Wayland boards approve 46 tree removals, spare three after hearings

WAYLAND — October 22, 2024 — Wayland boards approve 46 tree removals, sparing two oaks and a hemlock. The Board of Public Works and Planning Board voted 5-0 and 5-0 on Oct. 22 to accept a 31-tree scenic road list with two changes: a 40-inch oak at 142 Gleason Lane (tag 517) will be pruned rather than cut, and a declining hemlock at tag 2102 will be left standing. Tree Warden Bill Joseph told members he had revisited the Gleason oak with the homeowner two hours earlier and agreed pruning deadwood was sufficient. Planning Board Chair Jennifer Steele said the tree posed no "imminent threat." The Public Works board then unanimously cleared all 17 shade-tree removals, including a 42-inch pine at 3 East Road whose owner, Chen Yin Luo, said roots are destroying his driveway. DPW staff said 31 replacement trees were planted last fiscal year against a 4-to-1 bylaw requirement.