The City of Delta has issued a request for bids for arboricultural services to evaluate construction impacts to existing trees on a street set to have a new sidewalk.
The city is currently working on the preliminary design of a 1.8-metre-wide sidewalk along the north side of Gilmour Cresent to evaluate impacts to existing trees, propose recommendations for removal or relocations and to propose locations for replacement trees. The arborist is to report on trees on both sides of Gilmour Crescent, although the trees on the south side will not be impacted by the proposed sidewalk.
Delta council, meantime, this summer approved a new tree removal policy for city-owned trees that residents or businesses want removed.
A staff report notes that the city’s urban forestry division in the engineering department receives approximately 1,500 service requests from residents and businesses every year regarding trees from city property, expressing a wide range of concerns from safety of large branches, conflicts with a home’s driveway and sap dripping onto vehicles.
The policy establishes circumstances that warrant consideration of city tree removal and circumstances that do not warrant removal. For example, the city would consider removing a city tree if it is assessed as high risk or unsafe and cannot be mitigated through arboriculture practices. That includes a tree that is dead, diseased beyond expectation of recovery or structurally unsound, or if it is damaging a driveway and roots cannot be removed without impacting tree stability.
The city would generally not consider removing a healthy city tree if it is shedding sap on vehicles, blocking scenic views or deemed aesthetically unpleasing, the report explains.
The policy also includes a requirement for the city to install signage advising neighbouring residents and businesses of tree removals, already a practice at the city.
When a city tree is removed, the policy also requires the city to plant a replacement tree wherever possible, also already current practice.
