Halifax Conservation Commission issues positive ruling on 399 Elm Street tree removal request

HALIFAX -- May 26, 2026, Halifax Conservation Commission orders 399 Elm Street homeowner to file a Notice of Intent before removing 22 towering pines. The commission, chaired by John Gio and attended by members Kathy Evans and Paul DeSette alongside Conservation Agent Dan Levesque, closed a Request for Determination of Applicability hearing Tuesday with a unanimous positive determination, finding the project falls within its jurisdiction due to proximity to a Bordering Vegetated Wetland buffer zone. Homeowner Tom Galati, working with arborist Dennis De Bonham of Yankee Tree Service, proposes to fully remove 22 eastern white pines, all over 100 feet tall and within fall range of his house roughly 30 feet away, and top an additional group of smaller trees by approximately 10 feet. The commission directed Galati to mark removal trees with paint and trim candidates with tape before a site visit ahead of the June 9 meeting, when an NOI approval could follow. The board also continued both Amanda's Way hearings, a grading RDA for Building 3 and a construction NOI for Building 6 (DEP# SE-171-0603), to June 9, and noted a recently adopted fee-schedule update, raising most permit fees by roughly $25, is now pending Board of Selectmen review.