ZBA tables request to remove up to 21 trees in wetland buffer pending Fish and Game assessment

The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted on July 28 to continue the application by Clint Lecresch and Mary (record: Licorice) for work within a 40‑foot critical wetland buffer at 19 Vista Way. The board set the date certain to Sept. 22 so New Hampshire Fish and Game can conduct an independent forestry assessment.

Applicant Clint Lecresch told the board he had retained a licensed arborist and later sought a second opinion; he said many marked trees are tall enough to reach the house and that some trees appear to be in poor condition. “There are the trees are plenty tall enough to cause substantial damage,” Lecresch said, arguing a targeted removal is a safety measure for his home. The Conservation Commission, represented by Chair Sherry Dutzey, said the commission’s consultant conducted a level‑2, tree‑by‑tree assessment and found most standing trees healthy, recommending pruning and invasive removal rather than wholesale cutting. Dutzey noted Fish and Game policy: “They do not take down healthy trees,” and said the agency offered to provide a free assessment.

Board members said they were sympathetic to the applicant’s safety concerns but reluctant to approve broad removal inside a wetland buffer without an independent expert determination. One member suggested limiting removals to trees that demonstrably threaten the structure; another said approving 21 removals could prompt similar neighborhood applications and significantly alter the wooded buffer. The board’s motion to table to Sept. 22 so Fish and Game could visit and report passed after a second; the chair said the case could return with additional public testimony if new information is provided.

The item will return on Sept. 22 with the Fish and Game report; the Board discussed asking staff to assist with scheduling the assessment if needed and noted the possibility of waiving repeat hearing fees if the assessment is delayed.