Several trees that are deemed a danger to public safety will be removed in West Tisbury. Most of these trees surround Field Gallery & Sculpture Garden, such as a Norway maple threatening the utlity lines. Another is a damaged, mushroom-infested tulip poplar on the corner of the West Tisbury town hall lot and Music Street.
During a Zoom meeting Wednesday, the select board unanimously approved the recommendation to remove the trees and replace them.
West Tisbury town administrator Jennifer Rand said the tree near the town hall will be removed and replaced. She is still discussing with West Tisbury tree warden Jeremiah Brown what would be a good replacement.
“Perhaps a hawthorn tree of some sort. It would flower, it would be pretty, it would not be massive, and a suitable size for this location,” Rand said.
For the gallery’s tree, it would need to be removed and the replacement tree will need to be planted 10 feet back from the original location. Rand said the replacement can be a “beautiful statement tree for the center of town.” Brown suggested a copper beech tree.
The focus criteria of the replacement trees are aesthetics and durability. Other trees will not be replaced because of either lack of space or no impact to the surrounding aesthetics once the trees are removed.
Rand said a hearing by the West Tisbury historic district committee will not be required because the trees are a public safety concern.
In other business, the select board unanimously approved a letter to be sent to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture to gain approval for using a house in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest for housing. If approved by the state legislature, the house will be used as housing for employees managing the forest. State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, filed the bill, and it has the support of county officials, who testified at a May hearing.
Meanwhile, State Road Restaurant was given unanimous approval to close for the winter. According to Rand, the restaurant has always closed for about five weeks during the winter, although it closed for longer in 2020 because of COVID. This year, a lack of staff is why the restaurant is asking for a winter closure. State Road’s owners originally asked to receive permission to close by Oct. 3. After the approval, State Road Restaurant is now closed, and plans to open by no later than March. Despite the closure until next spring, State Road Restaurant will retain its year-round license.
The board approved a few appointments. West Tisbury Fire Chief Greg Pachico was unanimously approved to join the town’s facilities maintenance committee, replacing committee member Manuel Estrella III, the town’s retired fire chief. The other appointments were Roshawn Groce and Dan Durawa as reserve police officers in the West Tisbury Police Department. “Both individuals have the reserve intermittent police academy, and are attempting to attend the Bridge Academy to become full-time certified officers,” according to the letter sent to the board by West Tisbury Police Chief Matthew Mincone. The individuals will have until July 2022 to complete the Bridge Academy, according to Mincone. Groce and Durawa were approved by the board to become reserve police officers for a period of three years. Select board chair Skipper Manter recused himself from voting because he is the West Tisbury Police Department’s lieutenant.
Mincone told the Times these appointments were a part of an effort to both bolster the Island’s police rosters and for the future. Brining in recruits and sponsoring their police education will provide prepared individuals on the Island to fill an officer opening or vacancy.
“There’s nine of us, so if one of us is injured, we need a backup roster,” Mincone said.
Durawa and Groce both have former law enforcement experience. Durawa was previously with the Tisbury Police Department, but was laid off. Groce is currently a reserve officer at the Tisbury Police Department.
Additionally, after the police reform act was passed in January, all Massachusetts officers need to undergo the same level of training. The Bridge Academy replaced the reserve officer system the Island had been using to fill in the gaps in their ranks.
The Up-Island select boards are planning a joint meeting on Oct. 14 at 5 pm. The meeting was planned to discuss cost sharing of the Tri-Town Ambulance and Howes House project among the towns of West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah. However, because of how much attention each issue deserves, the West Tisbury select board said the Howes House project should be saved for a separate meeting. The Tri-Town Ambulance cost sharing will be the one agenda item for the meeting on Thursday.
What an absolutely insane proposal! The “Tree Warden” doesn’t know what he is talking about.
Those trees are perfectly healthy and teeming with life. His assessment is based on pure speculation. By that standard, every tree in West Tisbury holds that potential for harm.
Good luck removing all those historic trees.
Recently a motorist lost control of her vehicle on a curve, distracted by take out food, is Jeremy recommending we straighten out the road at the same time. You know, curves are deemed unsafe.
Jeremy’s job is not executioner of those trees but to maintain their health for the next generation of Islanders.
The sooner they put the chipper away and pick up their pruning tools, the better we will all be.
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