The development of Willoughby is now well into its second decade, and while new development applications no longer make headlines, the destruction of trees almost always remains an issue.
That was the case on Jan. 24 when Petrina Arnason and Cathleen Vecchiato spoke at a public hearing on Tara Development’s application to rezone 10 acres in the 21000 block of 77A Ave. The proposal is for 60 single family homes, 17 row houses and 19 townhouses.
A public hearing was held in 2009 for the same property which has changed hands since then. The new owner has submitted a plan which requires the removal of 192 “significant” trees, leaving only six.
That is a loss of 95 per cent, Petrina Arnason calculated.
“I question the lack of preservation of forested areas and the obtrusive nature of the development upon its immediate environment as it is currently constituted,” she said.
“The ecological benefit of trees of such age and diversity cannot be duplicated with the substitution of even a myriad of ‘development friendly,’ species,” she added.
Arnason noted the proximity of Tara Farms and its status as an environmentally sensitive area.
Vecchiato condemned the retention of only six trees among the almost 200. Most are cedars between 80 and 100 years old, she said.
“And only six will be saved,” she said.
“I thought it was a joke.”
However, long-time Milner resident Hugh Davis said that he has only seen the hillside logged on two occasions. “It has grown back,” he said of the forest.
Davis told council that in 1930 when he ventured out for his Christmas tree, he saw some trees that were six feet tall. Today, those trees reach 110 feet, he said.
Brooke Whitelaw, whose family owns the next door property at 21112 77A Ave., told council he does not oppose the development, only the subdivision layout that resulted from a land exchange involving his property. He said the Tara Development layout limits what his family wants to do with their property.
Council gave third reading to the zoning bylaw on Monday (Jan. 31).