Activity by city workers and contractors on Crescent Road in South Surrey – including tree-felling between 35 and 35A Avenues and construction work in the vicinity of the Historic Stewart Farmhouse – has raised concerns among residents who have contacted the Peace Arch News in recent weeks.
But Surrey city staff say that ongoing work is nothing out of the ordinary.
City spokesperson Oliver Lum said that – according to the city’s parks department – the tree work is “hazard tree abatement” associated with Elgin Heritage Park.
“Some of the hazard trees are along the road edge and if they were to fail, they would strike the road,” he responded in an email. “The trees being removed are dead or dying or have significant structural defects.”
But that doesn’t satisfy 20-year Crescent Road residents Fred and Lori Cotton, who sent PAN photos of what they believe to have been healthy trees that were felled at the beginning of November.
“I’m not an arborist by any means, and I can tell by looking at some of the trees that there is rot inside of them,” Lori Cotton told PAN Thursday, adding that tree felling in the neighbourhood had continued last week.
“But a lot appear to be healthy, including some very old trees that must be around 120 years old – from what I understand that was the last time this area was forested and replanted,” she said.
“People have gone by and left flowers on the stumps. A lot of my neighbours are upset. People are curious why, all of a sudden, this has to happen.”
She added that it would be helpful to residents if the city made arborists reports on the trees public or if there was some formal notification that would help people understand why the work is taking place.
“That would good – rather than just showing up with chainsaws,” she said. “People freak out.”
Meanwhile, Jeff Arason, design and construction manager with the city’s engineering department, told PAN by email that ongoing work at 13568 Crescent Rd., near Stewart Farmhouse, has been to remove stormwater ponds “installed as an esthetic feature by a previous landowner” and returning the watercourse to its natural state.
He added that – weather permitting – construction should be complete this week.
Arason acknowledged that neighbours had voiced concerns since construction started in August, particularly when the contractor began using a diesel pump to bypass Chantrell Creek around the worksite.
“Residents expressed some concerns with both the noise and emissions from the diesel pump,” he said.
He noted the city had halted work while the contractor made revisions to the onsite electrical system so that pumps could be used, which had solved the noise and emission problems.