Design review committee asks staff to prepare concise invasive-species list and planting visuals

During the Dec. 12 meeting the Design Review Committee discussed the planting section of its draft guidelines and agreed to use the UMass 'Planting for Resilience' material as a starting point. Committee members asked Abby to prepare a short, digestible invasive-species list for inclusion in the packet and to provide links to the state master list for full details (massnrc.org).

Committee members considered whether to include full-size photographs of recommended trees and plants in the packet. Several members said illustrating the visual scale of trees at different ages (for example, showing a young and a mature profile) would help applicants choose appropriate street trees for different contexts. Staff warned that including many full-size photos would require a change in packet format; members asked for a compact diagram to illustrate relative mature sizes and to identify street‑tree recommendations for constrained downtown planting strips.

Other points: the group discussed categorizing trees as shade, decorative, and street trees, and noted utilities will limit tree selection in some locations. Staff will prepare a short list of recommended species, mark which are suitable as street trees, and provide references to Mass.gov and MassNRC resources for more detailed, up‑to‑date lists.

Next step: Abby will prepare a concise invasive-species list and consider a compact visual approach for tree size and placement; members asked staff to return with a revised planting packet and suggested adding the UMass reference into the front or back of the document.