74 STONEHAVEN TREE CUTTING SHOWS IMPACT OF OFFICIAL PLAN DECISIONS

The decision that led to all the trees being cut down recently at 74 Stonehaven (the land beside the seniors home) was made long before most of us moved to Kanata. It happened when the land that is now Bridlewood was designated urban in the Official Plan. As soon as that decision was made, it became a question of when, not if, the land at 74 Stonehaven would be developed.

What happened at 74 Stonehaven, north of the Beaver Pond and many other locations, is another reason why councillors need to be cautious about approving an expansion of the urban boundary. It is easy to designate land for development when no one lives nearby and there is little knowledge of the environmental significance of the land. Twenty or thirty years later, however, the price we pay becomes clear.

Once land is designated for development the only way to protect it is for the City of Ottawa to buy the land.

This happened with the wooded area beside Deevy Pines Park. It was designated as urban and zoned for high-density development. Because of the environmental significance, it was possible to get Council to agree to purchase the land. The cost of buying land where development is permitted means this option can only be used in a few locations.

KANATA TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

To provide input on transportation and transit issues, my Kanata council colleague Marianne Wilkinson and I are setting up a Kanata Transportation Committee. The goal is to have six to eight people whose interests cover the range of transportation issues affecting our community. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please let me know.

TREE CUTTING BY-LAW INTENDED TO DEAL WITH CLEAR-CUTTING BEFORE DEVELOPMENT APPROVED

Currently, the City has no way of stopping trees from being cut down. A developer can cut down all the trees on a piece of property without leaving any buffers in place and there is nothing the City can do.

In 2004, an attempt was made to adopt a by-law following the clear-cutting of natural environmental land in Kanata Lakes, but council deferred taking action.

The Urban Tree Conservation By-Law will resolve this problem. For properties in the urban part of the City larger than one hectare a Tree Conservation Report must be in place before trees with a trunk that is more than 10 centimetres in diameter can be cut down. Even if the site is to be developed, the by-law will at least ensure that trees needed to provide buffer between existing homes and new development will not be cut down.

For properties smaller than one hectare the only restrictions will be for trees where the trunk is 70 centimetres (about 2’, 4”) across or more. These are trees that are large enough that they contribute to the appearance of the entire community. The intent is similar to the requirement in property standards and zoning by-laws that we maintain our homes in a way that does not detract from the appearance of the community.

The by-law was discussed at the Planning and Environment Committee on June 9. It is expected to go to council at the end of the month.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA SOUTH

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2752 (office), 580-2762 (fax), www.feltmateforkanata.com or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca