Letter to the Editor: Replacement of Felled Trees at Old Lyme Marketplace Questioned
A resident argues “the tree cutting situation at the Old Lyme Marketplace just keeps going from bad to worse.”
To the Editor:
Near the end of March, several native oak trees were cut down by the new owners of the Old Lyme Marketplace. Last week, non-native Japanese zelkova, or Zelkova serrata, were planted to replace the native oaks which had been felled. The tree cutting situation at the Old Lyme Marketplace just keeps going from bad to worse.
Of all the trees cut down, most native oaks. Many, if not most, looked to be perfectly healthy and oaks can live for hundreds of years. Regardless of whether or not the original trees should have been cut down, the owners had an opportunity to replace the trees with native species. Native trees provide habitat for native wildlife. Native oaks, in particular, are the best tree in terms of providing a habitat for the most native wildlife species. (Read the writings of Dr. Doug Tallamy to learn more about the importance of native oak trees as the biggest feeders of native wildlife.)
Instead of increasing the biodiversity of plantings in the plaza, the owners have chosen to plant non-native Japanese zelkova. These trees are fast growing which is presumably why they were chosen. The sooner the trees grow and fill out the sooner residents of the town can forget about the egregious tree cutting in the first place, right?
In addition to being non-native and providing no benefit to native wildlife populations, Japanese zelkova limbs break easily in storms, weather events which are increasing and growing in severity worldwide. Why did the new owners choose to jeopardize the lives, vehicles, and personal property of the Old Lyme Marketplace’s shoppers with their tree choice? In addition, the root structures of Japanese zelkova trees tend to be quite shallow, particularly when the trees are planted in urban environments. This means that they remain at or above ground level. This will cause damage to the beds in which the trees were planted and the damage might even extend to the parking lot itself.
Finally, and, arguably, most importantly, Japanese zelkova trees will not shade the parking lot. The trees are frequently described as having a “vase-like” shape, which means their canopy remains quite narrow. A large asphalt surface (like a parking lot) is a heatsink. Providing shade is necessary for the health and wellbeing of shoppers visiting the Old Lyme Marketplace. The original oaks provided the needed shade. Japanese zelkova trees will not.
I am unsure if there is anything that we, the residents of Old Lyme, can do to fix the disaster that is the Old Lyme Marketplace plaza. Presumably, since the new landscape design was approved by the Land Use Department, there is no recourse to have the owners remove the non-native trees they just planted and replace them with native oaks. I think we should all view this travesty as a warning and be emboldened to make sure that nothing like this is allowed to happen again in our town.
In order to ensure that this is the last time young, native trees are replaced with impractical, non-native ones, I urge my fellow Old Lyme residents to get in contact with the following individuals and commissions: Tree Warden, Tom Degnan; Land Use Coordinator, Eric Knapp; the Board of Selectmen; the Tree Commission; and the Zoning Commission.
Without knowing the specifics from any inspection from a licensed arborist about the state of the trees cut down, I will not engage in further debate about whether or not the original trees at the Old Lyme Marketplace should have been felled in the first place. The decision to replace those trees with Japanese zelkova trees was, inarguably, a terrible one.
Sincerely,
Mary Wamby
Old Lyme
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Made no sense to me to cut down perfectly good trees to plant others. Guess they have money to waste
I would suggest that the town has an enforceable policy on tree planting in commercial/public spaces that emphasize native species, but also long term viability of plantings. For example; white pines are trees, not hedge material and don’t belong along road sides as they are very susceptible to wind damage and are a leading culprit in damage to power lines. Shading parking lots should also be encouraged. We should have laws about invasive plantings. Just in the last 30 years, I’ve witnessed the loss of Hemlock, White Ash and now American Beach. These are all valuable species in our native landscape which have been compromised or just destroyed by invasive parasites. We really need to be more sensitive about the impact that we have on our landscape and how it affects all life forms.
I’ve seen some towns with tree canopy targets to keep people and properties cooler as our summers get hotter. It seems like a mistake to get rid of shade when we should be adding more of it
At the most recent Boardof Selectman meeting Irst Selectperson, Martha Shoemaker, assured everyone that the shopping center owners are complying with the tree replacement plan. If the author of this post is correct should not the first selectt be questioning the plan itself not rather the plan, which appears flawed, is being followed? Yes eletions do have consequences.
