East Richmond residents up in arms about healthy trees taken down

Residents of East Richmond’s Hamilton neighbourhood are shocked after finding a row of healthy trees were chopped down at the end of June.

The decimation of the trees was due to a mixed-use building being developed at the corner of Gilley Road and Smith Crescent, which includes 186 residential units, a residential amenity space and a possible community policing station.

Long-time Hamilton resident Lori Williams described the sight of the fallen trees as “appalling and sad.”

“You know what makes me sick to my stomach? Trees can lower the temperature by 10 degrees, and I find it absolutely a crime that city council voted all but one in favour of ripping down those beautiful trees,” said Williams.

“They were healthy and thick-trunked trees that could’ve easily been saved, maybe not all but at least some.”

According to a city report, 59 trees on the site needed to be removed including one off-site city tree and two hedges from the city boulevard.

Three off-site neighbouring trees were required to be protected.

Due to the city’s tree protection bylaw, for every tree taken down (within a certain size of the tree trunk), two must be replanted in its place.

However, developers can also pay a tree compensation fund, which is what Maskeen (Hamilton) Properties Corp., the developer, has decided to do.

Rather than replacing 118 trees on-site, the developer will voluntarily contribute $26,112 towards the city’s tree compensation fund -- $768 for each tree replacement.

The money will then be used for “tree planting elsewhere in the city.”

The report also mentions developers have a landscape design that will include planting 84 trees of 10 species.

Richmond City Council voted 8-1 to approve the development permit for the proposal with Coun. Michael Wolfe opposing the project because of the decision to take down a lot of the trees.

“(This) is one of those wipe the slate clean, remove every possible tree and not put the amount you’re supposed to back into the ground,” said Wolfe at June 10’s city council meeting.

Wolfe was hoping to save at least the significantly large trees that lined the perimeter of the site but could not with his one vote against eight.

Resident Williams told the Richmond News this mimics a similar situation at a building currently under construction on Gilley Road.

She said a line of trees was taken down and instead of planning space on the site or nearby, they were placed behind the tennis courts – one block down – in Hamilton.

“There are plans of putting a sidewalk here, which is great, but this looks (like) nothing but a concrete jungle. There’s no greenspace. It’s just depressing,” said Williams.

“(City council is) talking about trying to preserve trees, lower temperatures and being good for the environment, and then they turn around and almost unanimously and say ‘yeah, rip them down.’ Huge, healthy trees. It makes me want to cry.”

Lack of communication between city and residents

A development permit and public hearing sign have been placed on the development site for a while in Hamilton, but not all residents received notice about the project.

While residents in the apartment building have received a stock card with information on the development permit committee meeting for the project, Williams who lives past Hamilton Community Centre, said she never received any information card on the meeting nor about the project coming to council.

“You know there’s a development, but you don’t assume that they’re going to rip down a bunch of old trees,” said Williams.

“I feel like if they want to do something like that, that’s so detrimental to the environment, then they should be doing a mailout to the community to let us have a chance.”

She added the general public doesn't attend city council meetings on a regular basis “unless there’s an issue you know about” and regular community meetings to receive public input are “not enough.”

“Unless the rest of the community is notified that this is going to be discussed, then we would have no way of knowing.”

The Richmond resident further stated the responsibility should be on the city to increase their communication with local neighbourhoods like Hamilton.

“I want people to have a say and I don’t think the onus should be on us to know everything that’s happening in the neighbourhood.

“I think the onus should be on the city to inform the community and invite them to come to the council meetings and not just community meetings for input.”

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