BALANCING DEVELOPMENT WITH THE CITY'S TREE CANOPY AND GREEN SPACES
High-density housing development and urbanization means losing trees, lawns, backyards, and all kinds of neighborhood green space. Large-scale development are targeting precious open space. Cambridge Public Housing (the "AHO") requires no setbacks (front yards, side yards, back yards), potentially removing critically important green spaces and trees. When tall, larger structures (market rate or public housing) are allowed to tower over nearby neighbor's yards, shadows can also impact plant and tree growth in neighboring yards.
More About This problem:
A major and visible effect of overdevelopment has been the loss oftree canopy and open space, adversely impacting abutters, wildlife, and the environment. Like trees, green spaces are vital to health and well-being. Sometimes developers will indicate that new trees will be added, but these generally have very small diameters, and if they survive take 30-50 years before they have a large enough canopy to make-up for the original tree loss. Despite the recent tightening of Cambridge’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, developers increasingly press to have trees cut down. As house footprints increase, the loss of existing mature trees will increase.
Tree Preservation Ordinance
Cambridge’s Tree Preservation Ordinance was aimed at discouraging the removal of mature trees during teardowns and major construction. It precludes the taking down of mature healthy trees greater than 8 inches in diameter to plant replacement caliper inches or pay into the city’s Tree Preservation Fund, and also requires protection for remaining trees during construction. The success of this has varied for large commercial, city, or institutional projects, especially in recent years, for individual house lot construction. While some owners and builders follow the rules, others avoid them by various means, with some openly stating their intent to do so. Almost 1 in 4 trees planted by the city die; planting larger diameter trees would be more successful.
What the Tree Preservation Ordinance Doesn’t Cover
What tree canopy and green space provision does not cover are large city projects such as public housing projects, which exclude green space and set back requirements.
Public Trees and M.G.L. Chapter 87
Public shade trees, more commonly call “street trees,” are defined as “trees within a public way” and are protected by Mass. General Laws Chapter 87, as well as by Cambridge ordinance. Trees just inside the sidewalk are usually public shade trees, and may not be cut down without a public hearing, notice for which must be posted on the tree. Under M.G.L. Chapter 87, if any objection in writing is made by one or more persons, the tree may not be removed unless approval is given by the selectmen (for towns) or by the mayor (for cities).
Public shade trees may also be impacted by development, such as increasing the street size or adding bicycle lanes. Even when street trees are not removed, their health may be impacted by cutting of roots close to the trunk for curb cuts, and by construction activity in the area under the canopy or over the root zone that is on private property.
Loss of Green Space and Open Space
Preserving and adding more green spaces especially in our denser neighborhoods is an important city goal. Some neighborhoods are closer to parks and recreational land than others, but smaller neighborhood parcels can also be important. The recent Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) amendments remove building setback requirements, and may include porches, roof decks, and bicycle storage areas as “open space” – areas that do not add to our needs for increased greenspaces around the city.
Harder to Measure...
Harder to measure, and not included in the city’s inventoried open space, are the smaller pockets of green space and the open green space portion of individual house lots. It is these smaller spaces that are being eroded, or in many cases destroyed by higher-density development. This loss of green space, trees, front yard setbacks as well as back and side yards of neighbors in one’s area, has greater on an individual homeowner than the loss of a larger, but distant, open spaces to commercial or institutional use.
What You Can Do:
SIGN-UP to receive email updates from the Cambridge Neighbors United. Pay attention to how your city councilors are voting on tree issues and on preserving open space. Write, email and call the City Councillors, City Manager and City Clerk to express your views. Contact info for these decision makers is here. Write letters to the Boston Globe, Cambridge Day, Next Door, and Reddit. Tell your Cambridge friends and neighbors why it's important to preserve Cambridge's tree canopy, neighborhood greenery and larger open space. Join tree advocacy groups like Cambridge For Trees.
Pay attention to Tree Removal notices on public projects, street trees, commercial and residential properties if you feel a tree should not be removed. If you think private trees are at risk of, or are in the process of, being removed in violation of the Tree Preservation Ordinance, take pictures to document their existence. To learn whether the owner or developer has obtained a tree permit or is exempt, contact Cambridge Urban Forestry (part of our department of public works – DPW).
