Historic home owner must replant chopped trees

The owner of the protected home at 1954 Commonwealth Ave. will now have to replant the more than half a dozen trees he cut down without permits back in June.

The Boston Landmarks Commission design review committee recommended that Dan Yu hire a design professional to come up with a plan to restore the landscape of the property by replanting every tree that was chopped down with trees of substantial size. They also recommended Yu restore any other site features that have been damaged, and submit an application to replace the windows he installed without permits last month.

“It’s in the best interest to move it along quickly,” committee member Susan Pranger said to Yu’s attorney, Joe Hanley.

Yu will need to present his plan to the committee at its next hearing, scheduled for Sept. 25.

The event is the latest in a saga concerning the circa 1910 Craftsman house, which is part of the Aberdeen Architectural Conservational District and, as a result, overseen by the Landmarks Commission.

Yu has gone before the commission repeatedly, with plans to either raze or move the house in order to develop condos. He has now withdrawn his application to demolish and is trying to sell the property, Hanley said.

As part of the Aberdeen district, modifications such as landscaping must be approved by the commission. Window replacements must be approved as well, and according to the guidelines of the district, vinyl windows, like the ones Yu installed, are forbidden.

The commission’s recommendation comes after a site visit was conducted to examine the extent of the violations.

Hanley said the trees were removed because they were rotting or diseased, and presented the commission with a letter from a tree expert contending this.

Committee member Gary Russell, who went on the site visit, said it was difficult to tell if the trees were diseased.

“It was clear that lots of trees came down,” he said. “Some of the stumps looked like remains of healthy trees, but without seeing them, it’s difficult to tell.”

“Whether rotted or not, it would seem we are within the guidelines to require a permit,” she said.

Hanley said he is aware of the requirements of the district and was not contacted by Yu prior to the alterations.

“Had my client contacted me, I would have advised him to go through Landmarks,” he said.

At the hearing, neighbors told the committee that since the site visit, Yu has put down gravel on the right side of the yard, turning it into a driveway. The committee recommended that this be restored to its original landscaping as well.