Mariann Burka has shared that there is a rally to save the City of Victoria's neighourhoods from the proposed Official Community Plan. The information about it is below. She also provided text at the end of this post that relates the sequoia and the dire need for effective tree protections in the new Official Community Plan (OCP) for the City of Victoria.
RALLY TO SAVE OUR NEIGHBOURHOODS
What You Need to Know
When: Thursday, April 17 at 12 noon to 1 pm.
Where: Outside City Hall. Pandora Entrance.
Why:
On this day, Council will confirm the direction of its proposed Official Community
Plan.
The OCP will dramatically change our city and our neighbourhoods by determining
the level and pace of development and who benefits.
Once approved, residents will have no say on any development so long as it
complies with the OCP.
Residents have sent numerous letters to Council pointing out what is wrong with
the OCP and demanding changes. But Council refuses to listen.
Residents are gathering on this day to make it known that we are not happy with
the OCP’s current direction. We demand to be heard before it is too late.
Let’s tell City Council that residents demand changes to:
strengthen renter protections!
Increase affordability and make it a priority!
Preserve and protect our heritage and history!
Preserve and protect existing trees and greenspace!
stop unfair densification - James Bay is already the densest neighbourhood!
Let’s Make Our Voices Heard!
Sign the Petition: change.org/JamesBayOCP
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Concerning the connection between the opposition to the OCP and the Saving of the Sequoia:
The City’s proposed OCP claims to be “Climate Forward” and sustainable. It aims to support the Urban Forest Canopy as part of the City’s overall Climate goals.
Yet, at the same time, it threatens the existence of existing trees for the sake of development.
To achieve increasing density, developers have been destroying existing trees on private and public land to maximize building footprints. Much like the elimination of the giant sequoia for the purpose of the redevelopment of Centennial Square.
In one case, the destruction of trees is to create market-price housing that is unaffordable for the average family. In the other, it is to implement an unnecessary vanity project for City Councillors.
City Council is congratulating themselves for having incorporated into the OCP a) a 40% growth in urban tree canopy by 2050 and b) 5 year canopy and planting targets at the neighbourhood scale. (This was a separate motion brought forward by Marg Gardiner as an amendment to the OCP in response to lobbying efforts of various community groups.)
While this is a significant improvement, this amendment applies only to growing the canopy, not protecting what we have. Council refused to include any reference to the protection of existing trees.
(The recommendation was to increase the $2000 cash-in-lieu fee to $5000 for cutting a tree. While even this increase would likely not deter many developers, this part of the motion was not included in the OCP and was deferred indefinitely.)
The OCP as it stands ensures that the current trend will continue to destroy existing trees to make room for greater density. Development always overrides tree protection.
Without protecting existing mature trees in the OCP, the urban tree canopy will have to be achieved solely by planting new young trees that will take decades before they have the same positive environmental impact that the destroyed trees had.
How many young saplings need to be planted to achieve the environmental benefits that our giant sequoia provides and how long will it take?
The City’s overall climate goals, the OCP’s claims to be “climate forward“ and sustainable and the City’s urban forest canopy growth targets are meaningless without strengthening protections for existing mature trees.
We need to stand together and demand stronger protections for all existing mature trees to avoid their becoming collateral damage for the sake of development. We need them to counter climate change, to maintain and enhance our urban forest and to ensure the well-being of all urban residents.
For more information, please contact: treesmatternetwork@gmail.com
Thank you again for all your support! You don't need to do anything else despite the marketing from Change.org, but please consider attending the rally, and speaking at the public hearing on the proposed OCP for the City of Victoria!
Once adopted, the City of Victoria is likely going to be stuck with this OCP for sometime, and the City and what is left of its urban forest may not be recognizable after that time...