When Tim Heller bought a house on 16th Avenue in Burnaby 12 years ago, he was happy to settle in a neighbourhood where there were still many old trees in the area. Today, he is upset because many of these trees are being cut down to make way for condo development.
"I've seen so many firs go down in this area," he said, pointing to a pile of fallen branches at the corner of 16th Avenue and 17th Street on Wednesday.
"They could have saved a whole row, but they didn't bother. If this was Victoria, this wouldn't happen. Like this one on the corner, why couldn't they leave this one?"
The private lot at the end of the street is near a creek, and until recently, there were houses nestled on the property between several stands of old trees.
Heller and a few other residents stood watching from the street as a crew of construction workers used chainsaws and a backhoe to clear the site for future development.
The property, which spans from Stride Avenue to 16th Avenue between 17th Street in Burnaby is privately owned. Heller said he understands some trees need to come out if the owner intends to develop the property, but he and other neighbours want some consideration given to the aesthetic value of the natural growth.
" T h e y treat trees as expendable commodities," said Jill Finney, who lives across the street from the property being cleared. "They should have to say why we have to take the trees out."
The City of Burnaby has plans to re-establish Byrne Creak, which runs alongside the property in question, according to the city's landscape development technician, Geoff Gooderham. While some trees might have been left in place without hampering construction of the new housing development, the decision to remove many of the trees was based on the need to make room for the waterway, said Gooderham.
"It's about re-establishing Byrne Creek," he said.
The creek currently runs underground in one section, and the city has plans to uncover it in order to re-establish it as a natural feature in the area.
The city is currently reviewing its tree bylaw and is planning to hold public consultations this year, with a final report to be sent to council expected this fall.
