Parish Tree Removal Proposal Denied

The Parks and Recreation Department has denied 's to make way for outdoor seating, citing the tree's current good health as well as opposition from the community.

In a letter to the cafe's design consultant Joseph Vozzella, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Antonia Pollack said the South End business did not sufficiently explore options that would allow for both trees and outdoor seating to coexist in front of the Tremont Street restaurant.

"A solution that accomodates both outdoor tables and the trees will create a more inviting café space and will retain a healthy urban street tree that is of value to the larger neighborhood," she wrote.

The community's "definitive concern" with the proposal was also a factor in the department's decision to deny it, Pollack wrote. Nearly 25 residents showed up at a hearing on October 18 to discuss the proposal, and many were adamant that both trees remain in place.

This is the second proposal the cafe has submitted concerning the removal of one or more of the trees in front of its property. The first was rejected last fall after the department ruled that the removal of both trees would negatively alter the streetscape.

This time around, Vozzella proposed removing only the elm tree, and planting a replacement tree further down the street. At last week's hearing, cafe owner Gordon Wilcox said the second proposal was the result of an "extensive community process."

“We’ve exhausted every possibility,” he said.

Nevertheless, the department's decision to deny the Cafe's second proposal without prejuduce means that a third proposal could be submitted and considered.

"We encourage you to return to this Department with design alternatives that preserve the trees and provide outdoor seating while continuing to work with the community to find a solution they can support," Pollack wrote.