Do more to protect trees, council urged

By Brooke Larsen - Staff Reporter

Tree-loving residents urged Coquitlam councillors to turn over a new leaf at a council meeting Tuesday evening.

Chris Thorne told council he was "disappointed" that a large number of trees were cleared for a development at 637 Sydney Ave. recently, and asked council to create a stronger tree protection bylaw.

"I would like council to consider enacting bylaws that would set standards for future development in our neighbourhood," said Thorne, who lives next to the Sydney site.

"I'm disappointed that not a single mature tree has been preserved on the site. I believe this property is very unique," he said.

Last week, city spokesperson Therese Mickelson said the city is requiring the owner of the property to replace 37 of the trees.

Thorne said that while he's not against clearing some trees for development, he would like to see a stronger tree protection bylaw in place - the city's current tree bylaw applies only to trees on slopes or those that present a safety risk.

"I believe mature trees have numerous benefits to reducing air and sound pollution, providing shade, habitat for local wildlife, wind protection for other trees," Thorne said.

"They need protection from the city to ensure that development is in the best interests of the community."

John Bailey, who also lives near the site, said council should consider the relationships between trees and the role they play in stabilizing each other when considering the bylaw.

Earlier in the meeting, council directed staff to prepare a report comparing tree protection bylaws throughout the Lower Mainland.

Coun. Mae Reid said she sympathized with Thorne, calling his neighbourhood "an exceptional area of Coquitlam.

"I don't know if there is a way we can manage to stop cutting trees on flat land, private property, but I think there's not a member of council sitting at this table that wouldn't like staff to look at this," she said, adding that she has received several calls from residents concerned about the Sydney development.

Coun. Louella Hollington said staff should find out about tree protection bylaws in other municipalities.

"I know that there are [communities] that have more stringent bylaws regarding cutting trees than what Coquitlam has," Hollington said. "Maybe it's time that we started looking into it ourselves."

But Coun. Lou Sekora said he isn't so sure.

"I've got mixed feelings about the city getting into some kind of bylaw controlling the trees on private property," he said.

"We all like trees, but certain developments in the community must happen."

Creating a bylaw that protects trees on private property could be harder than it sounds, according to registered forester Dwight Yochim.

That's because clearing away some trees to build a home makes the remaining trees on the lot less stable, Yochim, a Coquitlam resident, said in an interview Wednesday.

"It becomes a danger to the homes that are being built there," he said, adding that the trees on the Sydney site are roughly 80 years old and would not be considered old growth.

Yochim, who was an outspoken critic of a proposed development at 1255 Durant Dr. - which council eventually declined to approve - said it's also important that cities respect the rights of private landowners.

"Private individuals should have some say about what they do on their private land," he said.

"How do you create a bylaw that addresses those challenges? It's next to impossible to do. I think the neighbours have to realize that their land was cleared to put their house there, so you have to look at that side of the coin."

PoCo's tree bylaw, which passed in 2005, requires residents to obtain a permit before cutting down a tree, with some exceptions.

published on 09/08/2006