM, AND THE POWER DYNAMICS, UM, IN AUSTIN AND IN CAMBRIDGE BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY. SO I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS TO ASK FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION. FIRST IN THE PRESENTATION, I SAW A NUMBER OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES ON THE PLANT LIST, UM, AND ONLY 50% OF NEWLY PLANTED PARKS, NEWLY PLANTED TREES AND PARKS ARE NATIVE. AND I'M CURIOUS WHY IS THAT, THAT, THAT SEEMS CONCERNING TO ME. UM, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE HAVE A STRICT LIST OF NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE TREES THAT DEVELOPERS IN THE CITY MUST CHOOSE FROM. IF IT WERE UP TO ME, IT WOULD BE ONLY NATIVE, NOT EVEN THE ADAPTED, BUT WOULD JUST LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT. I'M ALSO CURIOUS, WHAT IS THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR THE URBAN FOREST MITIGATION FUND AND WHAT IS THE FORMULA FOR THE DEVELOPER FEE? I HEARD FROM THE PRESENTATION THAT $2.4 MILLION HAD BEEN PAID AND I MISSED, WAS THAT THE LAST YEAR OR SINCE THE PLAN WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2019? I'M NOT SURE. IN AUSTIN, OUR MITIGATION RATE HAS NOT BEEN RAISED SINCE 2012, WHICH IS A HUGE PROBLEM. UM, AND IT'S ALSO NOT TIED TO INFLATION. SO I'M CURIOUS, IS THE MITIGATION FEE HERE AS IT STANDS TIED TO INFLATION SO THAT AS COST OF LIVING GO UP, ALSO THE COST FOR TREES GO UP? UM, AND IS THAT RATE TRULY COMMENSURATE TO THE LOST TO THE LOSS OF THE TREE AND THE COST OF ITS REPLACEMENT? NEXT, UM, HERITAGE TREES, UM, WHICH WE DEFINE IN IN AUSTIN, AS THOSE WITH DI DIAMETERS GREATER THAN 30 CALIPER INCHES, THOSE REQUIRE A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR REMOVAL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, OTHERS ARE CONSIDERED VIA ADMINISTRATIVE REMOVAL WHERE THE CITY ARBORIST DEEMS IF A TREE IS DEAD DISEASED OR PRESENTS AN IMMINENT HAZARD. BUT HAVING A PUBLIC PROCESS FOR LARGE TREE REMOVAL ALLOWS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TREE TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND BE PART OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR REMOVAL OR RELOCATION. SO I URGE RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER THAT IF YOU ALL DON'T ALREADY HAVE THAT, UM, AS A TOOL. UM, AND THEN LASTLY, HOW DO PUBLIC FOOD FORESTS FACTOR INTO THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE'S LONG-TERM URBAN FORESTRY GOALS? IN AUSTIN, WE'VE DESIGNATED ABOUT SIX, SIX ACRES ACROSS TWO PUBLIC PARKLAND SITES FOR PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP. I'M WEARING THE SHIRT OF ONE OF THEM TODAY. THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST, UM, YOU ALL CAN LOOK THAT UP. THEY ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR HARVESTING AND ENJOYMENT YEAR ROUND, UM, ALL HOURS OF THE DAY, NO FENCES. SO VERY DIFFERENT FROM A COMMUNITY GARDEN IN THAT SENSE, WHERE THERE ARE PRIVATE PLOTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL, NOT JUST FOR DEMOCRACY BUILDING MARIA, BUT ALSO MARIA FEEDING OUR POPULATIONS LOCALLY. MARIA, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS HEATHER HOFFMAN. HEATHER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, TWO 13 HURLEY STREET. AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME, UM, BECAUSE THEY EDUCATED ME AND I HOPE THEY EDUCATED YOU AND I HOPE THEY EDUCATE THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MEMBERS OF CITY GOVERNMENT WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR TREE CANOPY. UM, AND I WOULD NOTE THAT I AM VERY LUCKY TO LIVE IN THE GLORIOUS SHADE OF A STREET TREE THAT WAS PLANTED AT MY REQUEST BY THE EAST CAMBRIDGE PLANNING TEAM LONG AGO WHEN IT HAD, UM, MONEY TO PLANT TREES. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PLANNING TEAM DECIDED TO DO WITH THIS MONEY THAT CAME THROUGH THE, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. I WISH THAT THERE HAD BEEN EVEN MORE OF THAT. BUT ANYWAY, I HAVE A TREE [01:30:01] THAT IS PROBABLY 45 FEET HIGH. ITS CANOPY EXTENDS, I BELIEVE THE 50 FOOT WIDTH OF MY PROPERTY AND THE SHADE IS INCREDIBLE AND THE BEAUTY OF IT. SO THE ONE THING THAT I DID NOT HEAR IN ANY OF THIS THAT I THINK WOULD BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IS TO INCREASE THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING. I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST ADVISORY. WELL, WHY DOES IT IT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY? THESE ARE AMAZING PROFESSIONALS, MOST OF THEM WHO DONATE THEIR EXPERTISE TO THE CITY, AND THEY HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN BLOWN OFF IN ORDER TO PAVE THE WAY TO MORE PAVING AND FEWER TREATS, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM AND THEY SHOULD HAVE A ROLE WHERE YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM. AND I I REALLY WANNA SAY THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION. AND I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID IN A MEETING BY A CITY EMPLOYEE AND THEN WHEN IT WAS REPORTED, UM, UNDER MY NAME BECAUSE I HEARD HIM SAY IT, CARING ABOUT TREES IS OFTEN COVERED FOR HATING DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THAT WAS ALL THAT WERE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I WANNA THANK THE CITY STAFF AND THE CONSULTANT. