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Despite Objections, Main Street Tree to Be Removed in Essex Village

Despite the objection of several people attending a public hearing held on Sept. 14, Essex Tree Warden Augie Pampel has decided to move forward with the removal of a little leaf linden tree at 37 Main Street in Essex Village. Pampel provided a public notice of this decision at Essex Town Hall on Sept. 17, three days after more than a dozen people attended the public hearing.

A formal complaint sent to Pampel after he posted a public notice on the tree this summer triggered a requirement under state statute that a public hearing be held.

Essex resident Peter Amos, who submitted the formal complaint, was among those voicing opposition at the public hearing.

“Trees are things of beauty that last hundreds of years,” said Amos. “They add beauty to the town. They are part of our heritage. They provide shade and cover for pedestrians. They lock up carbon…We all worry about global warming these days.”

Larry Athay, a co-owner of Essex Duck, which is located just off Main Street, said that the tree is a part of the character of the town and has a positive impact on his business, providing shade for the pedestrian foot traffic his store depends on.

“You remove the shade and you create a large disincentive on warm days for people to walk the street,” said Athay.

According to Pampel, the town received correspondence from two neighboring property owners advocating for the tree’s removal. A neighbor attending the public hearing also asked that the tree be removed.

“‘If the tree were to fall, it would do substantial damage to my house and perhaps the house next door,’” Ali Nichols wrote in an email to Pampel.

The tree’s removal is part of an effort to only plant small trees along Main Street in Essex Village, according to Pampel.

“What we are doing now on Main Street in Essex is to go to a smaller tree, smaller root ball, better chances of surviving, lesser chances of getting destroyed in a storm,” said Pampel, adding that two smaller trees were recently planted adjacent to the linden tree as a part of this plan.

The survival of the two new trees is a part of his reasoning for removing the larger tree, he said.

“This tree, the big tree, is shading the trees that are there now,” said Pampel. “The trees that we really want, again, to flourish.”

Several residents took exception to that argument.

“You say that they won’t thrive now because of that tree, well I guess, what is the point in having put them in?” said Essex resident Jo Kelly.

Amos added, “You say they won’t grow because of the big tree and to me that is a back to front circular argument. The big tree is there. Why would you put those two little trees there in the first place? There are plenty of other places to put those.”

The sidewalk being lifted by the roots of the tree is also a matter of public safety, said Pampel.

“So, I know it’s not lifted up at this point, however, I have to say, as tree warden in town, my primary concern is public safety and that is based on the statutes,” said Pampel.

This species of tree is also attractive to aphids, an insect that deposits a sticky liquid waste called honeydew on leaves and any cars parked underneath it, he said.

In prior years, the town used a spray to treat infestations of aphids in the trees along Main Street, according to Ken Bombaci, a licensed arborist who did tree work for the town from 1968 to 2012.

“We went down there with my big rig,” said Bombaci. “We sprayed ‘em. The phone started ringing. ‘What’s going on? How can you spray it? You’re spraying poison all over the place.’ Right?

“In the arborist’s world, my world, a linden is basically a junk tree. It’s not a desirable tree to plant. You want to plant it in a yard, but you don’t plant it in the center of town,” he continued.

First Selectman Norman Needleman discussed how the town is attempting to balance aesthetics with public safety. He also addressed the size of the tree and its proximity to electrical wires.

“Under my watch as first selectman, we will not be planting new town trees that will grow over wires again,” said Needleman.

Essex resident Gary Johnson asked, “Is there something else that can be done, short of taking it down?”

“I’m not an expert,” said Pampel. “But, I have to say that it is definitely time for the tree to be taken down in my estimation. I would not have posted it if I didn’t feel that way.

“We’ve trimmed it. We’ve sprayed it. We’ve done other things,” he continued.

After Pampel explained that he was holding the public hearing based on state statute, several residents voiced concerns regarding their input on the decision-making process.

A person or “party aggrieved” by Pampel’s decision can appeal it in Superior Court within 10 days, according to state statute.