Quarry Glen Site Tree Lopping
The City of Ottawa has a problem. Not a new one by any means. It has to learn to firmly deal with aggressive to the point of aggressively-arrogant builders. If for no other reason than to demonstrate that commercial building interests do not rule City Hall. And also for the very good reason of protecting Ottawa's environmental landscape.
It takes an awfully long time for a tree to grow to maturity. Trees play a vital role in our health, absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. Trees are elemental to any landscape. And they are beautiful and productive, and most people appreciate the necessity of their presence.
Builders, like the Minto Group, should certainly know better, they've been around the block countless times, take far too much for granted. Despoiling the public landscape is in no one's interest, although Minto appears to believe wholeheartedly it is in their interest. As housing developers they are anxious to get on with things, proceed with their plans, whether or not they have been given lawful permission.
In the latest of a regrettable string of such activities that have occurred in the past, the company initiated tree-cutting at what it has quaintly named its Quarry Glen site, without proper authorization. The activity was halted when the city forwarded notice of a stop-work order to "refrain from cutting down any trees". By the time activity was brought to a halt, the work was done.
How dreadfully convenient. They've got ahead of their game. The city claims that the incident is "under investigation", while at the same time terming the action "an apparent contravention" of its tree bylaw. If a homeowner undertook to chop down a sizeable tree on his own property without first obtaining permission from the city, there would be an investigation - and a fine.
The requisite site-plan review with the issuance of a permit did not follow usual channels whereby developers must obtain permits before taking down trees greater than 10 centimetres in diameter. Residents of the area in Orleans claim Minto cleared up to 300 trees, many 30 to 40 feet in height.
"They cannot think they can go ahead and do whatever the hell they want and get away with it", observed one resident. "You can't just say, 'Well, it was coming anyway so we just went ahead and did it prior to having approval'", commented another. They're perfectly right. Irrespective of the fact that this is precisely how Minto approached the problem and proceeded to deal with it.
As for Minto, its vice-president of land development, Jack Stirling, denies the claims, calling the number and size of the trees cited as "wildly exaggerated". What was cut, he claims, was "a bunch of brush ... there were maybe 10 trees with a (diameter) of 10 centimetres." Because the investigation is underway the city's forestry officials would not comment.
Most trees, he explained, would not survive the regrading that has to be performed in most developments. Minto is concerned about its project as a good place "for smart growth". "In order to do that, you have to cut some trees." Interesting point of view, that.
Around 45 years ago another builder, a quality-home builder from Britain, Thomas Costain, decided to build in the Ottawa greenbelt, with properly accredited permission. This was to be a new, model community with underground utilities, a park system stretching throughout the community.
And the original trees, where feasible, left standing. They succeeded, and produced Blackburn Hamlet.
It takes an awfully long time for a tree to grow to maturity. Trees play a vital role in our health, absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. Trees are elemental to any landscape. And they are beautiful and productive, and most people appreciate the necessity of their presence.
Builders, like the Minto Group, should certainly know better, they've been around the block countless times, take far too much for granted. Despoiling the public landscape is in no one's interest, although Minto appears to believe wholeheartedly it is in their interest. As housing developers they are anxious to get on with things, proceed with their plans, whether or not they have been given lawful permission.
In the latest of a regrettable string of such activities that have occurred in the past, the company initiated tree-cutting at what it has quaintly named its Quarry Glen site, without proper authorization. The activity was halted when the city forwarded notice of a stop-work order to "refrain from cutting down any trees". By the time activity was brought to a halt, the work was done.
How dreadfully convenient. They've got ahead of their game. The city claims that the incident is "under investigation", while at the same time terming the action "an apparent contravention" of its tree bylaw. If a homeowner undertook to chop down a sizeable tree on his own property without first obtaining permission from the city, there would be an investigation - and a fine.
The requisite site-plan review with the issuance of a permit did not follow usual channels whereby developers must obtain permits before taking down trees greater than 10 centimetres in diameter. Residents of the area in Orleans claim Minto cleared up to 300 trees, many 30 to 40 feet in height.
"They cannot think they can go ahead and do whatever the hell they want and get away with it", observed one resident. "You can't just say, 'Well, it was coming anyway so we just went ahead and did it prior to having approval'", commented another. They're perfectly right. Irrespective of the fact that this is precisely how Minto approached the problem and proceeded to deal with it.
As for Minto, its vice-president of land development, Jack Stirling, denies the claims, calling the number and size of the trees cited as "wildly exaggerated". What was cut, he claims, was "a bunch of brush ... there were maybe 10 trees with a (diameter) of 10 centimetres." Because the investigation is underway the city's forestry officials would not comment.
Most trees, he explained, would not survive the regrading that has to be performed in most developments. Minto is concerned about its project as a good place "for smart growth". "In order to do that, you have to cut some trees." Interesting point of view, that.
Around 45 years ago another builder, a quality-home builder from Britain, Thomas Costain, decided to build in the Ottawa greenbelt, with properly accredited permission. This was to be a new, model community with underground utilities, a park system stretching throughout the community.
And the original trees, where feasible, left standing. They succeeded, and produced Blackburn Hamlet.
Labels: Environment, Nature, Ontario, Ottawa, Social-Cultural Deviations
posted by Pieface @ 5:52 PM
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