Wallingford Center, Inc.

September 6, 2013

Mayor William Dickinson Wallingford Town Hall 45 South Main Street Wallingford, CT 06492

RE: Downtown tree selection

Dear Mayor Dickinson:

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the downtown tree selection process.

While discussing appropriate tree selections with a group of arborists it became clear that, given the challenges urban trees face, a long-term plan needs to be developed for tree selection, planting and maintenance. Wallingford is fortunate to have as residents several qualified tree experts willing to share their expertise. This has allowed Wallingford Center, Inc. to form a standing Tree Advisory Committee so that arborists can assist in the development and execution of a program, which would be a resource for our Tree Warden.

The WCI subcommittee consists of the following members:  Jared Liu - co-chair  Bill Austin - co-chair  Ellie Tessmer  Steven Lazarus (WCI - rep)  Elizabeth Landow (WCI - rep)  Chris Donnelly – consultant, State of CT

While the first task of the Committee was to perform an in-depth review of the plan to remove and replace 28 trees on Quinnipiac Street, the Committee plans to assist as advisors for future downtown tree replacement and maintenance.

The Committee has the following recommendations and observations for work slated to occur this season. Please note that there is unanimous agreement that the following approach reflects responsible tree wardenship:

1. When large-scale tree replacement is required, trees should be replaced over a minimum of three years to minimize visual impact. The Quinnipiac Street tree program should be divided into three overlapping areas and should take place over three years. 2. Trees should not all be the same species in the same area for two reasons. First, same- species tree planting encourages insect and fungal attack. Second, multiple species planting can provide for flowering over a longer period of time for the greatest aesthetic impact. Three different species are recommended for the Quinnipiac Street planting

261 Center Street ~ Wallingford, CT 06492 ~ 203-284-1807 program, with trees generally located in pairs to provide an attractive rhythm of flowering trees throughout the growth season. 3. Hole size for the trees should be widened where possible, and trees should be relocated where possible to avoid interference with existing light poles. 4. Trees with short mature height should be selected. 5. An early pruning program is required to establish appropriate growth patterns: single main stem, with branching to begin at 6’ height. 6. Competitive bids for new trees should require planting in accordance with the Tree Owner’s Manual for Northeastern and Midwestern United States (DEEP Division of Forestry). The bid process should also allow for Tree Warden inspection of tree stock to determine health and branching pattern of trees prior to delivery. 7. The quality of tree is largely dependent on the quality of the nursery. The Town should consider requiring stock from the Frank Schmidt nursery, which is carried by Imperial Nurseries in Granby and Prides Corner Farms in Lebanon. 8. Call before you dig should be involved in all tree replacement. 9. Mature tree height should be limited to 30 feet where power lines are located. 10. The following six trees are recommended for tree replacement. The Committee suggest selection of three trees from this list. Use of these trees is supported by: ‘Trees with Short Mature Heights’ by Glenn Dreyer (Conn College) and Jeffrey Ward (CAES). The following information is from the final report of the ‘State Vegetation Management Task Force:’ a. Chinese Fringetree ‘Chionanthus retusus’ 15-25’ (flower in spring) b. Flowering Dogwood ‘Cornus florida’ 30’ (native: flower in spring) c. Amur maackia ‘Maackia amurensis 30’ (yellow flowers in July) d. Japanese flowering cherry ‘Prunus serrulata’ 25’ (pink flowers in spring) e. Japanese stewartia ‘Stewartia peuedocamellia’ 30’ ( large showy June flowers, colorful mottled bark) f. Japanese snowbell ‘Styrax japonicus’ 25’ (white belled shape flowers in June)

11. The Town is encouraged to use the following resources: Tree Owners Manual from DEEP Division of Forestry Urban Tree Selection Manual from UCONN Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael Dirr 12. The attached description details the Committee’s recommendation at each of the 28 tree locations.

We act to support WCI efforts at downtown beautification.

Thank you for your consideration.

Steven Lazarus Wallingford Center, Inc

Encl: detailed tree recommendation

261 Center Street ~ Wallingford, CT 06492 ~ 203-284-1807