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT IN THIS PRESENTATION AND, UH, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND ALSO APPRECIATE ALL OF THE SPEAKERS. UH, THE RANGE OF BOTH INFORMATION PERSPECTIVE AND, UH, COMMENTS ON THE, ABOUT THE PRESENTATION WHERE WE'RE AT. WE'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR GUESTS FROM AUSTIN SINCE WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT AUSTIN HERE IN THIS CHAMBER ABOUT HOUSING, ABOUT I AM DYING TO HAVE US REQUIRE ENERGY AUDITS FOR EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY SOLD, WHICH AUSTIN HAS BEEN DOING FOR I BELIEVE AT LEAST 10 YEARS NOW, IF NOT 15. SO I'M WORKING ON IT, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. UM, I WANNA NOW GO TO, UM, TO COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. WE'LL START WITH COUNCILLOR SUZI, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR NOLAN. I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE, UM, DPW AND OUR, OUR OUR FOREST URBAN FORESTRY DIVISION AND RE BR ERIC, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK. I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND I THINK IT'S EXTRAORDINARY THAT WE'VE BEEN GROWING THE CANOPY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO US. UM, I JUST WANTED TO REFLECT THAT I'VE BEEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. I'VE JUST, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST YEAR I'VE REALLY, I'VE ALWAYS NOTICED THE TREES AT MAGAZINE BEACH, BUT I'VE REALLY STARTED TAKING NOTE OF OUR EXTRAORDINARY TREE STREET TREES. UM, AS WHEN WE WERE ON THE FLOAT DURING JUNETEENTH THE OTHER DAY, THE CANOPY ARCHED OVER, UM, WESTERN AVE. IT WAS SPECTACULAR. AND I WAS AT A BLOCK PARTY ON STAND STREET YESTERDAY AND AGAIN, HUGE STREET TREES SO HEALTHY THAT REALLY MADE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST SO VERY IMPORTANT. AND I, I WAS WONDERING, ACTUALLY, I ASKED, UM, GEMINI THIS MORNING, LIKE, WHY, WHAT MAKES CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE DIFFERENT? 'CAUSE LIKE SOMETHING I, OF COURSE, SOMERVILLE'S WONDERFUL AND THEY'VE STOLEN A LOT OF OUR FUNK, BUT, UM, SOMERVILLE IS ONE OF THE MOST DENSE, IT IS THE MOST DENSE CITY IN THE REGION, AND IT IS THE LEAST CANOPY CITY IN THE REGION. AND I THINK WHAT MAKES CAMBRIDGE, IN PART, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT MAKE US SPECIAL, BUT IT IS OUR VERY HEALTHY TREE CANOPY. UM, WE'VE GOT WIDER SIDEWALKS, UM, AND WE'VE GOT LARGER LOT SIZES. SO APPARENTLY THE SMALLER LOT SIZES IN SOMERVILLE ARE ALSO WHY THERE ARE FEWER TREES THERE. AND THEN WHAT DISTINGUISHES CAMBRIDGE IS THAT FOR DECADES, UM, WE, I DUNNO IS IT DECADES, BUT FOR MANY YEARS WE'VE BEEN INVESTING IN OUR CANOPY IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL, UH, WAY THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT ALL THESE HUGE TREES. SO WE DON'T WANNA LOSE, UH, THAT QUALITY THAT AGAIN, MAKES CAMBRIDGE SO VERY EXTRAORDINARY. AND I DO FEEL HOPEFUL THAT THE COUNCIL WILL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS IN SUPPORTING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT, UM, I SUPPORT [01:35:01] ALL OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE FIVE OF OUR MEMBERS, MARK MCGOVERN, SAM SIDIKI, PATTY NOLAN, AYA ZUBIE, AND JUVAN, SABRINA WHEELER, HAVE ALL BEEN ENDORSED BY THE SIERRA CLUB, WHICH AS WE KNOW SUPPORTS HEALTHY TREES AND, UH, SUPPORTING OUR, THEY SEE TREES AS INFRASTRUCTURE. SO I, I FEEL LIKE THAT, THAT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD. I, I WORRY A LITTLE BIT. I KNOW. I, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO GO FROM 30 TO 35%. I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE HIGH GOALS FOR OUR TREE CANOPY. I QUESTION WHETHER LIKE, AS YOU WERE SHOWING US PICTURES OF STREETS AND SIDEWALKS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE WHERE THERE WERE TREE WELLS THAT WERE EMPTIED, I SORT OF WONDERED, WELL, WHY ARE THOSE TREE WELLS EMPTY? I, I QUESTION LIKE WHETHER PARKING LOTS WILL ACTUALLY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANNA BUILD ON PARKING LOTS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP ON PARKING LOTS LATER. AND I KNOW THANKS TO THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING, WHICH I THINK SHOULD HAVE MORE AUTHORITY, UM, I KNOW DCR THE CITY'S BEEN PLANTING MORE TREES ON DCR PROPERTY, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. AND I UNDERSTAND MIT IS PLANTING MORE TREES TOO. SO THOSE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS, BUT I THINK THE PLACE WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS IS ON PREVENTING THE LOSS OF PRIVATE TREES DUE TO THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. AND AGAIN, I THOUGHT YOU HAD SOME GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW FOR HOW WE MIGHT DO THAT? UM, THAT, THAT IS MY WORRY. I THINK WE HAVE TO REALLY KEEP TRACK OF NUMBERS, UM, AND, AND WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE 24. UM, I I IT WOULD BE VERY LOST IF IT WOULD BE VERY SAD IF WE LOST ALL, LOST ALL OUR GAINS DURING THIS PERIOD BEFORE WE AMEND THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. AND, AND I, SOMETHING THAT I, AGAIN, THAT I'VE BECOME SO AWARE OF IS, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR EXTRAORDINARY CANOPY IS IN PARKS, ARE STREET TREES OR ARE ON PROPERTY LINES. SO THOSE TREES ARE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY VULNERABLE. I THOUGHT THAT THOMAS POUNDS HAD SOME GOOD IDEAS FOR AMENDMENTS AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL AGAIN FOR MARIANA FROM, UH, AUSTIN SPEAKING UP. UM, I THANK ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS AND, UM, I, I HOPE WE CAN A AGAIN, SUPPORT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, VERY SOON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DID YOU WANNA RESPOND BEFORE WE HEAR FROM COUNCILOR MCGOVERN OR, UM, JUST YEAH, JUST BRIEFLY. UM, THROUGH YOU MADAM CHAIR. UM, SO COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU. YES, WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK. I WOULD SAY, JUST TO GO BACK TO THE SOMERVILLE, UH, EXAMPLE, WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO SOMERVILLE AS FAR AS SIDEWALK SIZE. I THINK OUR AVERAGE LOT SIZE IN CAMBRIDGE IS, IS LESS THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET. SO WE MAY NOT BE THE DENSEST, BUT WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE. UM, SO WE DO SHARE THAT WITH SOMERVILLE. UM, I DO WANNA SAY THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE, THEY ARE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS. I WANT TO BE UPFRONT WITH THAT. UM, SINCE YOU PUT IN YOUR POLICY ORDER, WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND OTHERS ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO TOWARDS THAT STUFF. SO AGAIN, THE, UM, WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING THAT WHEN WE RESPOND TO THE POLICY ORDER AS FAR AS WHAT OUR ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ORDINANCE WOULD BE. BUT AGAIN, IT'S STILL SOMEWHAT OF A WORK IN PROGRESS. YEAH. UN UN UNDER UNDERSTOOD. AND I, AND I DO THINK PEOPLE, THE, THE NEED FOR FLEXIBLE SETBACKS, GREATER SETBACKS, DEFINING OPEN SPACE AS OPEN SPACE AT THE GROUND LEVEL THAT'S TRULY PUBLIC WILL MAKE ALL, MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE CITY AND THE FUTURE OF OUR TREE CANOPY. AND I, AND I DO THINK, UH, MANY SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT PROTECTION FOR ABUTS TREES, AND I ALSO AGREE PROFOUNDLY THAT THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE STRENGTHENING OUR TREE ORDINANCE. AND, AND AGAIN, I WAS, I WAS TALKING TO GEMINI AGAIN AND I KNOW BROOKLINE AND THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL THAT ALL HAVE BUILT IN THESE TREE PROTECTIONS IN BROOKLINE. ANY CONSTRUCTION WITHIN 30 FEET OF A TREE SAVE AREA, EVEN ON AN ABUTTING LOT REQUIRES A PLAN. SO I THINK MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AS WELL. THANK YOU TO YOU YIELD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MCGOVERN. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR THROUGH YOU. THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK. UM, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS BEFORE I ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR THE SOLICITOR, BUT BEFORE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF ATTENTION BEING PAID TO, UM, THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT PEOPLE WERE CUTTING DOWN TREES ON THEIR PROPERTY LONG BEFORE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE WAS IN PLAY. UM, AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE A, THERE'S A, THERE'S [01:40:01] A, A DEVELOPMENT ON MY STREET, THEN THERE'S, THEY'RE BUILDING A, A THREE STORY SINGLE FAMILY HOME IN THE, IN THE REAR, UM, WHICH IS NOT, WHICH THEY COULD HAVE BUILT BEFORE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. UM, IT WAS ALLOWED AND THEY HAD TO CUT DOWN TWO TREES. ONE WAS A, UM, WAS DAD, I GUESS IS FROM WHAT I HEARD AND, AND ONE WASN'T. SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF ATTENTION BEING PAID ON DEVELOPERS, RIGHT. AND I HAVE LESS SYMPATHY FOR THEM IN TERMS OF PAYING INCREASED FINES AND, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY'LL BUILD THOSE COSTS IN AND I'LL BE FINE. UM, BUT WE HAVE ALSO HEARD, NOT SO MUCH TODAY, BUT WE HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM FOLKS WHO ARE JUST REGULAR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD TO CUT DOWN TREES IN THEIR YARD FOR WHATEVER REASON. AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY EXPENSIVE. SO I GUESS QUESTION REAL QUICK FOR THE SOLICITOR IS IF WE'RE GONNA INCREASE FINES OR INCREASE ALL OF THIS, IS THERE A WAY TO LEGALLY SAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE FULLY DEMOLISHING A HOUSE AND BUILDING SOMETHING WITH MORE UNITS, YOU HAVE TO PAY THIS AMOUNT. AND I'M JUST AFRAID OF, WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON DEVELOPERS AND DEVELOPERS HAVING SO MUCH MONEY THAT WE ARE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, RAISE THAT FEE THROUGH THE ROOF. IS THERE A WAY TO DELINEATE DEVELOPERS FROM JUST SORT OF YOUR AVERAGE PROPERTY OWNER THAT MAY HAVE TO CUT DOWN A TREE AND CAN'T AFFORD A $20,000 BILL? THANK YOU. THROUGH THE CHAIR. UH, WE CAN'T, UM, IMPOSE THE TREE PENALTIES DIFFERENTLY ON DEVELOPERS THAN WE EN THAN WE CAN ON ANY OTHER PROPERTY OWNER. THE REQUIREMENT THAT IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE DOWN A TREE TO DEVELOP YOUR PROPERTY, UM, AND YOU EITHER NEED TO REPLACE THE TREE OR PAY INTO THE TREE FUND, IS WHAT'S CONSIDERED, UM, UNDER CONSTITUTIONAL LAW TO BE AN EXACTION. AND SO TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL, IT HAS TO, UM, HAVE A NEXUS, AND YOU'VE HEARD ME SAYING THIS BEFORE ABOUT INCLUSIONARY HOUSING. SO IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF ANALYSIS. THERE HAS TO BE A NEXUS BETWEEN THE IMPACT AND THE, UM, WHAT WE'RE ASKING A PROPERTY OWNER TO DO. AND THEN THERE HAS TO BE, IT HAS TO BE PROPORTIONAL BETWEEN THE, THE IMPACT AND THE COST OF PAYING INTO THE TREE FUND. AND SO IF WE HAD ONE TYPE OF PROPERTY OWNER PAY IN A DIFFERENT AMOUNT THAN ANOTHER TYPE OF PROPERTY OWNER, WE WOULD BE IN JEOPARDY OF NOT HAVING A PROPORTIONAL, UM, PAYMENT. THANK YOU. WAIT, CAN I JUST POINT OF INFORMATION? I THINK I THOUGHT THAT IF I CUT DOWN A TREE ON MY PROPERTY, I PAY 10% OF WHAT A DEVELOPER PAYS. SO WE ARE ALREADY DIFFERENTIATED. NOT TO GET US INTO LEGAL TROUBLE, BUT I'M, I'M JUST CONFUSED BY THE SOLICITOR'S ANSWER, GIVEN THAT OUR CURRENT TPO DOES DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A RESIDENT AND ANOTHER OWNER. SO THROUGH YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YES. THE EXISTING ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR A RESIDENTIAL EXEMPTION TO GET THEM DOWN TO 10%. I THINK WHAT THE CITY SOLICITOR IS SAYING IS IF WE'RE GONNA CHANGE RATES, WE CAN'T JUST HAPHAZARDLY CHANGE RATES. SO IT'S STILL MAY BE THE RESIDENTIAL RATE IS ONLY AT 10% OF WHAT IT WOULD BE, BUT IF WE RAISE A RATE TO SAY THAT $20,000 TREE FOR A DEVELOPER IS NOW $30,000, IT WOULD STILL BE 10% OF $30,000 TO THE RESIDENT FOR A RESIDENTIAL RATE. THANK YOU. AND ALONG WITH, UM, WHAT COMMISSIONER NARDONE WAS SAYING, WE CAN CHARGE PEOPLE LESS THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SET WHAT THE AMOUNT SHOULD BE AND THEN CHARGE LESS IF WE HAVE A REASONABLE REASON SUCH AS A RESIDENT. UM, BUT WE CAN'T IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT THAT ISN'T JUSTIFIED JUST BECAUSE, UH, IT'S A DEVELOPER. SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIVING SOME PEOPLE SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BECAUSE WE HAVE A REASONABLE BASIS TO DO THAT, THEN CHARGING AN ARBITRARY ADDITIONAL AMOUNT BECAUSE WE, UM, IT'S A CERTAIN TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON ON THE PROPERTY. SO WE CAN, SO WE CAN RAISE THE FEE, BUT IT'LL GO FOR EVERYBODY. BUT FOR RESIDENTS THEY CAN, THEY'RE STILL 10% OF, OF THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, WHAT ABOUT IN SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ON, UM, BECAUSE IT IS, YOU KNOW, I DO WORRY ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, I OWN THIS PROPERTY AND I'M GONNA CUT DOWN THIS TREE BECAUSE I, WHATEVER REASON, BUT WHEN THEY DO DAMAGE OTHER PEOPLE'S TREES AND, AND TREES ON THAT LINE, SO WHAT IS, CAN WE AGAIN, JUST LEGALLY, ARE WE ALLOWED TO, UM, WHAT IS OUR, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO LEGALLY TO PROTECT THOSE, THOSE TREES? THANK YOU. THROUGH [01:45:01] THE CHAIR. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND LOOKING INTO IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND ALONG WITH DPW, UM, OUR PRELIMINARY RESEARCH, WE DO THINK WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO BETWEEN TWO PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS. UM, THE, THERE ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON THE CITY COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY IN ENACTING ORDINANCES THAT WE CAN'T ENACT ORDINANCES THAT GOVERN TWO CIVIL RELATIONSHIPS. SO TWO PRIVATE PARTY RELATIONSHIPS, UNLESS THERE IS SOME OTHER INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL POWER THAT GIVES US AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL POWER TO ENACT ZONING. AND SO SOMETIMES ZONING HAS THE EFFECT OF, UM, INTERFERING WITH OR REGULATING TO PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, RELATIONSHIPS AMONGST THEM. BUT WITHOUT THAT INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY, THE CITY CAN'T ENACT AN ORDINANCE THAT IS GOING TO GIVE EXTRA RIGHTS OR TAKE RIGHTS AWAY OR EXTRA OBLIGATIONS OR TAKE OBLIGATIONS AWAY JUST BETWEEN TWO PROPERTY OWNERS. SO IF WE AMEND THE TREE ORDINANCE TO SAY THAT WHEN SOMEONE'S DEVELOPING THEIR PROPERTY, THEY HAVE TO LOOK AND FIND OUT IF THEIR DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO IMPACT THEIR PRIVATE NEIGHBORS TREES AND PUT, DO SOME TYPE OF MITIGATION FOR THAT, THAT OUR INITIAL IMPRESSION IS THAT THAT COULD BE, UH, PROBLEMATIC AND BEYOND THE CITY'S AUTHORITY, WE'RE STILL RESEARCHING THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW. UM, HOWEVER, PRIVATE PROPERTIES BETWEEN EACH OTHER HAVE PRIVATE RIGHTS TO PROTECT THEIR TREES AND MAY, UM, BE ABLE TO TAKE EACH OTHER TO COURT TO ENFORCE THOSE RIGHTS AND PROTECT THEIR TREES. THERE'S, UM, A STATUTE CHAPTER 2 42, SECTION SEVEN THAT PUTS VALUE ON TREES. SO IF SOMEONE CUTS DOWN OR DAMAGES, UH, REMOVES THE TREE OF ANOTHER PERSON, THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, PAYMENTS OF DAMAGES FOR THOSE, UH, TREES. THERE'S ALSO, UM, I THINK IN CHAPTER 87 THERE'S A SECTION THAT TALKS ABOUT AMONGST PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS THE LIABILITY FOR DAMAGING EACH OTHER'S TREES. AND THEN THERE MAY BE OTHER TYPES OF CAUSES OF ACTION THAT, UM, IF SOMEONE ACTS NEGLIGENTLY AND HARMS SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY OR CREATES A NUISANCE ON YOUR PROPERTY, THAT IMPACTS ANOTHER PROPERTY. UH, SO THOSE SITUATIONS WOULD BE FROM OUR INITIAL, UH, RESEARCH THINGS THAT THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS WOULD HAVE TO DO AMONGST EACH OTHER. IF THERE IS DAMAGE TO A PURELY PRIVATE TREE, UH, THIS IS DIFFERENT THOUGH THAN IF A DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO IMPACT ONE OF THE PUBLIC SHADE TREES THAT'S IN THE PUBLIC WAY. AND WE AS THE CITY HAVE AUTHORITY TO POTENTIALLY MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THE TREE ORDINANCE TO ADD PROTECTIONS TO OUR PUBLIC SHADE TREES. THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN I GUESS FOR MAYBE FOR COMMISSIONER NARDONE, UM, SO ON CHAPTER ON SLIDE 62, UM, UNDER THE MULTI-FAMILY, UH, RESIDENTIAL ZONING CHANGE, IT SAYS IF THOSE PARCELS WERE BUILT OUT. SO WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU MEAN EVERY PART? I MEAN, 'CAUSE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING APPLIES PRETTY MUCH TO THE ENTIRE CITY. SO YOU'RE TALKING IF EVERY SINGLE PARCEL IN THE CITY GETS BUILT OUT, I MEAN, THAT'S PROBABLY UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN. SO THIS IS A MODEL THAT WE TRIED TO PUT TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND IMPACT AND IT IS JUST A MATHEMATICAL MODEL. SO NO, IT DOESN'T, UM, MAKE A JUDGMENT ABOUT WHICH PARCELS WOULD BE BUILT OUT AND WHICH WOULD NOT BE. AND IT SIMPLY CHANGES THE OPEN SPACE FROM 50 AND 40 TO 30. AND SO THAT DOES ASSUME, AS IT SAYS IN THE NOTES, THAT THERE'S STILL 30% GROUND LEVEL OPEN SPACE IN THOSE PARCELS. AND WE JUST SIMPLY DID A SORT OF MATHEMATICAL AVERAGE IF THAT CHANGE HAPPENED, WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY ACRES OF CANOPY IS ON THAT? OKAY, WELL I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT 'CAUSE I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW, RIGHT? MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING IS GONNA RESULT IN 135 ACRES IF THAT'S NOT COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. CAN I ASK JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP? YEAH. 30% GROUND LEVEL OPEN PERMEABLE SPACE. BUT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IS THAT OF THAT 30%, HALF OR 15% COULD BE BALCONIES OR, OR ROOF IS, IS WHAT WAS YOUR CALCULATION? SO IT WAS 30% GROUND LEVEL OPEN [01:50:01] SPACE. IT WAS NOT ASSUMING THE BALCONIES AND, AND ROOFS. OKAY. UM, AND I DO, I I HOPE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME AMENDMENTS COMING FROM CDD ON THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING. AND I, I DID TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE. I THINK ADDING SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH THE SETBACKS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, I JUST USED THE HAMILTON STREET, ONE OF THE PROJECTS ON HAMILTON STREET, HAMILTON AND PEARL, I THINK WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A 10 FOOT SIT BACK IN THE FRONT, BUT THERE ARE, THAT'S GONNA BE THE FRONT OF THE, THAT'LL BE THE ADDRESS. UM, AND THAT'S THERE FOR, FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO PLANT TREES, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR FRONT YARD. BUT THEY'RE ARE BEAUTIFUL STREET TREES IN FRONT. I CAN'T IMAGINE THEY'RE GONNA PLANT ANOTHER SHADE TREE SO CLOSE, BUT IN THE BACK THEY'RE POTENTIALLY GONNA LOSE TWO REALLY NICE TREES ON THE BORDERING PROPERTY BECAUSE A FIVE FOOT SETBACK IS NOT ENOUGH. BUT IF THEY COULD FLIP THAT, RIGHT, IF THEY HAD THE FLEXIBILITY TO SAY, WELL, WE DON'T REALLY NEED 10 FEET IN THE FRONT, WE CAN DO FIVE FEET IN THE FRONT AND 10 IN THE BACK, OR, I THINK THAT THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES COULD MAKE, COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. UM, SO I HOPE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING WITH CDD AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THOSE, THOSE THINGS. UM, AND AGAIN, I, I THINK K SUZI SAID, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME ACTUAL DATA, I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS FLYING AROUND IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW ABOUT HOW MANY PROJECTS THERE ARE AND WHAT'S GETTING CUT DOWN AND WHAT'S GETTING DEMOLISHED AND WHAT'S NOT GETTING DEMOLISHED. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ANY IDEA WHAT THE WHAT THE TRUTH IS. UM, AND SO IF WE COULD GET SOME IDEA OF SOME OF UNDER MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, HOW MANY TREES ARE WE LOSING? IT MAY BE MORE THAN WHAT PEOPLE THINK. IT COULD BE LESS, BUT WE REALLY DON'T, WE DON'T FULLY KNOW AT THIS POINT. SO IF WE CAN GET SOME, SOME ACTUAL NUMBERS, I THINK THAT WILL HELP US. UM, BUT I THANK YOU FOR THIS. I THINK THERE'S STUFF IN HERE THAT WE CAN BUILD ON. AND I WOULD JUST SAY IN GENERAL, MADAM CHAIR, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE THAT THAT IN THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES AND YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO KNOW I'M A BIG HOUSING PERSON. UM, I LOVE TO FIND WAYS WHEN ALL OF THAT FITS TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN HAVE A PROJECT WHERE WE GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WE CAN GET ON A SITE AND TREES DON'T HAVE TO BE CUT DOWN AND I MEAN THAT'S PERFECT, RIGHT? EVERYBODY LOVES THAT. UM, I DON'T FULLY BELIEVE THAT THEY NEVER COME IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY DO. IF YOU HAVE A BIG TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT, YOU KNOW, AND A DEVELOPER SAYS, WELL I CAN BUILD 20 UNITS OF HOUSING AND CUT DOWN THIS TREE, OR I COULD BUILD 30 UNITS OF HOUSING, OR I COULD BUILD THE OTHER WAY AROUND 20 UNITS OF HOUSING AND KEEP THIS TREE OR 30 UNITS OF HOUSING AND CUT THE TREE DOWN. THAT IS A CONFLICT. AND THAT'S HARD. AND IT'S HARD FOR ALL OF US 'CAUSE WE VALUE ALL OF IT. