[CANUFNET] City of Cambridge, Ontario: New Private Tree Bylaw

[Debra Huron via CANUFNET]

Good morning,

I am a citizen activist living in Ottawa. As such, I am intimately
familiar with the Urban Tree Conservation by-law that has been in effect
here since 2009.
It's good to see that Cambridge has set 20 cm DBH as its baseline for
injury or destruction of trees. This will allow you to capture many
conifers, which, in Ottawa, are currently being destroyed with great
regularity on private property because they don't often reach 50 cm DBH
(the definition of a "distinctive tree" under Ottawa's by-law). I note
that your by-law, like Ottawa's, uses a permitting process to manage
protection of trees.
May I ask for clarification on two aspects of the bylaw?

Attached are 2 screen captures from your by-law. 

On page 5, there seems to be a grandfathering clause in effect. Could
you clarify what this refers to, please?
On page 11, the bylaw seems to say that if a property owner has an
approved building permit, s/he can injure or destroy one tree as a
matter of course if the tree is within 10 metres of the building
footprint. Am I correct in this interpretation?  And the property owner
can destroy up to 2 trees within 10 metres of a building footprint if
s/he compensates the city for their removal.  I'd be curious to know why
the bylaw is held in abeyance simply because a property owner has a
building permit?
Thanks for your clarification.  
**



-------------------
> Hi Brian:
> 
> Many thanks for sharing this. It’s very interesting and it raises a
> number of questions.> 
> • I was wondering if this ordinance was created with any public input
> and, once enacted, how the public feels about it?> 
> • I may have missed it but I am wondering if there is a complementary
> “building with trees” component that offers practical ways of
> building, e,g. augering or jacking under roots, that supports the
> retention of trees that fall within or in immediate proximity to a
> project’s footprint?> 
> Thanks and kind regards
> Naomi 
> 
>> On Oct 17, 2018, at 2:49 PM, Brian Geerts via CANUFNET
>> <canufnet at list.web.net> wrote:>> 
>> Good afternoon everyone, 
>>  
>> For those who are interested, the City of Cambridge has a brand new
>> private tree bylaw.  It is attached for your reading pleasure.>>  
>> *Brian Geerts*
>> Manager of Forestry and Horticulture
>> *City of Cambridge*
>> Dickson Centre
>> 30 Parkhill Road W. ON N1R 5W8
>>  
>> geertsb at cambridge.ca
>>  
>> Tel:519.740.4681 x4558
>> Fax: 519.624.6975
>>  
>>  
>>  
>> 


>  
>>  


>> 
> Email had 1 attachment:


>  * Cambridge Private Tree by-law certified reduced size.pdf
>   1.7M (application/pdf)
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