[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6175598,"mediaKeyId","5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2","parentId",5353086,"title","Committee asks DSR to research greenhouse‑gas benchmarking vs. similar mid‑sized cities","audioSeconds",560,"startMs",3372000,"endMs",3932000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2&start=3372&end=3932","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2/thumbnail_3372000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6175598/Massachusetts/Committee-asks-DSR-to-research-greenhousegas-benchmarking-vs-similar-midsized-cities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6175598-eef70515c955552d19459d8dbdb880ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112372&Signature=hAfaig4er7cqY1vhRtz406Clr5BMHnEz4F67kZlNyLLy9iXY8Od1-ry32C33o-MPi7AG5MEgox8EvkI182MsJqJZ-ZxAIHlNjzrKQ4HbakvL3VjGEb83vy1OvsYWzmaB-mB5j5UJArZd1QWS9bEtaQzauZfpbCYYdrJJQ2mNiSg~U5uoM-j8TDFsiD9JdFjs5Y3hSxM27K2EAL248gtISXmdJizBVeu2f98BJEemS4VpKoiEjzZbEmMVby907A~u~Woak~sPxlOQmsCYw0TZCNpUw8xSxhrG~tyoBD3M-aEpPxTECy0yCLbKhdjO3By--BgycVEDsMJz8fCYosYl-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Worcester City, MA","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","At the May 16 Green Worcester Advisory Committee meeting (held June 16), members of the decarbonization benchmarks task force moved and approved a request that the Department of Sustainability and Resilience (DSR) research how Worcester’s greenhouse‑gas emissions and reduction progress compare with other mid‑sized U.S. cities.

Ted Connor moved the request; Evelyn Hurwitz seconded. The motion asks DSR to identify comparable cities, report the metrics and data availability, and, if Worcester is not a leader, highlight practices used by peer cities that are achieving stronger reductions. Committee members asked DSR to return at a future meeting with a recommended approach and a timeline for completing that research. The committee agreed that an initial report or a feasibility update by the fall would be appropriate; DSR staff indicated some of the required inventories and data are already available.

The motion builds on the committee’s interest in tracking annual greenhouse‑gas inventories and in learning how Worcester’s progress compares with peers. Members said benchmarking could help the city identify practical policies and programs used elsewhere and guide prioritization of limited subsidies and staff resources.

Ending

DSR staff agreed to investigate data sources and present options on timing and methodology at a subsequent meeting for committee review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Green Worcester Advisory Committee 06/16/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee voted to ask the Department of Sustainability and Resilience to compare Worcester’s greenhouse‑gas reduction progress with similar‑sized U.S. cities and report back with options and a proposed timeline.","taxTitle","Worcester City, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",3734,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6175603,"Advisory committee discusses model ordinances to protect large trees; agrees to continue item and coordinate with Urban Forestry Tree Commission",1124,2016000,3140000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2&start=2016&end=3140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2/thumbnail_2016000.jpg","/articles/6175603/Massachusetts/Advisory-committee-discusses-model-ordinances-to-protect-large-trees-agrees-to-continue-item-and-coordinate-with-Urban-Forestry-Tree-Commission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6175603-63c2b24046561f55c982ec15817714a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112372&Signature=fDnWeDm~SeScu070lkhzZ5R09pFmBH3cxDtQugis3dacl-q4C2bRT4H6r0fsMJwmPpG-UGQW1~f4eEbh8sfDnFyvegkXrqsqsUbRphCCmhI4FIoQWnFrLFVLlnYGIvCYRP74r~MvsWDJ42ZDLFtxdpFKHfkVeD6sXzdMEKzOCmlsYUSZwXUEZbXwbhjA-osd-y8P67FUlVmg82AKif-I5kFSvEnwJwbUWwffnkqD31eRyI7FpAB8yq8Yy7Bj9rMUI9gQwDuDylG0oPn2yOvyX6RVQ4LWGt58bH2TKe6EHcVCyc-tqoBzJRGBM7NCgRIQ0k8wIpSaMEpjv1B7-LLykw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Green Worcester Advisory Committee discussed June 16 what it would take to preserve large existing trees within Worcester, reviewing municipal examples and voting to carry the item forward for additional research and coordination with the Urban Forestry Tree Commission.

Ted Connor, who raised the item, summarized ordinances and regulations from multiple municipalities — including Providence; Cambridge; Somerville; Springfield, Mass.; and Sacramento, Calif. — that use diameter‑at‑breast‑height (DBH) thresholds and municipal fees or replacement tree requirements for removal of significant or exceptional trees. Connor noted examples in other cities where fines or a city tree fund finance replacement plantings and where thresholds and exemptions vary by jurisdiction.

Committee members emphasized enforcement, exemptions for risky or hazardous trees, and the need to coordinate closely with the Urban Forestry Tree Commission and city departments. AJ Elton, introduced in the discussion as a community forester with past experience in Providence and the Green Infrastructure Center, was cited by members as a resource on implementation and enforcement challenges.

Evelyn Hurwitz and other members urged collaboration with the Urban Forestry Tree Commission and the new urban forestry master plan, which committee members said already includes action items to consider how development accounts for trees. Members discussed precedents such as ordinances that treat native species differently, thresholds used to define “significant” or “exceptional” trees, and replacement ratios (for example, planting multiple small trees for the loss of a large DBH specimen).