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST, WE JUST HAVE TO WEIGH ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER AND THINK ABOUT AS MANY ALTERNATIVES AND WAYS WE CAN TO PRESERVE AND ACHIEVE THE BOTH THINGS THAT WE WANT, WHICH IS PROTECTING THE TREE CANOPY AND BUILDING MORE HOUSING. BUT I THINK FOR PEOPLE TO SAY THEY NEVER HAVE, THEY NEVER COME IN CONFLICT OR WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE IT ALL. I WISH, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION AND TO FORWARDING SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK, THANK YOU. BEFORE I GO BACK TO COUNCILORS , I'LL JUST ASK A COUPLE QUESTION. CAN WE JUST EXTEND FOR FIVE MINUTES? IT'S FIVE OF, I THINK THAT'S ALL I WOULD NEED. CAN, AND CAN WE JUST DO A VOICE VOTE SINCE IT'S ONLY THREE OF US HERE ON A VOICE, VOICE, VOICE VOTE TO EXTEND FOR FIVE MINUTES. AYE. THANKS. 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S FIVE OF, AND I DO INTEND TO END CLOSE TO ON TIME, BUT I DO THINK A FEW MORE MINUTES WOULD BE GOOD IF MY COLLEAGUES WANT A FEW MORE MINUTES. THAT'S FINE. UM, JUST A COUPLE, UH, QUESTIONS. AND THIS IS, UH, PARTLY THROUGH TO THE STAFF. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT DOES THE STAFF WANT, DO WE EXPECT FROM THIS MEETING FEEDBACK ON ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? I'M NOT SURE WE'LL HAVE, UH, EXTENSIVE TIME FOR THIS. AND THERE'S, THERE'S THREE OF US HERE. THERE'S TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SIX OTHER MEMBERS OF THE WHOLE CITY COUNCIL. UM, WHAT ROLE IS THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING FEEDBACK ON THIS? IT WOULD JUST BE GOOD FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS HERE, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME AMBIGUITY ABOUT WHAT THOSE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE. I DO HOPE, UM, TO THE, THE STAFF THAT WE DO FIND A WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROTECT THAT TREE ROOT UM, SYSTEM. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE REGULATING TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. I CANNOT LITERALLY CUT DOWN MY TREE ON MY OWN LOT, I ONLY HAVE ONE. UM, BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S ZONING. SO I FIND IT A, A A LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT SINCE I CAN'T EVEN CUT IT DOWN, THAT MY NEIGHBOR'S NOT ALLOWED TO [01:55:01] IN THE EXCAVATION COMPROMISE THAT, THAT UH, SYSTEM OF ROADS THAT EXTENDS PROBABLY EVEN OUT INTO THE STREET. 'CAUSE I HAVE A REALLY SMALL LOT. SO I, I HOPE THAT AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT, BUT I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS DID WHAT IS THE STAFF LOOKING FOR FROM THE COUNCIL AND HOW DO WE GET IT, HOW DO WE BEST GET IT TO YOU? THIS, THIS COMMITTEE MEETING IS ONE WAY, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER, UM, OBVIOUSLY WAY AS WELL, UH, TO YOU COUNSELOR. I MEAN I THINK AT LEAST IN THE LAST HOUR OR SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ZONING AND TREE PROTECTION STUFF AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE POLICY ORDER AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED ANY FEEDBACK ON THAT PIECE RIGHT NOW. THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS REALLY GOOD GROWTH IN THE CITY. UM, SO HATS OFF TO EVERYBODY. I DO WANT TO JUST TAKE A SECOND TO THANK THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING. 'CAUSE I THINK THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REALLY DROVE US TO THE FIRST URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN. THEY WERE A BIG PART OF IT. THEY'VE GIVEN FEEDBACK ALREADY ON THIS PLAN, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED MORE FEEDBACK FROM THEM. WE STILL MEET WITH THEM MONTHLY. UM, BUT IF YOU FOLKS WANT TO GET US FEEDBACK, WHETHER THAT'S IN WRITING OR IF YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE INVOLVED IN THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, WE GLADLY ACCEPT THAT. BUT AGAIN, SOMETHING IN WRITING WOULD BE FINE AS WELL. YEP, THANKS. I MEAN I, I DO THINK THAT WE HAD REALLY GOOD GROWTH OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS AS THIS REVIEW SHOWS AND YET IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THERE'S SOME PRETTY STRONG INDICATION THAT WHAT WE DID FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS IS NOT GONNA WORK FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE COME TO THE CITY. SO I THINK THAT'S THE ELEMENT WHERE WE HAVE TO BE VERY CONSCIOUS OF. WE DID A LOT OF GOOD WORK AND YET IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WE DO NEED A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT APPROACH, WHICH IS REFLECTED PARTLY IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND AS HAS BEEN NOTED ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, AS, AS COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU THREE PROJECTS WHERE DEFINITELY THE PLANS ARE TO CUT DOWN A BUNCH OF TREES, BUT THEN THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS WHERE MAYBE NOBODY'S GONNA CUT DOWN TREES OR THEY'RE GONNA PUT EVEN IN EVEN MORE TREES. YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GOOD AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT. 