The town of Kennebunk and members of the Parsons Beach Association are in discussions on how best to replace trees that line Parsons Beach Road. According to an arborist, a number of the Norway maples are diseased and pose a threat to motorists and pedestrians. DAN KING/Kennebunk Post

KENNEBUNK — The planned removal of ancestral trees on a public road has a segment of the Kennebunk community up in arms to find a solution.

The road in question is Parsons Beach Road, which connects Brown Street to Parsons Beach. The road is lined with 62 Norway maple trees that create a canopy over the road, a longtime community favorite and point of pride for the Parsons family. While the beach is privately owned by the Parsons Beach Association, an organization made up of 60 members of the Parsons family, the road leading to the beach is a right-of-way and is both owned and maintained by the town of Kennebunk.

On April 1, many Norway maples were scheduled to be taken down and replaced with swamp white oak, however, an outcry from the Parsons family and a portion of the community led to a delay in the project.

The decision to replace the trees stems from a study done by an arborist in 2010, during which it was found that a significant number of the maples had become diseased and were dying. It was concluded that the trees should be replaced, and in 2012 a number were removed and replaced with swamp white oak.

Throughout last fall, Kennebunk officials met with Parsons family member Larry Dwight, who was the point-of-contact for the tree replacement initiative prior to his death in October.

Parsons family member Julia Burns Riley, however, has said that Dwight did not speak for their family, and the Parsons Beach Association only learned of the plan to take down the trees, originally scheduled for April 1, on March 29 via email.

“I understand that this may have been a long time coming for the town, but for us it was really sudden,” said Riley during an April 8 interview. “We just want more time to discuss options.”

During a Tree Committee meeting on April 4, the dispute and subsequent options for replacement were discussed.

According to Director of Community Development/Town Engineer Christopher Osterrieder, there was an understanding that the family was involved.
“We thought we were doing the right thing by keeping the family involved and talking to them,” Osterrieder said. “How could we have known they weren’t keeping everyone else informed?”

During the meeting, options for replacement were discussed, with committee member Paul Cotton relaying the reasons for choosing the swamp white oak.

Only certain types of trees could be considered in order to ensure they would thrive in the Parsons Beach Road environment. Both road and sea salt are destructive to many tree species. Some species were ruled out because their leaves are toxic to horses located on the Parsons’ property. Replacing the trees with the current species, the Norway maple, isn’t possible because they are considered an invasive species and are no longer available for purchase in Maine.

The strong disposition of the swamp white oak , among other factors, led the Tree Committee to conclude they would be the best option.

The impending removal of the signature Parsons Beach Road canopy, has led to some community outcry on social media. Tree Committee member Robert Palmer said he is also sad to see the trees go, but that doing so would provide the community with the chance to have the canopy again in the future.

“It takes a while for trees to grow,” Palmer said. “This replacement is not for us, but for future generations to see. The trees are a down payment.”

One suggestion is to remove the trees piecemeal, as they die off. But both Palmer and Cotton said during the meeting that doing so would ensure that the trees will never form a canopy again and the canopy aesthetic will be lost as the trees would grow at different rates.

“We want to do more,” Osterrieder said. “We want to do it right.”

The town faces a time crunch as the discussions continue — the replacement trees have already been ordered and are ready to be planted when the word is given. The Tree Committee applied and received an $8,000 grant from the state to replace the trees.

According to Riley, the Parsons family wants the town to pause the plans until a consensual agreement can be reached between the parties.

“We want to have the chance to be part of the conversation, and to possibly use our considerable resources to replace the trees,” Riley said. “We would pay for new trees, we just need to know what the town wants.”

Both the town and the Parsons family agree that the safety of the road must be paramount in the discussions of the future of the trees. As some of the trees continue to die and decay, there is a risk that limbs could fall and cause injury to both motorists and pedestrians.

During the Tree Committee meeting, the urgency of a coming up with a resolution was stressed, as the town would be liable for any accidents caused by the trees on the public way.

“We understand that safety is a primary concern, and we believe it should absolutely be addressed,” Riley said. “The trees that need to come down for safety reasons should be taken care of, but for the rest, we feel it’s too hasty to take them all down now. There must be a better solution.”

Representatives from the Parsons family were scheduled to meet with selectmen, Osterrieder and Cotton on Tuesday, April 9, to continue working toward a solution.

“Our goal is to do what our ancestors asked us to do,” Riley said. “Keep these areas beautiful and undeveloped and open to the community.”

Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@kennebunkpost.com.