City
of White Rock officials say 11 mature cherry trees that were cut this
week along Johnston Road were removed as part of Bosa’s Phase 2 Miramar
Village project. (Tracy Holmes photo)Tree clearing in uptown White Rock surprises, angers
Officials say city is ‘entirely’ exempt from noise bylaw that prohibits early start
White Rock residents say they were surprised and outraged to
discover that trees which lined both sides of Johnston Road were cut
early Sunday morning.
“Words are insufficient to express my dismay, anger, disgust, sadness and helplessness at the sight I came upon when walking down Johnston Road,” Lynda Hornby wrote to Peace Arch News that afternoon.
“At first I could not determine why, all of a sudden, I got this impression of wasteland, this eerie, deserted look on the streets and sidewalk. Then I realized that every single tree has been cut down.”
City manager Dan Bottrill told PAN the work – which city workers told PAN got underway at 4:45 a.m. Sunday – was part of the Johnston Road Gateway plan, following community consultation events in 2016.
Last April, council adopted the “hybrid” concept plan that is now being put into action, he said.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to follow the design that was approved by this community and, ultimately, council, that didn’t include these trees,” Bottrill said Monday, noting many of the trees were determined to be in poor health.
A City of White Rock statement posted online Monday afternoon states replacement trees will be planted.
Bottrill confirmed Sunday’s work was intentionally scheduled for the early morning, at a time that was determined most efficient and least disruptive.
“We had to close the entire road down, for safety’s sake,” Bottrill said. “We were trying to get the work done as quickly as we could.”
While affected businesses were advised of the work, residents were not, he said.
“We weren’t really cutting down any trees right adjacent” to residences such as Miramar Village, he said.
Advised that residents had contacted PAN with concerns about the noise disturbance, Bottrill confirmed the city is “entirely” exempt from its noise bylaw, which prohibits anything that will disturb “the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public” before 6 a.m. Monday to Saturday and before 8 a.m. on Sundays. The bylaw also prohibits work done in connection with construction, excavation, land-clearing and the like on Sundays and holidays, unless council has given written approval.
Bottrill said “typically” the bylaw would be followed, and that the city has to have good reason not to.
Miramar Village resident Stacey Wilson said she was awakened by the work at 6 a.m. Sunday. She said that while she understands why the trees had to be removed, she said the early start was disrespectful to residents.
She said she saw five large chipper trucks, other vehicles and barricades.
“The workers literally were running,” Wilson said by email. “It was something like out of the movies.”
It wasn’t the first time that the trees along Johnston Road have sparked debate.
Most recently, residents last September were upset by the removal of four liquidambar (sweetgum) trees adjacent to the underway PARC project. It was described at the time as necessary for equipment access to that site, and because “construction activity in close proximity to trees is unsafe.”
“Words are insufficient to express my dismay, anger, disgust, sadness and helplessness at the sight I came upon when walking down Johnston Road,” Lynda Hornby wrote to Peace Arch News that afternoon.
“At first I could not determine why, all of a sudden, I got this impression of wasteland, this eerie, deserted look on the streets and sidewalk. Then I realized that every single tree has been cut down.”
City manager Dan Bottrill told PAN the work – which city workers told PAN got underway at 4:45 a.m. Sunday – was part of the Johnston Road Gateway plan, following community consultation events in 2016.
Last April, council adopted the “hybrid” concept plan that is now being put into action, he said.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to follow the design that was approved by this community and, ultimately, council, that didn’t include these trees,” Bottrill said Monday, noting many of the trees were determined to be in poor health.
A City of White Rock statement posted online Monday afternoon states replacement trees will be planted.
Bottrill confirmed Sunday’s work was intentionally scheduled for the early morning, at a time that was determined most efficient and least disruptive.
“We had to close the entire road down, for safety’s sake,” Bottrill said. “We were trying to get the work done as quickly as we could.”
While affected businesses were advised of the work, residents were not, he said.
“We weren’t really cutting down any trees right adjacent” to residences such as Miramar Village, he said.
Advised that residents had contacted PAN with concerns about the noise disturbance, Bottrill confirmed the city is “entirely” exempt from its noise bylaw, which prohibits anything that will disturb “the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public” before 6 a.m. Monday to Saturday and before 8 a.m. on Sundays. The bylaw also prohibits work done in connection with construction, excavation, land-clearing and the like on Sundays and holidays, unless council has given written approval.
Bottrill said “typically” the bylaw would be followed, and that the city has to have good reason not to.
Miramar Village resident Stacey Wilson said she was awakened by the work at 6 a.m. Sunday. She said that while she understands why the trees had to be removed, she said the early start was disrespectful to residents.
She said she saw five large chipper trucks, other vehicles and barricades.
“The workers literally were running,” Wilson said by email. “It was something like out of the movies.”
It wasn’t the first time that the trees along Johnston Road have sparked debate.
Most recently, residents last September were upset by the removal of four liquidambar (sweetgum) trees adjacent to the underway PARC project. It was described at the time as necessary for equipment access to that site, and because “construction activity in close proximity to trees is unsafe.”
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