Veterans memorial's trees to come down

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November 5, 2009

Part of improvements to Elm Green

By Bethany Bray

Veterans Day events, Wednesday Nov. 11

Ceremonies will be at West Parish Cemetery at 10 a.m., Spring Grove Cemetery at 11 a.m. and Ballardvale Green at noon.

Followed by a luncheon at the Masonic Temple, 7 High St., at 1 p.m.

The downtown redesign may be complete, but some more trees will come down on Main Street starting as soon as tomorrow.

A makeover is in the works for the Elm Green veterans memorial, across the street from Memorial Hall Library.

Residents will notice changes as soon as Friday, Nov. 6, as trees surrounding the memorial's brick wall are cut down. Although six feet tall when planted for the memorial's 1995 dedication, pine trees at the site have grown to more than 20 feet, dwarfing the small park and threatening the integrity of the wall, according to town officials.

The town plans to cut down most of the pines, and replace them with different species in the spring. The proposal includes installing a new plaque and repairing some brick and masonry.

"The trees that are there are far beyond the size of the site's original intent and design. They block off the brickwork, take away from the flag pole and make it hard to have meaningful ceremonies there," said Michael Burke, director of Andover's Veterans Services. "We are looking forward to freshening it up."

Burke has met with the town's Patriotic Holiday Committee, plant and facilities department and the citizens group Friends of Andover Community Trees, or FACT, about the improvements to Elm Green. A public forum about the project was held on Oct. 6 and about 10 people attended.

"Both Joe (Piantedosi, plant and facilities director) and I feel the wall is in jeopardy from the tree roots. A replant would be a wise idea," said Tree Warden Randy Pickersgill. "The trees are getting very large. Some of the trees have close to 15 years of growth, and are becoming too large for that little corner."

But FACT is opposed to the cutting of mature, healthy trees, said Chris Young, FACT chairwoman. The newly-formed group was consulted late in the process, after the Elm Green project was ready to begin.

"It's hard to change a project that has been going on (been planned) for years," said Young. "It's a shock to see an area cut ... That whole corner will look so bare."

After a walk-through of Elm Green with Pickersgill, FACT requested the town spare three trees, two Austrian pines and a little leaf linden tree. Piantedosi complied and said they will re-evaluate the three trees in the spring.

Elm Green was dedicated Nov. 11, 1995 after gaining approval at 1992 Town Meeting, said Burke. The small space is not a memorial to a specific conflict or war, but to honor every Andover resident who has served in active military duty, including past, present and future veterans.

Right now, the site is used for veterans ceremonies only in cases of inclement weather, when festivities must be cut short, said Burke.

Burke said he will be taking replanting designs before selectmen for approval in early spring. Young said FACT member Judy Wright has been hired to create the replanting designs.

The overgrowth may not be obvious to residents who pass by Elm Green all the time, said Burke, but a "sharp contrast" is evident when comparing photos of the 1995 dedication ceremony to current day.

This summer, selectmen approved the removal of several mature shade trees at Wood Park, a public space at the corner of Routes 28 and 133. Although healthy, the trees were causing a fence to buckle. The board received complaints from several residents about the move, who felt the trees should take precedence over the fence.

Although input from FACT and other stakeholders has been solicited for the Elm Green makeover, the memorial's ultimate authority lies with the Patriotic Holiday Committee, which supports the plans, said Burke.

Trees that will be taken down this fall and winter, starting Friday, have been tagged for about two weeks, said Piantedosi.