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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 29, 2006 - 3 Trees belong to residents, not the Town Continued from page 1 After four hours of discussion and input from a standing-roomonly crowd at Town Hall, councillors on the committee -- whose recommendation will go for debate by full council Monday -- admitted they had heard loud and clear from residents. "Nothing has, to my experience, generated the kind of communication, mostly against the proposal, as this on my time on council," said Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll. He said even the issues dealing with pesticide and growth in Oakville, north of Dundas Street, didn't draw such reaction. Many residents have paid for, planted and cared for abundant trees on their properties and are indignant about a proposed private tree bylaw that would impose fees, the need for arborist reports, written permission from neighbours and hefty fines when it comes to removal or adjustment of their trees. The fact that the issue was put out for public consultation during the summer season -- something which the Town doesn't normally do -- was also seen as an affront. Despite all that, residents inundated councillors, and the Town, with correspondence and input and showed up full force at Town Hall Tuesday to express their displeasure. The crowd, whose members spoke predominantly against the proposed bylaw, was cordial, applauded all opinions and ultimately appeared to agree that clear cutting is the issue. They covered a wide range of issues -- defending property rights, scoffing at tax grabs, suggesting the Town manage Town trees better, suggesting nosy neighbours shouldn't have a say in someone else's business, calling for preservation of irreplaceable heritage trees, desiring to ensure the benefit trees bring to the environment and health. With the proposed private tree bylaw billed by Ward 3 Councillor Chris Stoate as a solution in search of a problem, clear cutting was identified as the problem. It will become a bigger one, too -- as the provincial government calls for 40 per cent of the phenomenal growth heading to Oakville -- its share of growth coming to the Greater Golden Horseshoe -- to occur in existing neighbourhoods. In south Oakville there is an abundance of trees -- most of them on private property -- and it's there that residents have been seeing properties in their neighbourhoods clear cut to make way for redevelopment, often of several homes where one used to stand. In north Oakville, clear cutting has also been witnessed, but on a grander scale as woodlots are LIESA KORTMANN/ OAKVILLE BEAVER SERIOUS BUSINESS: Oakville citizens made it a standing-room-only crowd at Town Hall Tuesday as they came out to protest a proposed private tree bylaw. Stoate, in whose ward such clear cutmowed down to make way for campaign, NTBiN attracted 617 entire subdivisions. members in just a few short weeks. ting has occurred when large lots are sevThe repercussions of growth Its sole purpose is to educate peo- ered into smaller ones for redevelopment, are also evidenced in people's per- ple about the proposed tree bylaw, said he believed staff wouldn't find a means to grow teeth large enough to take spectives on trees. speak against it and disband. In south Oakville, most of the In the end, the committee a bite out of clear cutting without some greenspace is on private property. voted unanimously to discontinue type of bylaw. Mayor Ann Mulvale reminded council Some worry it's at risk because it's work on the private tree bylaw private, others say it's only there that was modeled after those exist- that its experienced members bowed to because of responsible, private cit- ing in Toronto, Mississauga and lesser experienced politicians resulting in the "indecent haste to get something izens -- and it's prolific. Surrey, B.C. In north Oakville, residents It drew jeers from some, who with small properties depend on said they moved to Oakville public greenspace. because it isn't Toronto, In south Oakville, old-fash- Mississauga or Surrey. ioned construction methods Instead, Ward 3 Councillor paved the way for beautiful tree Cathy Duddeck, whose ward is growth in healthy soil. under fire with the clear cutting issue as redevelopment and intensification begins to unfold, called for staff to do a full exploration of opportunities to protect private 2006 Sonata GL trees through the development 2006 Elantra 5 VE Stock: #U5138 Stock: #U5129 process. Sale: $21,995 Sale: $15,495 Alloys, ABS, moonroof, Auto, air, pg, 17K The proposed private tree "Rental" 16K "Rental" bylaw obviously is not a popular route. 