A massive chestnut tree sits on a Steveston property, almost amidst an urban forest, shading the nearby houses.
But with the passing of the property owner, Joe Bauer, last year and the recent sale of the property – which is actually three lots in one – the neighbours are worried the tree will come down if houses are built on the property.
For Trevor Stickler, who lives across the street from the massive tree, the chestnut tree symbolizes the history of Steveston and Richmond.
“If we lose this tree, it’s an example of the city’s inability to save its history,” Stickler told the Richmond News.
“It’s been here longer than any of the residents,” said Wendy Gillespie, who lives two houses down from the tree and has a view of its glory from her front deck.
Gillespie is also concerned about the wildlife that depends on the chestnut tree and other growth on the property, located on the 3000-block of Broadway Street near Garry Point Park.
She has written to mayor and council about her concerns for the trees on the property.
Bauer was a Steveston fisherman and academic who lived on the property for much of his life. The house was originally occupied by a Japanese family, the Otsus, according to Butch Sakamoto, a friend of Bauer. The Otsus were interned during Second World War and this is when the Bauers moved in.
Sakamoto said the tree was planted when the Japanese family lived there, so it must pre-date the Second World War.
Because the property is already zoned for three houses, the current owner doesn’t have to rezone the property, rather just subdivide it, something that doesn’t require city council approval.
This process is currently going through city hall.
The City of Richmond’s tree policy was amended by city council earlier this year in an effort to protect “significant trees,” those that are 36 inches or greater in diameter.
Sakamoto, however, said the property has been neglected for some time and he’s concerned the chestnut tree – which has about half a dozen large trunks rather than one large trunk – is in bad shape, rotting in the middle where leaves and other debris has fallen into over the years.
Because the subdivision process, which includes evaluating any tree preservation possibilities, is currently underway, ”it is premature to discuss or even speculate on any impact to trees at this time,” city spokesperson Clay Adams told the News.
The developer that applied in May to subdivide the property is Stockholm (Garry Point) Development Ltd.
