Another new home and more trees being down, but is Delta really losing its canopy?
The recent removal of eight healthy trees from a residential lot in Sunshine Hills to make way for a new house and swimming pool has neighbours upset with one complaining the loss of trees has become “out of control.”
It’s a complaint that’s been echoed about other developments throughout the city.
However, according to planning staff, Delta, which updated the tree protection bylaw five years ago, has seen the tree canopy actually grow.
Earlier this year council approved a land use contract discharge application for the Sunshine Hills property at 6787 Ryall Cres. to permit the construction of a single-detached dwelling.
It turned out to be a heated debate as Lois Jackson was the lone member of council to vote in opposition, having conveyed concern about virtually all the trees being removed from the site.
She had been raising the issue of trees repeatedly at council for over a year.
“I hate to belabor this point, but once again more trees are being removed. No one cares about the trees but me I guess,” said Jackson at that meeting.
“We talk often about the environment and how we [Delta] are doing and then we are cutting down all the trees in North Delta. I don’t see how that is environmentally-friendly.”
Coun. Bruce McDonald took exception to those comments.
“I take exception that there is only one member of this council who cares about trees,” he said. “I have lived here for 50 years and watched the tree canopy get bigger. I take real exception to that. Unless you can come up with a logical reason to change the design, people who own property have some property rights. We are planning two for one and we have photographic evidence that the tree canopy is growing in North Delta whether you believe it or not.”
A report to council noted the property was densely treed in the rear yard and that the applicant was proposing a swimming pool and shed in the rear, which would significantly impact all of the on-site trees located there.
For that reason, the applicant wanted to remove all seven rear trees and also one front yard on-site tree due to a conflict with the proposed driveway.
The report noted an arborist had identified and assessed a total of 11 trees - eight on the property and three located on neighbouring properties in close proximity.
The condition listed for all were either “moderate” or “moderate-good” and that reasons for removal was they were in conflict with the new construction.
All of the eight on-site trees were proposed for removal, while the off-site trees were to be retained.
The city’s two-for-one policy meant 16 replacement trees were required.
Tree removal and replacement plans were provided, including a security deposit for the retention of the off-site trees.
The applicant proposed two replacement trees to be planted on-site and would provide cash-in-lieu for the remaining required replacement trees.
Mayor George Harvie noted that in Delta, development applicants are required to provide two replacement trees for every tree removed, or an equivalent contribution of cash-in-lieu of replacement trees
A tree cutting permit was recently issued for the removal of the trees in conjunction with the owner's building permit applications.
A report to council last year noted an analysis based on 2016 aerial photos showed increases in the tree canopy in all three Delta communities from the 2004 baseline.
The city said the canopy growth could be attributed to a more restrictive tree protection bylaw that was adopted in conjunction with an urban reforestation project.
That urban reforestation project was to have resulted in 4,400 trees planted by the end of 2019, while an additional 500 trees were to have been planted through the Trees for Tomorrow program.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Delta civic staff were to develop a new Urban Forestry Action Plan this year.
That plan is expected to cost between $50,000-to-$100,000 annually.
“This action plan will establish specific targets for tree canopy coverage and it will consider all options to support tree protection and planting efforts in the coming years,” community planning director Marcy Sangret told the Optimist.
A staff report notes that in addition to updating and setting targets for increasing Delta's urban forest, the plan will also consider options within the city including provincial, Delta school district and privately owned lands.
“Opportunities for reforesting areas and planting larger trees will be identified while considering the best species for the site given the changing climate. The contribution of the urban forest to biodiversity and the habitat it provides will be recognized along with specific actions for further enhancement,” the report notes.
As an immediate action, a letter was sent to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure requesting an agreement be developed with Delta that will allow for tree planting in specified areas along provincial highways in Delta.
As far as the clearing of the lot in Sunshine Hills, Mayor George Harvie wrote a letter to the resident who had written raising concern about how Delta had allowed the removal, telling the resident the property owner had followed all the requirements and during the public consultation there were no speakers in opposition to the project.
Harvie said whenever council makes decisions about tree removal on private lands, it always needs to balance private property interests with measures to protect and retain trees.
“I am aware that staff raised concerns about the proposed tree removal with the owner as part of the application process. However, there were multiple components to this application, including a proposed swimming pool and shed, and the owner was unable to find a solution to shift the location of the pool and shed in order to save one or more trees,” Harvie wrote.
Harvie went on to say that since the trees were removed he has received correspondence from a number of concerned residents, so he asked staff to expedite bringing forward the Urban Forestry Action Plan.
“While I realize this does not address your immediate concerns, it will provide Council with an additional policy tool to make decisions in the future,” Harvie stated.
Council four years ago contemplated introducing an even tougher tree protection bylaw.
They stopped short of having staff come up with new legislation, instead asking for an update on the tree loss situation and what other municipalities were doing.
Council at the time endorsed a recommendation, however, to allow property owners to prune and maintain trees on private property without a tree cutting permit, provided they follow industry endorsed pruning standards.
Delta updated its tree bylaw in 2015 to allow one tree to be cut without an arborist's report, or outside of an emergency, every 24 months instead of one each calendar year.
Some of the other changes included requiring five replacement trees for every tree cut or damaged without a permit or contrary to a permit, and removing the maximum $2,000 permit fee to ensure applications for a large number of trees being cut pay their fair share.
The amended bylaw also provided council with the ability to reject applications for 24 months for properties where trees have been cut in violation of the legislation.
Before those changes, the previous revision of the tree bylaw was in 2006.
