The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 4 W7IFI'BYFREPRESFM Y,NOJMWK8IU Brunelle worried tree..po.lcy may'not be tough .,enog NO.W OPEN SATURDAYS FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! eExceIIent Selection o CHRISTMAS CRAFTS & GIFTS 2 0%1ooff Christmas Themne Craft Suppli S, fromtheivda **- ~ ~ t the clas. o .oom By Mke Kowalski A tree preservation p olicy for Wihitby muet be tougb to be effective, says councillor Marcel Brunello. MeWey having a policy to fol- low when development proposais are scrâtinized is not 'enough unlesa backed with "muscle» to doter ftential violators, says TIhis «muscle" would"include the right 'to impose financial penalti «es -on developers who remove trees without permission of the znunicipality. Brunelle's commente were made following last week's meet- in of Town council's planning and developmnentcommittee., A staff report on preparmng a tree preservation. policyfo WhitbY' was recommendodbY committee to council. and eec- ted te be deait with Monday. Tlhe report outlines current stops followed in protecting Whitby's trees and examines pro- vincial legisiation aimed at safe- guardingwoodlots. The report was authorized by council earlier this year at Brunelle's instigation. The re ional councillor was furlous tat a Toronte-based developer removed several trees from a subdivision after having promised te preserve the trees. A tree preservation policy was -needed te prevont similar in- cidents fromn occurring again, said Brunelle. While Brunelle was "pleased te see we're on the road te develop- ing a policy,» ho held back total 'Neindcatonfrom the plan- nCg department at this point in t àt is- that it won't be as strong as *rd like it te bes» said Brunelle. However, ho is willing te lot* staff pro pare a draft poiicy state- ment and make appropriate com- monts later if necossary. During tle meeting Brunelle questioned some sections of the *staff report. Ho was concerned with aps sage- which states' that Town staff, in consultation with out- side agencies such as the conser- vation authority, detormine the. fate.of trees when presented with a subdivision proposaI. « If tree preservation is identi- fied as a preferred option a variet of tcniques are tfien employed t implement the pro- servation objectives,» states the report. Bruùnelie said the committee, rather than staff, should doter- mine the fate of trees, but plan- ning directer Bob Short feit otherwise. Short said the- committee wouid be bogged down in details if it chose te, study every aspect of a developinent proposai. ,UI don't think the committee wants te become involved in technical questions,» said Short. «More crop up than you'd'think.» Saying ho did not want te, «complicate» matters at this turne, Brunelle, however, referred te, another passage in the report. a tree preservation policy. should be developed te incor.. porate the present practices of the Town inte a more formaI and consistent set. of guidelines,» states the report. "The policy could. serve as a guidelinie for developers in designing the subdivision as well as Town staff in roviewiniz the plans of subdivision,» it adds. "I think wo need te b. a little stronger than 'guidelines',» said Brunelle. «r'm prepared te lot the nplan- ning department prepare a policy but Fin a littie concerned aâbout the attitude expressed in* this directive,» According te the report, pro- vincial legislation empowering municipalities te protect trees is essentially fimited te the Munici- pal Act and the Trees Act. ý- *The former enables a munfi-ci- pality te* pass bylaws régulating cutting ad removal of trees along Lghiways, but it doos not extend te troos on.private pro- pery. Durham Region, however.,doos have, authority te regimulate tree cutting on private. property under the Trees Act. This Act enables the Region te prohiitthe cutting of I ýtreeo witopecified areas .without prior approval. "ThèEt is intended te 'address woodflot management and conser- vation of the larger woodlots within the Region, rather than single treos or tree'stands within developed aroas,» the, report states. Local municipal involvement is limited ,toeonforcemont, should this responsibiiity be delegated to hity, or example, the report adds. Durham does not y t have a tree cutting bylaw ýbut one- 15 currenti under review, Brunelle told reporters. «ithout i t the Town does -not have the statutery authority,» ho explained. «Perhaps an appeal te the prc>- vinoe te ,give municipalities a stronger voioe in teeproserva- tion is required.» Unfortunately, the two prýovin- cial acts do not give a municipa- lity as much "power and auth- ority» as Brunelie would like. He wants site plan agreements between devolopor and- the Town te specify tat trees will b. protected. «T'hates a binding contraët,» said Brunelle. Penalties would'be imnpoé'*d'on developers removing trees with- out permission of the Towýn. Penalties would include the developor replacing the tree(s) at bis cost or _the Town cashing the developpr's letter of credit te pay for the rplacement. MoÜre study on name chag By Mike KowalskI Whitby's planning department will talce another look at renain- ing an east.end street. Town councii's planning and development committee last 'week referred a recommendation te, change the naine of Bradview Dr. teScadding Dr. back te, staff for further study. The decision te send tho mat- ter back te, staff came at the request of a descendant of the man after whom Bradview Dr. is named. T[he Whitby fire de artmont has asked that counci 'change the naine of Bradview Dr. te avoid confusion with nearby BroadviewAve. Both streets mun off Powell Rd. and tho fire department is con- cerned the similar sounding naines will cause probiems for both the public and emergency vehicles, hence the needte rename on. of the streets. However, Port Perry residont James Hall appeared before cern- mittee to argue agafinst the. pro- posed Scadding Dr. Hall said Bradview Dr. was named for his grandfather Brad- ford Powell, whose farm became the Kendalwood subdivision. The two properties now located on Bradview -Dr. have been in Hall's family for«93years.. Hall owns the home a t 30 Bradview and rents it te another family. His parents roside at 40 Bradview. Hall said the name Bradview has histerical significance te the area, -whereas, Broadview doos not. As fpr the name recommended by staff; 'Tv. nover heard- of Scadding, » said Hall. Plannmng directer Bob Short explained that the name Scad- ding is found on old subdivision plansai Whitby, but does not have any histerical connection te, this speciflc location. If t ho Bradview naine must go Hall suggested it b. replacc with «Sherwood Park Dr." Sher- wood is'the middle naine of both ho and bis father. T HF CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN 0F WHITBY NOTICE Snow Removal For Senior Citizens The Town of Whitby is co-ordinating a snow. removal program for Senior Ciizens vWishing to have driveways and sidewalks cleared. The Seniors ' Activity Centre has recruited incfividuals who are wiIling, to provide this service. Any senior- in the. Town of Whitby requlring tis servie should oeil the Seniors' Activity Centre at 668-7919 between, the hours of 9:00 arn. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays.