The tall pine trees behind Memorial Field’s baseball and soccer fields always glowed in the afternoons as the sun set over Concord.
The century-old guardians to the park had to be cut down, city officials said, after safety concerns were raised due to their age and the possibility of falling on nearby property.
The cold air was still thick with the scent of evergreens after the trees were felled, ground up and hauled away. Stumps and fallen debris dotted the otherwise frozen landscape.
The trees were removed from the property lines on the south side near the Trinity Baptist Church and Trinity Baptist School along Clinton Street, and the ones wrapping around the east side of the baseball field near the entrance and parking lot on South Fruit Street. Additionally, trees behind the visitor stands of the football field were also removed.
The Concord Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee agreed with Ryan Rambeau, the City Tree Supervisor, that taking down the trees along property lines was prudent. The city council approved the action at its January meeting.
Rambeau cited multiple reasons to cut down the trees, including “historical storm damage requests from abutters, location to high frequency usage areas, age and poor form structure as well as potential risk to users of the area and abutters.”
The Woodside School, Trinity Baptist Church, perimeter fencing, and the football field’s visitor bleachers had all been damaged by fallen trees, according to a report presented to the city council late last year.
“This recommendation does not come hastily,” Rambeau wrote. “These removals will undoubtedly be an aesthetic change for this area. However, we have and continue to have, issues with these trees.”
A report from Concord Parks and Recreation Director David Gill stated that some of the trees impeded nighttime lights on the baseball field and slowed the drying of fields during the spring due to additional shade that held onto the snow.
City forester Ron Klemarczyk suggested the trees be removed in the winter while the ground was frozen at no cost to the city. They were removed by Chuck Rose Logging for timber, mulch and firewood purposes.
Colby O’Brien, a resident of Concord, sent an email to the Monitor expressing his concern over the removal of trees. He said the project blemished the natural appeal of the area.
“The removal of these trees will result in worse air quality, further the ongoing drainage issues, and negatively impact the mental health of those who walk and recreate in the park,” O’Brien wrote. “These trees also helped filter air pollution and supported local wildlife and habitat, all of which will be harmed.”
Trinity Baptist Church Lead Pastor Jonathan Threlfall remarked that the trees had caused damage to the property, but recognized their importance to the area.
“We’ll miss the stately grandeur of those pines but respect the city’s decision to remove them,” Threlfall said.
Gill said the cutting was not related to the larger master plan to overhaul Memorial Field.
Many of the sites where trees were removed are expected to be affected in the future if the current Master Plan is adopted by the city council for final design, permitting and cost-sharing with the school district.
Gill’s report to the city council stated that the final design of the new master plan will include a landscaping plan for new trees to be planted at the site.