'CAUSE AS SOME OF THE UH, SPEAKERS HAVE ALSO INDICATED THE LAST FULL REPORT WAS FROM 2024, WHICH IS BEFORE THIS CHANGE. THE OTHER THING THAT I DO THINK WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT INSTITUTIONAL USE, YES THEY'RE A SMALLER PART OF THE CITY, BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE THE ONE AREA THAT HAS NOT INCREASED, WE GOTTA ALL LET MIT IN PARTICULAR 'CAUSE THAT'S IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, KNOW THAT THAT NOT, ASIDE FROM VOLPI AND OTHERS, THEY REALLY NEED TO RAMP IT UP AND, AND PROVIDE MORE, MORE, UH, GROWTH THERE. UM, OKAY, SO I WILL, UM, LET'S SEE IF ON MY NOTES THERE'S, THERE'S, I CAN UH, CERTAINLY SEND YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE. I DO THINK REGULATING RISK AND MAKING SURE THAT FOR ME IT'S THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT. IT'S THE SHADE HAVING BEEN IN A VERY, VERY HOT AREA OF THE COUNTRY LAST WEEK IN UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF UTAH, WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEVERE DROUGHT AND A SEVERE UM, UH, WATER SHORTAGE. BUT ALSO ALREADY HALF OF THE COUNTRY IS UNDER A HEAT ADVISORY. HALF OF EUROPE IS TOO, THAT ALL OF US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE WALKING DOWN THE STREET ON ONE OF THOSE DAYS AND YOU GO UNDER A TREE, IT IS INSTANT 10 DEGREES COOLER. AND WE KNOW THAT AS SEVERAL OF THE PEDIATRICIANS AND THE DOCTORS SPOKE OF TODAY, IT IS LITERALLY SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA BE WAY MORE CHALLENGING FOR OUR CITY IN THE FUTURE WITH INCREASED HEAT RISK. SO I WILL GO, IT'S NOW ONE O'CLOCK, WE HAVE FIVE MORE MINUTES AND UNLESS WE EXTEND I'LL GO BACK TO UM, COUNCILLOR SUZI. UH, DID YOU WANNA RESPOND TO ANYTHING I SAID OR? YEAH, NO, I, COUNCILOR I THINK THAT WAS, THAT'S GREAT THE WAY YOU SUMMARIZED THAT. I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE, WE CERTAINLY DO NEED TO, TO WORK CLOSER WITH THE UNIVERSITIES TO SEE IF WE CAN IN INCREASE SOME OF THE TREE UH, PLANTING OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE WITH THEM AND ALONG SOME OF THE STREETS THAT THEY BORDER. UM, WHEN YOU THINK IT OF A PLACE LIKE EAST CAMBRIDGE WHERE WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CANOPY GROWTH. YOU KNOW, MAYBE AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WE ARE ADJUSTING THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO HAVE EQUITY ACROSS THE CITY WITH 25% GROWTH, BUT MAYBE THAT'S NOT REALLY POSSIBLE. AND DO WE LOOK AT IS IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO INCREASE CANOPY GROWTH IN SOME OTHER LOCATIONS WHILE UNDERSTANDING WE CAN ONLY GET SO FAR WITH, WITH CERTAIN SECTIONS. SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I'D ADD TO THAT. UH, THANK YOU CHAIR. NO, THROUGH YOU CHAIR NOLL. AND SO I, I THOUGHT UH, PICKING UP ON COUNCILOR MCGOVERN'S POINT ABOUT NUMBERS. SO CURRENTLY THE CITY IS KEEPING TRACK OF HOW MANY TREES WE'RE TAKING DOWN, BUT IT WOULD BE AGAIN GOOD TO CORRELATE IT TO THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING OR ORDINANCE. AND IT WOULD ALSO, IT'S VERY, IT'S CRITICAL THAT THE NUMBER OF A BUTTERS TREES IMPACTED IS ALSO COUNTED. AND I KNOW THAT'S A LITTLE TRICKIER 'CAUSE IT CAN TAKE SEVEN YEARS TO KILL A TREE. UM, BUT I SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE ABUTS TREES ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED. SO I AGREE WITH COUNCILOR MCGOVERN THAT WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF THOSE [02:00:01] NUMBERS TOO BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM WE DON'T HAVE A TRUE PICTURE OF THE IMPACT OF THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. AND THEN PICKING UP ON COUNSELOR, UM, NOLAN'S QUESTION. SO WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS TO STRENGTHEN THE TREE ORDINANCE? AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, BUT SO DOES DPW AND SUPERINTENDENT PUTNAM WORKING WITH THE, UM, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING. WILL YOU STRENGTHEN THE ORDINANCE? DOES THIS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL OR NOT? UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR? I THINK THE PRO THE PROCESS IS STILL BEING REVIEWED INTERNALLY WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND CDD TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME OVERLAP, UH, WITH SOME CHANGES TO THE ZONING AND, AND WHAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO. SO AS THE REPORT IS FINALIZED, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE FINALIZED AS WELL. AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING. AND SO IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS AND WHAT'S ATTAINABLE AND WHAT WOULD ACHIEVE THE MOST SORT OF BANG FOR OUR BUCK IN TERMS OF GOING THROUGH THE, THE FULL COUNCIL TO AMEND THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE AND MAKE THOSE CHANGES. SO SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU SEE IN THIS REPORT AND THIS PRESENTATION AND I THINK THE FINAL LANGUAGE AND THE