The Swampscott Planning Board voted to approve proposed changes to town bylaws regarding the process of replacing dead trees on commercial property. 

The new language states that if a tree dies, it must be replaced by a tree of at least the same size, based on diameter. The tree must also be placed in the same location. 

If a tree with a caliper of at least four inches dies, the commercial property owner has the option to replace it with a tree the same size or larger, or the owner can replace it with any tree with at least a four-inch caliper as well as a donation of a tree to the town. 

In this case, the combined calipers of the replacement tree and the donated tree must add up to equal or greater the size of the dead tree. 

The Planning Board cooperated with the Swampscott Tree Committee to create the guidelines, which are set to be added to December’s annual Town Meeting warrant. 

The change would be made to Section 3.3.1.0, titled General Landscaping and Screening Requirements. 

The idea of making the change comes from a question the Tree Committee received from a commercial property owner in town who had asked if he could replace a dead tree with a smaller tree.