Salem Country Club's Tree Cutting Excuse Chopped Down In Peabody

PEABODY, MA — Salem County Club officials were accused of being "habitual repeaters" of violating city conservation ordinances during a Conservation Commission meeting on the more than 600 trees the commission charges were clear cut on the course this winter.

The Commission said Salem Country Club was granted a permit to cut down trees around Holes 6 and 7 as part of annual maintenance in December, but commissioners charged that the Club knowingly far exceeded the bounds of the permit in "clear-cutting" more than 600 trees, including those along wetlands and under the commission's jurisdiction to protect.

Vice-Chair Mike Rizzo said the move was part of the SCC's repeated behavior of doing something officials know they should not be doing, then asking for forgiveness and offering some type of restitution after the fact.

"We've been here before with you folks," Rizzo said. "This is not something that only happens once. I'm sorry to say that you folks are habitual repeaters of doing work within the buffer zone or reserve area without contacting the Conservation Commission or getting the necessary permits for doing the work in jurisdictional areas.

"There is no excuse for what you folks do," Rizzo said. "You should be ashamed."

SCC General Manager Peter Fischl said the Club took "full responsibility" for what he claimed was an honest error. He contended that since the majority of the trees were in areas where the Club provides general maintenance — such as mowing and course curation — that the tree removal fell within that domain.

He said he found out that was not the case only after the work was done.

City Councilor Anne Manning-Martin spoke at the virtual meeting and charged that the Club knew exactly what it was doing when it cut down the hundreds of trees.

"I find it galling that now they are going to plead ignorance or error," she said. "They are well-informed of our city ordinances to protect certain areas of the golf course but proceeded with the work anyway."

Club officials said the trees were cut down to allow the grass on the fairway and greens more sunlight for a better growing condition — thus improving the quality of the course.

Beyond any fines or work to replant trees that the Conservation Commission might suggest following a site visit next week, Manning-Martin said she intends to bring before the City Council a proposal to consider revoking the 75 percent tax cut the Club receives for protecting open space, which she said could amount to "hundreds of thousands of dollars annually."

"They should have protected the trees they've hidden behind for so many years," she said. "Instead, they killed them."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)