2005 Tucson GL 2004 Santa Fe V6 AWD GLS AWD "Is the issue justified and so Stock: #U5151 Stock: #U5116 important that our rights must be Sale: $23,995 Sale: $22,995 Auto, AWD, air, pg, CD, Warranty until 2010, curtailed?" asked Herring. "We alloys, warranty until 2011 61K, fully loaded. are here to say no. We are 600 Glen Herring 2006 Accent GL 2002 Hyundai strong. They are our trees, not the Stock: #UJ137 Elantra GT Sale: $14,995 Stock: #U5062 In north Oakville, construc- Town's. It's our investment, not Auto, air, pg, CD, Sale: $11,995 "Rental" 15K tion-compacted clay makes it the Town's." Auto, pg, CD, alloys, 46K tough to grow a tree to any stage Though the Town does have of maturity. some say in how development MODEL FEATURES SALE$ Property owners like trees, design occurs through its Site 2005 Accent 5 GL Comfort Grp, S. Grey, 42K, auto, air $13,495 they like the benefits they bring to Plan Committee, it was admitted 2006 Elantra VE Blue, auto, air, pg, CD, keyless, rental, 30K $14,995 life and property values and aes- that properties are being clear cut 2004 Santa Fe GL V6 FWD Auto, air pg, CD, alloys, 55K $17,995 2003 Accent GL Auto, Silver, 73K, air, power group, cd $10,495 thetics. before applicants get to Site Plan 2005 Elantra SE Air, pg, CD, alloys, ABS, moonroof $15,495 Environmentalists want to Committee, so they don't need to 2002 XG350 Canton Cherry, 76K, Auto, A/C, power group, cd $13,995 preserve trees for their beauty and go through hoops about relocat2002 Accent GSI Auto, Black, 47K, sunroof, spoiler $9,495 health benefits. ing driveways or redesigning con2003 Santa Fe GL 5-speed, air, pg, CD, alloys $14,995 Everyone agrees -- to some struction to accommodate stand2002 Sonata GL V6 Green, 48K, auto, air, pg, cd, alloys $13,995 2002 Sonata GL V6 Green, 48K, auto, air, pg, cd, alloys $12,995 extent. ing trees. 2002 Accent GS Silver, 53K, ps, CD, auto $8,495 "This is an assault on property Some residents from southeast rights," said Glen Herring, who, Oakville spoke about crying upon along with residents Doug Hauser getting home from work and find* Prices shown are cash purchases plus admin fee, PST, GST, license fee and gas. and Ivor Davies, founded No Tree ing a neighbour had removed Bylaw is Needed (NTBiN) last nearly 20 huge trees to accommomonth. date a new pool. "How are we a threat to our Replanting just can't replace own trees?" asked Herring. some big, old trees for years to 1071 Speers Road · 905-845-7791 hyundaiofoakville.com Through an e-mail and website come. done in this term of council." This backfired by not allowing staff to do all its homework, she said, resulting in a hastily drafted bylaw that upset the public. Mulvale rounded out Duddeck's recommendation -- which won the day -- by calling for staff to investigate how effective stewardship of both private and public trees could be achieved through alternate means such as tree planting programs, the Town's Urban Forest Management Plan and its Environmental Strategic Plan. She also called for a review of ways to clamp down on clear cutting not only through the development process, but also other means, including working with community groups and calling on the very province imposing intensification for additional ways to manage its resulting problems. Ward 6 Councillor Tom Adams who has been involved in extensive public tree plantings was supported in that vein, but warned off of spending taxpayer money to plant trees on private properties. Environmental proponents reminded the town that property rights are not an enshrined right in Canada and that at a certain point government must rule for the benefit of all. Councillors were reminded of how government controls noise, property setbacks, property standards and more for the benefit of all. Staff is to report back in 2007, to the next term of council. -- Angela Blackburn can be reached at angela@oakvillebeaver.com.