As reported in the Straford Beacon Herald on Friday June 18, 2010 by Laura Cudworth
A group of Listowel school kids can take some of the credit for Perth County council's desire to get tough on developers who build over treelots. Currently the county's wood lot bylaw has an exemption for subdivisions and some councilors are looking to change that. Counc. Bob Wilhelm suggested the exemption is unfair. "Here we are prosecuting farmers for cutting trees down but if you subdivide it you can cut down anything you want". Coun. Bob McTavish agreed and asked the planning department to write a report with a resolution council can vote on that would restrict removing trees for subdivisions."The report will be presented at the July 15 council meeting. The issue came up when Terrier Inc applied to build a subdivision with 25-49 dwellings on a six acre site in Listowel. A petition with 250 signatures and a passionate letter from 12 year old Emily Qureshi urged council to save the trees on the site. A report from the county tree inspector Marvin Smith indicated the site does fit the criteria of a woodlot. Subdivisions go through a two step approval process. In the first draft approval council can attach conditions which the developer then has five years to satisfy before final approval is given. Councilors agreed to proceed with the first draft. McTavish asked as much tree preservation as possible be one of the conditions.
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1 comment:
I think the law should be equal for all,so the law should be revised.
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