Petition for Joint or Identical Pole Location on East Rock Park

Transcript (~10 min @ 1:05:25)

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▶ 1:05:19 Leila Migliorelli: Seeing none. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? That passes. Next on is the Petition for Joint or identical poll location on East Rock Park.

▶ 1:05:46 Speaker 11: So, uh, in this case, uh, there are existing poles that are in, in a ation property from the city. So we just trying like to avoid crossing to that and using what is, or what it should be in the future, I suppose, like the sidewalk. So we are diverting, eh, and we're trying like to feed the 365 fourth Street that here it is the, the owner of the property and he's only gonna have like a, a simple electric service, 100, 100 amp single phase. So we are trying to avoid to be inside of the woods and be more in the road. So we are asking for only one poll in that case. And it's a really big, big span. So we need, we need really that poll.

▶ 1:06:43 Speaker 7: Any questions from the council?

▶ 1:06:47 Speaker 7: Council Repe?

▶ 1:06:48 Mark Garipay: Yeah, just, uh, one question to the, uh, resident's comment about, um, uh, Franklin Street, but, uh, this kind of goes with all the orders. What's the process if a tree needs to come down in order to do it? Does National Grid plant another tree, or is it on the developer? Um, so

▶ 1:07:05 Speaker 11: In this case, it depends what the city once it requires. So that's the first thing. The other thing that I would like to, to notice is because I heard that it's an important concern. So National Grid has like a, any specific and a real professional forestry department. So in the case, for example, that we haven't talked right now about is the one that he, he taught and he was concerned about the warning for the Franklin Street that we are moving to the other side. So in that case, the big tree is not gonna be killed, it's gonna be TriMed. And the type of, of the, of the wire that we're gonna be using is the calls Hendrix. So that's more like environmental, gentle, and it requires less, um, clearance distance. So you, we don't need to, to kill and trim the whole, the whole tree in this case. But in the case, eh, also National Grid has like a environmental department that they are aware in these cases, like if they need to kill a tree, they, I, I know that they pretty know what they need to do. I, I'm not like the person who gonna be responding out because I don't know. But whatever the, the city council request, definitely I think that they're gonna be doing it. Okay. And they try like to, not to, to kill trees. That's the reason they wanna be dreaming. So usually, for example, when there is a 16 wires, so national agree is the one that prefers to train and to the forestry job when, when there's no wires. So we prefer that the, the owner of the city do the job.

▶ 1:08:42 Speaker 4: Okay, thank you. If there was ever a request to remove a tree as part of this, they'd have to go through the whole tree hearing process that the city of Melrose would require.

▶ 1:08:49 Mark Garipay: And, and I'm assuming then that we should probably work with the, um, office of Planning and Development as these developments are going up as they're removing trees, then some sort of requirement or ordinance they have to replace one for one

▶ 1:09:01 Speaker 4: Or, yes, absolutely. Thank

▶ 1:09:04 Maya Jamaleddine: you. Councillor Aldine. Thank you. Um, thank you for, um, um, you know, sharing your information about, um, how this process is going to happen. Um, and you shared that there is no plan to cut any trees, uh, as if now, at least For now. Yeah. Okay. But if in case something happened and we found out that, you know, there is some change of plan and we need to cut trees with the national grid and the department that will take care of this, uh, be willing to replace that. Like if we cut, if we ended up needing to cut a tree, would they be willing to, uh, actually plant another tree to replace it?

▶ 1:09:45 Speaker 11: I, I can ask to environmental department about that, and I'm pretty sure that I, I don't know how it works really, but definitely I can ask. Here

▶ 1:09:54 Speaker 7: She comes. I

▶ 1:09:56 Speaker 1: Can answer, I can answer that question.

▶ 1:09:58 Speaker 9: The, the tree hearing process right now, we actually just posted it up online to make it more clear because we had our first request to remove a healthy public shade tree recently. So we just went through the hearing process and it's all posted online. This applies only to public shade trees. So if it's a tree on private property, then we don't have an ordinance for that. And if the city wants an ordinance for that, that would be up to you all to, uh, put something together for private trees. But for public trees, um, our standard is that you have to replace the diameter at breast height. So at about four feet high, whatever that diameter is, you have to replace the equivalent diameter of trees. So if you're taking down a one foot tree, you're obviously not planting a one foot tree. So the recent one that we discussed we're requiring the planting of four, three inch diameter trees. Mm-hmm. So it's not even one for one, it's one for one in that diameter at breast height. So it, you know, if you're taking down a three foot tree, you're planting 12 three inch diameter

▶ 1:10:57 Maya Jamaleddine: Trees. That's great. And, and do you know if, uh, if in case there were any changes in the plan and that we ended up, you know, needing to cut any trees, we would be notified about this and they, you know, the residents will Also be notified With these details?

▶ 1:11:14 Speaker 9: Yeah, for, for public tree hearings, we put the notice in the newspaper, we post it on the tree, we post it up at city hall and on the city website. Um, and then there's an actual hearing on site with our tree warden arborist, um, to see if there's any opposition to taking down that particular tree. And then if we get through all of those hurdles and then approve the tree coming down, then we require that replacement. So there's a lot of notification and the abutters would see the, um, the notice posted on the tree. And I'm trying to remember if we also, we probably also would just hand the notice to the immediate abutters. I'm not sure if that's part of our requirement, but it's practice that we've done. Awesome.

▶ 1:11:57 Speaker 7: Thank you so much. I appreciate It. Thank you.

▶ 1:12:02 Speaker 4: Any other questions? I have one thing to add to this, uh, petition that East Rock Park. Um, so behind 3 57 Porter, there is a certified vernal pool, um, that the ComCom has requested that National Grid go through them to, um, to go through their filing process. Um, so I just wanted to note that, um, as, as you go through the decision on this,

▶ 1:12:25 Speaker 7: Thank you Councillor Stewart.

▶ 1:12:28 Robb Stewart: Thank you Madam person. Um, Mr.

▶ 1:12:33 Robb Stewart: Pro Elli who pays for the new trees,

▶ 1:12:37 Speaker 9: The petitioner for the tree removal.

▶ 1:12:39 Robb Stewart: Okay. So in this case would be a national grid? Yes. Great. It's what I wanted to hear. Thank you. Thank you.

▶ 1:12:46 Leila Migliorelli: Any other questions? Um, I have a question on the point that was just made. So this, so if you can explain the process a little bit, because I think the east and East rock road is still a paper street. It's not, it's not a real street. There is no house here. And this plot of land is in between several pieces of conservation land. So the processes that the owner of the land has asked for electricity to be placed there, the Conservation Commission will then go and will go through its own process. So we're approving it through us first and then it goes through the Conservation Commission.

▶ 1:13:21 Speaker 4: Yes. So, um, you can approve it contingent upon the con com approval or however, so be it. But it will have to go to con com because they'll be within the, uh, wetland regulations of Melrose according to vernal pool. So they have to go to con com to get approval to do that work within the, the, the, uh, the buffer zones of the vernal pool.

▶ 1:13:44 Leila Migliorelli: And does the resident did, and I am sorry if I missed this, did the resident state why they were looking for electricity to be, uh, on the spot of land?

▶ 1:13:53 Speaker 4: I don't know if they stated it in the petition, but they have an existing tennis court that had, that used to have power in the woods. Mm-hmm. And they're looking to restore the, the, the, um, power to the tennis courts.

▶ 1:14:03 Speaker 7: Okay. Um, thank you. Uh, Councillor Williams,

▶ 1:14:08 Ryan Williams: What level of service is the customer requesting?

▶ 1:14:11 Speaker 11: Secondary 1 22 40 words. Okay. One 100 amps. Yeah. Yeah. It's a small service.

▶ 1:14:17 Ryan Williams: Small service. Yeah. Okay. Alright. There is, um, in the GIS system there Lighting, sorry. Yeah. Right. Yeah, that, that is the question I was asking is whether they were asking for 400 to two 20, um, in the, in GIS Bowden Road and East Rock Park have four parcels on them that are not conservation land. Correct. But, uh, you couldn't support four, um, homes with a hundred amp service, so, um, interesting. Alright, thank you.

▶ 1:14:51 Speaker 7: Um, what is the will of the council?

▶ 1:14:56 Leila Migliorelli: I will make motion to file to place on file To recommend or I, I would entertain a motion to recommend contingent upon conservation committee, but I will let one of you make that motion.

▶ 1:15:10 Maya Jamaleddine: Uh, Then I will make a motion to recommend, uh, based on contingent, um, to the full council.

▶ 1:15:20 Ryan Williams: Uh, I second the motion to recommend contingent on approval from the Conservation Commission.

▶ 1:15:26 Leila Migliorelli: Okay. Uh, motion to recommend contingent on the approval of the Conservation Commission recommended by, uh, councilor Jamal and seconded by Councillor Williams on discussion. Seeing none. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? That one passes contingent. Um, next up is the petition for electric conduit location on northwest sidewalk of Angela Circle.