High-density housing development and urbanization means losing trees, lawns, backyards, and all kinds of neighborhood green space. Large-scale development are targeting precious open space. Cambridge Public Housing (the "AHO") requires no setbacks (front yards, side yards, back yards), potentially removing critically important green spaces and trees. When tall, larger structures (market rate or public housing) are allowed to tower over nearby neighbor's yards, shadows can also impact plant and tree growth in neighboring yards.
More About This problem:
A major and visible effect of overdevelopment has been the loss oftree canopy and open space, adversely impacting abutters, wildlife, and the environment. Like trees, green spaces are vital to health and well-being. Sometimes developers will indicate that new trees will be added, but these generally have very small diameters, and if they survive take 30-50 years before they have a large enough canopy to make-up for the original tree loss. Despite the recent tightening of Cambridge’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, developers increasingly press to have trees cut down. As house footprints increase, the loss of existing mature trees will increase.
Tree Preservation Ordinance
Cambridge’s Tree Preservation Ordinance was aimed at discouraging the removal of mature trees during teardowns and major construction. It precludes the taking down of mature healthy trees greater than 8 inches in diameter to plant replacement caliper inches or pay into the city’s Tree Preservation Fund, and also requires protection for remaining trees during construction. The success of this has varied for large commercial, city, or institutional projects, especially in recent years, for individual house lot construction. While some owners and builders follow the rules, others avoid them by various means, with some openly stating their intent to do so. Almost 1 in 4 trees planted by the city die; planting larger diameter trees would be more successful.
What the Tree Preservation Ordinance Doesn’t Cover
What tree canopy and green space provision does not cover are large city projects such as public housing projects, which exclude green space and set back requirements.
Public Trees and M.G.L. Chapter 87
Public shade trees, more commonly call “street trees,” are defined as “trees within a public way” and are protected by Mass. General Laws Chapter 87, as well as by Cambridge ordinance. Trees just inside the sidewalk are usually public shade trees, and may not be cut down without a public hearing, notice for which must be posted on the tree. Under M.G.L. Chapter 87, if any objection in writing is made by one or more persons, the tree may not be removed unless approval is given by the selectmen (for towns) or by the mayor (for cities).
Public shade trees may also be impacted by development, such as increasing the street size or adding bicycle lanes. Even when street trees are not removed, their health may be impacted by cutting of roots close to the trunk for curb cuts, and by construction activity in the area under the canopy or over the root zone that is on private property.
Loss of Green Space and Open Space
Preserving and adding more green spaces especially in our denser neighborhoods is an important city goal. Some neighborhoods are closer to parks and recreational land than others, but smaller neighborhood parcels can also be important. The recent Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) amendments remove building setback requirements, and may include porches, roof decks, and bicycle storage areas as “open space” – areas that do not add to our needs for increased greenspaces around the city.
Harder to Measure...
Harder to measure, and not included in the city’s inventoried open space, are the smaller pockets of green space and the open green space portion of individual house lots. It is these smaller spaces that are being eroded, or in many cases destroyed by higher-density development. This loss of green space, trees, front yard setbacks as well as back and side yards of neighbors in one’s area, has greater on an individual homeowner than the loss of a larger, but distant, open spaces to commercial or institutional use.
What You Can Do:
SIGN-UP to receive email updates from the Cambridge Neighbors United. Pay attention to how your city councilors are voting on tree issues and on preserving open space. Write, email and call the City Councillors, City Manager and City Clerk to express your views. Contact info for these decision makers is here. Write letters to the Boston Globe, Cambridge Day, Next Door, and Reddit. Tell your Cambridge friends and neighbors why it's important to preserve Cambridge's tree canopy, neighborhood greenery and larger open space. Join tree advocacy groups like Cambridge For Trees.
Pay attention to Tree Removal notices on public projects, street trees, commercial and residential properties if you feel a tree should not be removed. If you think private trees are at risk of, or are in the process of, being removed in violation of the Tree Preservation Ordinance, take pictures to document their existence. To learn whether the owner or developer has obtained a tree permit or is exempt, contact Cambridge Urban Forestry (part of our department of public works – DPW).
LOSS OF TREES, GREEN AREAS, OPEN SPACES IMPACT ALL OF US!
