I am posting this piece from the Peninsula News because it relates to one of the candidates, Sue Stroud. Sue is very concerned about the livablity of Brentwood Bay, but seems to have made an error.
__________________
Tree concern ‘fabrication’
Published: August 05, 2008 1:00 PMFliers anonymously delivered to Central Saanich homes asked for support in pressuring council to save a maple tree that was never considered for removal.
Impassioned letters about the tree located on public land near Brentwood Bay Lodge were brought before council, which agreed the status of the tree was a non-issue. Nobody asked it to be cut down.
“I see this as an opportunity to take a shot at council,” Councillor Bob Thompson said after the meeting. “It was a shot that should never have been fired.”
The landscape plans for the lodge to develop its OceanVillas are publicly available and show that the tree will be retained, with a deliberate design decision to make driveway access through the existing parking lot — not Brentwood Drive — to minimize development impacts on the existing vegetation.
But nobody asked to see these plans before the flier was distributed.
“People don’t realize that [municipal] staff negotiate [with developers] to protect trees,” said Thompson. “People focus on what goes, rather than what we work hard to keep.”
Sue Stroud, who is running for a position on Central Saanich council this fall, posted the plea to save the tree on her blog and told the Peninsula News Review that she printed the fliers, because she said there was a ribbon on the tree that made her think it would be cut as the lodge expands.
Lodge owner Dan Behune said that was a fabrication and he was not aware of any ribbon. The lodge arborist has actually trimmed back ivy that was damaging the tree.
“Nobody is more devoted to protecting trees than we are,” he said. “They add value to the facility.”
Stroud admits that she should have checked more thoroughly into the status of the maple tree. “It’s a lesson learned,” she said.
She removed a photo of the tree from her blog with the caption “maple to be cut,” and edited a July 13 post to read, “The maple … is to be saved apparently, but citizens will have to be watchful.”
She said she remains unconvinced that the tree won’t be cut.
“Council will only say it’s not their intention to cut it, we need a promise,” she said. “We need fines when trees do get damaged.”
Last week, council did approve a long-awaited tree protection bylaw that will ensure trees larger than 60 centimetres in diameter cannot be cut from existing developments without a permit.
editor@peninsulanewsreview.com
1 comment:
This was my letter responding to the Reviews article, I thought you might like to see it. There was never any fabrication and two weeks later another 'protected' tree came down, this time a garry oak.
I like your site Bernard, what an amazing amount of research you are doing. And by the way I think Andrew Lewis is a true statesman.
Cheers
Sue
Lessons for all
Published: August 12, 2008 1:00 PM Before we can move on, we need to address some misconceptions. Yes, lessons were learned. One I forgot this week and one I remembered. I forgot to do my homework, but I remembered to say that I had been wrong.
There is another lesson I’ve learned and that is always to tell the whole story.
My concerns about the maple tree in front of the Brentwood Lodge were reasonable and grounded in precedent. Every developer promises to preserve as many trees as possible, but we never end up with as many left as they pledged ‘every effort’ to save. (Even as I write yet another such tree has come down at the old Sluggett Church site — a seven decades old Garry oak.)
It was stated in the August 6 article that alerting people to the apparent danger this maple tree was in was an “opportunity to take a shot at council.” If that were the case it would certainly be unfair — as unfair as suggesting I only criticize. I take every opportunity to acknowledge good work as in the case of the Brentwood Revitalization when three councillors made sustained, serious efforts to save our trees. Sadly, the trees came down anyway, but let’s give credit where it’s due.
I am pleased that staff and council negotiate with the developers, and like many others, look forward to a time when they will work with residents in a way that makes all concerned feel heard and respected.
Sue Stroud,
Central Saanich
Post a Comment