A White Rock woman concerned that hillside trees popular with local eagles are in danger is hoping to convince city officials and the owner of a redevelopment site to “think outside the box.”
Sandy McNamee was to voice her concerns in a delegation to council this week, in the hopes of saving five mature Douglas firs – one that stands on the lot in question and four on city land abutting the property at 15265 Victoria Ave. – that would be irreparably damaged by excavation.
“This is eagle habitat,” said McNamee. “They soar right here.”
In a report to council Monday evening – received after Peace Arch News’ press deadline – Paul Stanton, the city’s director of planning and development services, notes the owner of the Victoria Avenue lot has submitted an arborist’s report that recommends removing all five trees.
The applicant has the right to excavate to the property line, Stanton writes, and that work will cut into the city trees’ critical roots, rendering the firs a liability.
“They have this right to ensure the tree roots do not become a future nuisance to their home, and the city does not have any proprietary rights over the tree roots that extend into their lot,” Stanton writes.
The property is not subject to the city’s tree-management bylaw, as it is located outside of designated tree-protection areas, Stanton writes.
McNamee said she has been looking into the issue for two weeks, since learning the lot had been sold. The trees are among favourite perch sites for eagles that are also often seen in trees on the Marine Drive hump, she said.
McNamee said the trees in question fit all of the city’s own descriptions for significant trees. As well, several documents highlight the importance of tree preservation, she noted.
While McNamee suggested a land swap as an option, Stanton’s report notes the applicant “very clearly expressed the fact that they were not interested in any land exchange.”
Legal advice confirmed there is little the city can do, Stanton wrote.