Committee action: At the meeting the committee moved and approved a motion to keep the tree‑preservation discussion on the committee’s agenda as continued business so members can research ordinance language, enforcement mechanisms and coordination with the Urban Forestry Tree Commission. Committee chair Mary Nittle called for the motion; Ted Connor moved it and Evelyn Hurwitz seconded. There were no recorded objections and the motion passed.

Ending

Members said they will continue research on model ordinances, enforcement language and exemption procedures and will coordinate next steps with the Urban Forestry Tree Commission and city staff.","Members reviewed examples from other cities, discussed thresholds and enforcement challenges, and voted to keep tree protection on future agendas and coordinate with Worcester's Urban Forestry Tree Commission.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":80,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6175608,"City, Mass Audubon and consultants outline Broadmeadow Brook restoration to reduce flooding and restore habitat",1813,203000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2&start=203&end=2016","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5353086-4a488ca60fa1c81ae4182bc32c0d5ac2/thumbnail_203000.jpg","/articles/6175608/Massachusetts/City-Mass-Audubon-and-consultants-outline-Broadmeadow-Brook-restoration-to-reduce-flooding-and-restore-habitat","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6175608-9ab824ed742dc8293778fbb6ba73bc0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771112372&Signature=OFyshZMPDQOFrUJcvDAyUPGDgKDtPyN7Nkto3go2s~uZZ0o1HqB1NEVSffTBeQsTE4u7hL18rMD8tPXazq7Xa0I4xduf8HklBnwoIbZa2wic0WesGyHhqFDnD~aVF2O18XDc5DsOtXdbirFXn6jtyOLJJeKcUgo~vMIhVClSD9ONlWF~hd9dOVBfgDbfUktR45QI54i~mvQNSrkLrKzS4TXxmaiEKULcfQTCZastr7WRzAH2FRotDd5ynA-hlkcHXfxiIt200pv2zcyeS5uTjUf5V7UGStPVTYi-6snNP788l~VIeJakRnUruVCR24QgOdNJRMhPaD0RvhCU4XTVEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kate Benson, a project lead with the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, and Alex Simpson of engineering firm Weston & Sampson presented conceptual designs June 16 to the Green Worcester Advisory Committee for restoring Broadmeadow Brook and the adjacent Broadmeadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary.

The proposal centers on removing sections of an elevated earthen berm that was built to carry a sewer force main and has constrained the brook into a straightened channel. The city decommissioned the force main in 2020; presenters said the berm and former causeway now prevent the brook from accessing its natural floodplain and limit the wetland's ability to store floodwater, settle sediment and process nutrients.

Restoration proponents said the site is a roughly 40-acre wetland complex with about 20 acres dominated by dense stands of invasive phragmites, which they said reduce habitat value and flood-storage capacity. Benson said the project team envisions removing or lowering parts of the berm so the stream can meander across its floodplain, increasing residence time for stormwater and improving water quality downstream. She also described community-access improvements such as new boardwalks and viewing platforms so neighbors can safely use the sanctuary.

Simpson described watershed modeling and a screening of green‑infrastructure opportunities. He said the project team screened the catchment, identified about 42 potential green‑infrastructure locations across the watershed and prioritized clustered sites where interventions would gain scale economies. He showed concepts for school grounds (Rice Square school) that would replace impervious surfaces with porous paving, plantings and a floodable field to reduce runoff, provide shade and outdoor learning space.

Presenters said the brook is affected by flashy flows from an upstream watershed that is roughly 40% impervious and that a downstream 600-foot buried culvert currently limits riparian interaction. They noted historic leaks from the once-oversized force main in 2011 and 2015 and said the Dunkirk Avenue pump station and the Route 20 sewer reconfiguration reduced the need for the old main prior to its decommissioning.

Committee members asked about project sequencing, monitoring and funding. Benson said the team has preliminary conceptual designs and plans to collect additional site data (subsurface conditions, groundwater monitoring, permitting-level analyses) before proceeding to permitting. She said the project will be multi‑year and likely phased; the team is engaging the Conservation Commission and expects state and local permits will be required.

On invasive phragmites, presenters said removal will be multi‑year and require repeated cutting, herbicide treatment and extraction of rhizome mats so the root mass no longer elevates the plant above the wetland surface. The presenters said monitoring will include water‑quality sampling (noting the Blackstone River Coalition already monitors water quality at the sanctuary) and ecological tracking to record flood‑storage and habitat changes.

Benson and Simpson credited Mass Audubon, the City of Worcester (including Dave Harris and Sewer Operations) and consultants (Princeton Hydro, Weston & Sampson) as project partners. They said the team has held listening sessions with neighbors and youth groups and will continue community engagement as designs advance. The team said they will pursue funding and aim to complete permitting‑level plans over the coming year, then move toward permitting and phased construction when funds become available.

The committee requested future updates; presenters said they would return with progress reports and that staff contact information was available.

Ending

Presenters described the project as an effort to return the sanctuary toward a “dynamic, diverse and self‑sustaining” stream and wetland system while improving recreational access. Benson said the team will continue community engagement, pursue funding and work through permitting and multi‑year, phased construction.","Division of Ecological Restoration and consultants presented conceptual designs to reopen a decommissioned sewer causeway, remove invasive phragmites and add green infrastructure to slow stormwater and improve habitat at Broadmeadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee asks DSR to research greenhouse‑gas benchmarking vs. similar mid‑sized cities

Advisory committee discusses model ordinances to protect large trees; agrees to continue item and coordinate with Urban Forestry Tree Commission

City, Mass Audubon and consultants outline Broadmeadow Brook restoration to reduce flooding and restore habitat