The City of Victoria has voted to amend its tree preservation bylaws in order to increase the city’s urban forest.
In a council meeting on Thursday, councillors adopted several significant amendments to the existing bylaw.
Firstly, trees which were once protected at a diameter of 80 centimetres have now been pared down to 30 cm or more at a height of 1.4 metres. Anything that size will now require a permit to be removed.
City staff report that this reduction will protect approximately 50 per cent more of the existing private tree population.
READ MORE: City of Victoria limits protected tree circumference to 30 cm or more
New fees were put in place for the tree removal process; property owners will have to pay a $50 permit fee and provide the City with a $700 security deposit in the form of cash or a letter of credit for each replacement tree, or protected seedling.
If a property owner cannot replace the tree on the same property due to size constraints, they are required to pay a $2,000 cash-in-lieu to the City for the replacement of each tree.
ALSO READ: City of Victoria looks at amending tree preservation bylaw by redefining ‘tree’
Only Coun. Geoff Young was opposed to these amendments, saying it adds too much of a burden on owners.
“It has surprising consequence in terms of removing the possibility of garden suites for a lot of properties … it will, in general, make redevelopment more difficult,” Young said. “What it will do is send a message that because of these consequences, trees are really things that are likely to devalue your property.”
The amendments passed 7-1. These bylaws will affect any applications which came in after Oct. 24.
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