Board hopes to spare old oak

The developer wants to cut down the massive tree to make room for a building that combines condominiums and commercial space. An arborist hired by the developer says the tree, which measures nearly 5 feet across and stands about 50 feet tall, is too rotten to save and poses a safety risk.

The Planning Board wants a second opinion.

“It’s a very significant tree,’’ said Planning Board member Peter Jackson, a landscape architect. “I think it is very probably the largest black oak tree in Milton, and my guess is it’s one of the largest in the state.’’

For the record, the tree didn’t make the National Register of Big Trees: The largest black oak honor goes to an 80-foot-tall specimen in East Granby, Conn.

Still, Milton’s zoning specifically says that developers need to either save or replace “significant natural features’’ on a site, and the tree qualifies. In fact, Planning Board members say the provision was written into the rules with the Hendries tree in mind.

“My feeling is the developer hasn’t taken seriously yet the notion of trying to save that tree,’’ Jackson said.

The developer had an arborist look at the tree and say whether it would survive a building being constructed next to it, he said. But the board wants to know whether the tree could survive if the proposed building were designed differently.

The board’s position, Jackson said, “is we should hire an independent arborist to look at the tree — whether it’s likely to live longer, and what steps could be taken in planning and design of this project, if it’s determined the tree can be saved.’’

Arborist George Ackerson looked at the tree for the developers, Connelly Construction of Dorchester. They want to tear down the old factory — which has been vacant for decades — and put up a multistory building with 34 condominiums, about 8,000 square feet of commercial space, and about 90 parking spaces underneath.

Ackerson said he has worked in Milton before, for both Milton Academy and the Milton Public Library, and understands the town’s interest in saving trees. He said he usually works with developers to preserve trees, as well.

But the Hendries oak, which he estimated to be at least 100 years old, has been poorly maintained, is full of dead branches, and is likely to have a lot of decay inside, Ackerson said.

It would be fine in a different setting, he said, but, because the tree is so close to the sidewalk and street, it poses a danger to pedestrians and motorists.

“My diagnosis is, it’s not a safe tree,’’ he said. “If I could move Eliot Street, that would be a different story. I like to keep trees . . . but I would have to recommend removing it. And I’ve been in this line of work 40 years.’’

Ackerson acknowledged, though, that he only looked at the tree for a few hours and was not able to look into it to determine the extent of the decay.

Jackson said he’s been watching the big tree since he moved to the neighborhood 23 years ago and has seen how much dead wood has accumulated over the years. But, he said, every spring the tree gets a full crown of healthy-looking, dark-green leaves.

He said the Planning Board owes it to the community to fully investigate whether the tree has enough life left in it to justify making the developer save it.

The board has been holding hearings since Connelly Construction submitted a variation of the current plan in July.

Issues that have come up include the height of the building and mix of commercial and residential uses. Issues still to be addressed include the building’s appearance, landscaping, lighting, and effect on traffic.

Planning Board member Emily Innes said another major concern is how to deal with the impact of demolishing the factory, which sits on land once occupied by Bent’s Cookie Co., famous for making the original “water crackers’’ that stood up to long sea voyages, and “hardtack’’ used by troops during the Civil War.

Everything from dust control to vermin exodus is likely to be on the agenda, Innes said. But first, “everything is sort of hinging on the tree, absolutely,’’ she said.

“I haven’t met anybody who doesn’t want that building to come down and to see something there to replace it,’’ Innes said, but any new development has to be done right.

The Planning Board will take up the issue again at its Nov. 18 meeting, and the town’s planning director, William Clark, said the hearings probably would continue for a while.

“They’re about on schedule,’’ he said, noting that a similar but smaller project across the street took about a year and a half to get approved. “It’s complicated.’’

Johanna Seltz can be reached at seelenfam@verizon.net.