AMHERST — Members of a committee that preserves, protects and promotes trees in the town’s right of way are advocating for saving a large northern catalpa tree that would be removed to make way for a new mixed-use project in the East Amherst village center.
The Public Shade Tree Committee on Tuesday unanimously recommended to Tree Warden Alan Snow that he require the developer of South East Commons, Amir Mikhchi, to keep the catalpa standing at 133-143 South East St. If that’s not possible, the committee recommends that the full replacement value of the tree and others to be removed from the site be paid to the town.
The catalpa, which measures 42 inches in diameter at breast height, is one of several trees that will be subject to a joint hearing under the town’s scenic roads bylaw by the Planning Board and Snow, scheduled for April 17 at 7:05 p.m. at Town Hall.
Among the other trees to be removed from the site are arborvitae on the north property line, a spruce with a 24-inch diameter at breast height, a 22-inch spruce, a 14-inch crabapple and a 6-inch hickory or elm. In addition, a swamp white oak the town planted a few years ago would be moved and transplanted by the town, while several large oaks and a red maple on the south property line could have impacts to their roots.
Snow said the reason the trees will be affected is a planned increase to the grade of the site to accommodate the development. That grade increase is needed because the site is somewhat wet.
All of the trees are part of what Snow said is a wide right of way on that portion of South East Street. The right of way, on the south side of College Street, extends past the Amherst Crossing plaza to the north side of College Street and the long common between South East and East streets that ends at Main Street.
For members of the Public Shade Tree Committee, the most concern centers around the catalpa, committee member Nonny Burack said.
“The catalpa tree in the middle is spectacular,” Burack said.
Snow said the catalpa has some decay and appears to have been extensively cabled over the years to preserve it.
“This particular one appears to be quite old. It’s the largest I’ve seen in a while,” Snow said.
Burack said her committee is examining whether most of the trees could be preserved and incorporated in some way into the South East Commons project.
South East Commons will have apartments on the upper two floors, with commercial space on the ground level. Snow said the plans also include extensive plantings, which will match the plantings done at the Amherst Crossing site.
The hearing comes as activities centered around celebrating Arbor Month will take place.
Committee Chairman Henry Lappen said these events begin with the Second Saturday Planting, which will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday along Farmington Road and Pondview Drive. Anyone is welcome to volunteer with the planting and should look for the Department of Public Works truck.
Other events include a special Arbor Day planting at a time and location to be determined, and a booth at the day-long Sustainability Festival on the Town Common April 27, where members will give out American Filbert seedlings and have literature about trees.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