In the letter to the editor of the LymeLine: “Replacement of Felled Trees at Old Lyme Marketplace Questioned”, one very important fact was in error. The red oak (Quercus borealis or Quercus rubra) and pin oak (Quercus palustris) trees that were removed, were NOT replaced with Japanese Zelkova trees, rather they were replaced with American hornbeam (Carpinus Carolina), red maple (Acer rubrum) and redbud (Cercis canadensis). In particular, the American hornbeam, which is what I think the author is calling Japanese Zelkova, is a native tree that is very well suited to the tight growing locations. The large oaks that were removed had overgrown the site in some cases and were heaving the pavement. The Town of Old Lyme’s Tree Commission has used hornbeam along town roads in several instances where there is limited space between the sidewalk and the road and in many cases removing the large shade trees that were heaving the sidewalk and creating a tripping hazard.
Other trees removed along Halls Road included black cherry (Prunus serotina) and non-native, invasive black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). These trees were in very poor condition and in need of removal.
The author was correct in the fact that the oaks provide important hard mast (acorns) that many wildlife species such as turkey, deer, squirrel etc. require, but most of the acorns in a parking lot likely rained down on parked cars and pedestrians and were clean up long before they become wildlife food. It is very important to consider the trees final size when planting, not simply what will work in the short-term. If it is in parking lots, under electrical wires, along town roads or up against a buildings foundation, a tree that looks good in the short-term may have long-term consequences that don’t work.
Knowing that the original planting plan had some flaws, the town provided some suggestions for replacement trees that have worked well in Old Lyme in difficult planting locations and would provide a better long-term solution for the Old Lyme Marketplace. The new owners took the towns recommendations and I think the new trees look great. Time will tell if it works out in the long-run.
Sincerely,
Tom Degnan
Old Lyme Tree Warden
CT Certified Forester
CT Licensed Arborist
Dear Mr. Degnan,
I would be pleased to be incorrect about the species of tree planted. I know that Japanese zelkova and American hornbeam can be confused and so I checked with iNaturalist before writing my letter. The consensus on the app was Japanese zelkova, with no mention of the American hornbeam.
There are several matters in your comment to which I would like to respond.
First, I was not alone in being surprised by how little the removed oaks had affected the surrounding pavement. I have had conversations with at least three other conservationists and avid gardeners who agreed about the good manners of the 40+ year old trees.
Second, I am always thinking about the size which a tree will attain at maturity. Large trees are necessary in order to provide adequate shade in a parking lot. Large trees can also capture much more carbon than the small species which were planted. I would argue that a parking lot like the one at the Old Lyme Marketplace (one which is rarely, if ever, full) should have more, larger tree wells to accommodate trees like native oaks.
Third, and most importantly in my view, it is not just turkey, deer, squirrels, etc. that are supported by oak trees. They do feed on the acorns and I am willing to concede that some people may not like fallen acorns. However, there are so many more species that can live in an American oak tree and it was them to which I was referring in my letter.
I found the following relevant quotation in an article published in 2019 by the Hitchcock Center for the Environment at Hampshire College: “The diversity of oak species is matched by the diversity of animals they support. Doug Tallamy, a University of Delaware ecologist, has studied oaks as hosts to butterflies and moths. So far, he has found that North American oaks support at least 534 species in this group. This is the highest number of these insects feeding on any North American plant genus. And this doesn’t include the wasps, beetles, flies and other insects — plus the numerous other invertebrates and vertebrates — that are also associated with oaks.” None of the trees planted, even American hornbeams, provide for the same biodiversity.
Well said, Mary. I was very sorry to see the oak trees cut down, and I appreciate your bringing attention to it.
The oaks may have brought shade to the cars in the parking lot, but they brightened my day 🙂
Summer is here and I’m already dreading how hot it’s going to be. Walking through baking parking lots is the worst, especially when there are easy mitigations, such as providing shade through large-canopy native trees. Short-sighted. I’m with Ms. Wamby on this one.
Thank you for writing about this—the choice to cut down the beautiful oak trees is baffling. The parking lot is noticeably hotter. To replace them with Zelkovas squanders an opportunity to add biodiversity and shade back. Why was this approved?
I’m glad someone is talking about this! I noticed the new trees and was very upset to see that they were not replacement oaks. I would also encourage people to read Doug Tallamy’s work!