SCOPE OF THOSE WILL ALSO BE REFINED IN THE COMING WEEKS. OH, THAT'S FANTASTIC. SO WHAT IS THE, SO THE TIMEFRAME IS, SO DO YOU THINK AT OUR SUMMER MEETING WE MIGHT HAVE THAT LANGUAGE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FULL RECOMMENDATIONS COUNSELOR ORS YES, I, WE WOULD HOPE FOR THE SUMMER MEETING, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'LL MAKE THAT TIMEFRAME. OKAY. TRY FOR THE SUMMER MEETING. IT COULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD FOR CAMBRIDGE. AND AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO RE REITERATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I I I DUNNO EXACTLY IF THEY WERE IN YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT ENFORCING, UH, THE REQUIREMENT THAT PROPERTY OWNERS APPLY FOR SPECIAL PERMITS TO CUT DOWN EXCEPTIONAL TREES. I DUNNO IF THAT WAS THERE REQUIRING DEVELOPERS TO HAVE THEIR BUILDING PLANS APPROVED BEFORE, UH, RECEIVING TREE REMOVAL PERMITS? UM, I'M GLAD YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STRENGTHENING THE PROTECTION OF SHADE TREES, STREET TREES. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, REQUIRING A PERMIT AND POTENTIAL MITIGATION FOR ANY DISTURBANCE WITHIN THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF A TREE WEATHER ON OR OFF PROPERTY. AND THEN I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GREAT IDEA REQUIRING, UM, ONE ON ONE REPLACEMENT OF HAZARDOUS TREES REMOVED. THAT'S, THAT REALLY MAKES SENSE. SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU AND I, I REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. I YIELD THANKS. AND JUST ONE MORE NOTE, I HOPE WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT, 'CAUSE WE, THIS IS THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN. FORESTS ARE NOT JUST TREES, WHICH IS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT 98% OF THE TIME. THERE'S ALSO UNDERSTORY, THERE'S ALSO LOTS OF OTHER PLANTS WHEN YOU GO INTO A FOREST. IT'S NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL TREES. SO I'M HOPING THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSION 'CAUSE IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF US MOVING FORWARD. THE CITY HAS NOW I THINK THREE MILWAUKEE FORESTS, WHICH CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDS THAT. AND JUST ON FEEDBACK ON CERTAINLY THE RECOMMENDATION WHERE AT A LY FOR OTHERS WHERE THERE'S INVASIVE SPECIES TO A, A AMEND THAT TO ENSURE A MORE ROBUST AND COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT HOW IT IS THAT IT'S, IT'S HEALTHIER SOUNDS LIKE A REASONABLE, UM, RE RE REQUEST AND CHANGE THAT, THAT WOULD, WOULD MOVE US FORWARD. SO IF THERE'S ANY OTHER VERY SHORT OKAY. COUNCIL S SO SHORT, I'M, I'M SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO, BUILDING ON, UM, GARY HILDEBRANDS COMMENT AT A EARLIER MEETING. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE, UH, I LOVE YOUR THOUGHT ABOUT REEVALUATING THE GREEN FACTOR AND WHERE WE'RE GIVING PREFERENCE AND PRIORITIZING, UH, EXISTING PRESERVING EXISTING TREES. BUT THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR TREES. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T WANT TREES AND BUSHES PLANTED IN THAT FIVE FOOT SETBACK EITHER. 'CAUSE THEN THEY CAN'T ACCESS HOUSES AND PUT OUT FIRES. SO I I I REALLY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE, UM, CALCULATING THE GREEN FACTOR SCORE, THAT WE'RE NOT ENCOURAGING THE PLANTING OF TREES IN FIVE FOOT SETBACKS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA SURVIVE. AND ALSO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. THANKS. I AGREE. WE'RE LOOKING AT SETBACKS. AS COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID, WE EXPECT THE CITY TO COME BACK ON THURSDAY WITH SOME POSSIBILITIES OF MORE FLEXIBILITY. THERE ARE LARGE SECTIONS OF THE CITY WHERE THERE IS ZERO SET THAT THE, THE, THE WALLS ARE LITERALLY NEXT TO EACH OTHER. AND I HAVE FULL FAITH THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS PROVIDING SAFETY FOR THOSE RESIDENTS. SO I I I JUST WANNA SAY IT'S A CHALLENGING ITEM, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK IF THERE IS NO, THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF, OF PRESERVING THOSE, THE SAFETY OF THOSE RESIDENTS, WHICH IS A LOT OF THE CITY AND HALF OF CERTAINLY CHARLESTOWN AND BEACON HILL WITH 0 0 5. SO I BELIEVE, UNLESS THERE'S ANY FINAL FROM THE CITY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE TIMEFRAME IS YOU'LL BE MOVING FORWARD. YOU'VE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK. ALL COUNSELORS, I THINK WE MIGHT PUT A COMMUNICATION ON TO [02:05:01] SAY ANY OTHER COUNSELOR WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE. DEFINITELY NOW'S THE TIME TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE AND HOPE THAT THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PLANTING WILL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS AS THE, AND THE CITY SOLICITOR WEIGHS IN ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH THAT. I BELIEVE THE TIME OF THE MEETING HAVING EXPIRED. COUNCILOR ZUBE, ABSENT VICE MAYOR ZE. ABSENT. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? YES. COUNCILOR NOLAN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR ZUZI. YES. YES. THAT'S THREE MEMBERS VOTING. YES. THANK YOU. YOU STAND. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.