Private Tree Removal - St. David's Village

1290 Danforth Road

Ward 15 - Scarborough City Centre

 The Scarborough Community Council recommends that Council:

 (1)refuse to issue a permit to remove the subject trees required to allow the applicant to expand the parking area at St. David's Village; and

 (2)direct the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Scarborough, to work with the applicant to find alternatives to meet the parking requirements, including exploring the possibility of demolishing the vacant house on the site and the utilization of that site for parking purposes.

 The Scarborough Community Council submits the following report (June 8, 1998) from the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Scarborough:

 Purpose:

 Under the provisions of the City of Scarborough Tree Protection and Conservation By-Law No. 25150, a permit is required to remove trees thirty centimetres in diameter or greater, generally in good condition, on private property.

 An application for a permit to remove three trees thirty centimetres in diameter on private property has been filed by Mr. Phillip Utting, Administrator of St. David's Village, 1290 Danforth Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1J 3L9 to allow for the construction of an expanded parking area at St. David's Village.

 Recommendations:

 It is recommended that Council:

 (1) refuse to issue a permit to remove the subject trees required to allow the applicant to expand the parking area; or

 (2) issue a permit for tree removal conditional on the applicant planting six 80 mm caliper large growing, native shade trees upon completion of construction.

 Comments:

 The three trees in question are thirty centimetre diameter Austrian Pine in fair condition. All three trees require a permit and the consent of City Council for removal. The plan submitted by St. David's Village, prepared by NAK Design Group, dated March 25, 1998, indicates that the trees must be removed in order to expand the parking area in this location. The proposed parking area expansion, in its present form, precludes the retention of the trees. The applicant has agreed to plant six new trees in order to create another amenity area on the site if approval is granted for the removal of the three Austrian Pines and has submitted landscape plans which reflect this condition.

 As required under the provisions of the City of Scarborough Tree Protection and Conservation By-Law No. 25150, a notice of application sign was posted on the property for the required fourteen day posting period, in order to provide the community with an opportunity to object to the removal of trees. At the time of this report, a petition signed by 150 residents objecting to the removal of trees was received in response to the notice of application.

 Under the provisions of the Scarborough Tree By-Law No. 25150, Section 6 (E) "where an objection is received, the Commissioner shall refuse to issue a permit and shall prepare and forward a report to the next Committee meeting."

 Should Community Council recommend that the request to remove the subject trees be granted, such approval should meet the conditions outlined in the above recommendation.

 Contact Name:

 Victoria Jeffery

Telephone:(416) 396-8733

Facsimile:(416) 396-5399

e-mail:jefferyv@city.toronto.on.ca

   Ms. Fran Ellicott, President of the St. David's Village Residents' Council, appeared before the Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter.