Many residents are saddened when they learn that #77 is slated for demolition. The front of this place has so many unique features and we recently learned that it's on the city's heritage list. It turns out that heritage status offers little protection, other than the requirement that owners provide sixty days notice before demolition.
It sold for $905 000 so that's how much a property is worth here now, regardless of the building on site. It's only worth that much because the city will allow developers to build a double on this size (fifty foot) of lot, in our zone. That's what is planned here. Will either of the families who build, still live there in three years time? Time will tell.
We don't have a chance of saving this lovely dwelling but I still hope that the tree out front may survive. The two Japanese lilacs closer to the house will no doubt go. The tree near the sidewalk is an Amur Maple. It's a city tree with a circumference of 246 centimetres so that qualifies it as a distincintive tree.
It will be some kind of miracle if it survives. From recent tree news in Ottawa, it seems that if a building permit is issued and the tree is in the way of service hook ups like water and gas, then the tree goes. The city's tree conservation bylaws are rarely enforced.
Disregard for trees seems to be a characteristic of all developers. This tree at 77 is not only under possible destruction from its current owners but has also faced attacks from the builders at 79. When they were hooking up their hydro, the hydro company simply hacked away at branches that came anywhere near the new house.
When I complained, the young man had the nerve to tell me that it would probably help the tree. I reported the incident to the city forestry office and they sent out a forestry inspector. In early April I learned that the forestry inspector arranged to have the maple pruned, to address some of the damaged branches from the hydro connection. They noted that the tree was in good condition for its size and age.
Next came this lovely machine, to do the gas hook up. All our residential streets now feature these cuts across them, at the sites of all the new builds. Anyhow the operator of this machine also took a few good whacks at the tree branches until I told him to stop. He reluctantly re-positioned his machine.
In early May I had the opportunity to speak to the developer at #79 and I voiced my concern about the manner in which his workers were treating the tree at 77. There was no apology. Instead he told me that the tree was coming down, that the arborist working for the new owners had told him the tree was dead anyhow. At that point, I told him to look at the tree which was full of buds. It is definitely not dead.
If this tree lives, it will shield us from the doubles he is building. It will enhance the look of whatever happens at 77. However, I'm not counting on that. Chances are, we'll be looking at two sets of doubles with not one living thing in front of them. We didn't buy in this area so that we could look at a street that resembles a brand new suburb!
It will be some kind of miracle if it survives. From recent tree news in Ottawa, it seems that if a building permit is issued and the tree is in the way of service hook ups like water and gas, then the tree goes. The city's tree conservation bylaws are rarely enforced.
Disregard for trees seems to be a characteristic of all developers. This tree at 77 is not only under possible destruction from its current owners but has also faced attacks from the builders at 79. When they were hooking up their hydro, the hydro company simply hacked away at branches that came anywhere near the new house.
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| March 25 |
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| April 10 |
Next came this lovely machine, to do the gas hook up. All our residential streets now feature these cuts across them, at the sites of all the new builds. Anyhow the operator of this machine also took a few good whacks at the tree branches until I told him to stop. He reluctantly re-positioned his machine.
In early May I had the opportunity to speak to the developer at #79 and I voiced my concern about the manner in which his workers were treating the tree at 77. There was no apology. Instead he told me that the tree was coming down, that the arborist working for the new owners had told him the tree was dead anyhow. At that point, I told him to look at the tree which was full of buds. It is definitely not dead.
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| June 4 |
If this tree lives, it will shield us from the doubles he is building. It will enhance the look of whatever happens at 77. However, I'm not counting on that. Chances are, we'll be looking at two sets of doubles with not one living thing in front of them. We didn't buy in this area so that we could look at a street that resembles a brand new suburb!
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