Newsletter February 26, 2021: The Problem: Tree Asset Preservation, Infrastructure & Climate Impacts & Council’s Disconnect.
Part 1:
Tree Asset Preservation: That trees remove carbon from the air and thousands of gallons of ground- water from any particular place is not in doubt. Neither is the fact burning fossil fuels is considered to be a primary cause of global warming and climate change (Environment and Climate Change Canada).
Infrastructure Impacts: An Eco-Asset Strategy (Adapted from The Benefits of Canada’s Protected Areas: A Scoping Study on Ecological Goods and Services Valuation) explains how a community’s natural assets trumps engineered assets.
Environment and Climate Change Canada: Warns Canada is warming at twice the Global rate (Global News). A recent 2021 Sierra Club Report states the very best way to put the brakes on Climate Change is to protect mature trees. It is also noted some old growth trees can last 1,500 years and current BC logging practices increase climate disaster risks for BC communities: https://www.ubcic.bc.ca/critical_report_.
Oak Bay’s provincial leading urban forest (33% canopy coverage) represents a very positive influence on climate change. So far so good right? Well not really. This is where Council’s Disconnect actions and omissions enters the picture.
The evidence shows and it is plain to see, Oak Bay is cutting down it’s urban forest at an alarming rate. The cause of this is the thousands of building permits approved in the last fifteen years and a Zoning Bylaw that mistakenly allowed excessive building-and-paving lot coverage. With this continued, significant reduction of our limited green space it is clear Oak Bay is heading in the wrong climate change direction.
Worse still, Council is headed for even more lot coverage and tree-cutting through densification. Council recently approved prioritizing infill development in single-family neighbourhoods ahead of housing density in Village Areas on transportation routes. A preferable and less destructive housing option.
The Community collectively has informed the last four Councils that correcting the single-family neighbourhood over-development problem is the number one resident priority. However, it is apparent Council has no intention of doing this as they have prioritized a Planning Department Zoning Bylaw Review for 2023. It will take a year or more for any remedial legislation to be implemented - that is, if a zoning lot-coverage reduction is Council’s intent?
Oak Bay Watch Perspective (Read on for more related Information)
The “evidence” of over-built lots is everywhere in Oak Bay making a mockery of the Zoning Bylaw’s 30% lot coverage specification as well as the preservation of trees, vegetation and soil. It is apparent many new lots in all likelihood have 60% - 70% building coverage or more and many mature trees have been cut down. And, if there is room left on the lot, some are replaced with a few saplings and/ or ornamental trees (See Appendix #1 & #2).
Residents can often be seen scratching their heads looking up at these new over-built developments that often dominate neighbouring properties and the streetscape. Sadly, residents no longer come to Council to protest the impacts of over-development. They realize by now it is a lost cause to again-and- again, year-after-year point out the zoning lot coverage discrepancy.
Infrastructure Financial Impact: Recently the District reported that:
While Council can point to past Council’s infrastructure underfunding negligence, they seem not to understand their present “Disconnect”. As more and more lots are covered with new over-built houses, ancillary buildings, garages and paving - the fewer the trees and green space. The increased amount of rain, snow, effluent and water use going into the near-end-of-life infrastructure system will result in even more flooding and pipe failures.
The infrastructure systems were not designed or adequate to handle all of this increased capacity. It should be obvious the root causes must be addressed first before adding more over-building and people to the District or the impacts will be much larger and more frequent.
As for climate change, Council’s actions so far have been: converting, at some future date, a handful of District gas-powered leaf blowers to battery operated, adding some marked cycle lanes and initiating a letter writing campaign to the Provincial Government to reduce building greenhouse gas emissions. These initiatives, although commendable, have been recommended for the last two decades with little success. The political, economic and logistical reasons why they have failed have been stated many times.
There are many more effective ways for Communities to address climate change. For example, with an “Eco Asset Strategy” (See Newsletter Part 2 early March); tree experts have explained one Colorado blue spruce can intercept more than 1,000 gallons of water annually when fully grown; one decent-sized mature tree is equal to over two-hundred saplings. Other Communities have recognized natural infrastructure assets (mature trees and vegetation) are more effective and less expensive than their engineered asset counterparts.
A previous Council, for reasons only know to them, disbanded Oak Bay’s Environmental Committee that included very highly-qualified leadership and local expertise. Climate Change issues were high on the Committee’s Agenda. With more inevitable and extreme weather events predicted and likely, there has never been more urgency to reinstate this committee. That is, if Council is at all serious about effectively addressing climate change impacts.
To be continued in Part 2 Newsletter (early March).....
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1
This New House that appears to be more than 30% of the lot was a replacement
for Appendix #2
Part 1:
Tree Asset Preservation: That trees remove carbon from the air and thousands of gallons of ground- water from any particular place is not in doubt. Neither is the fact burning fossil fuels is considered to be a primary cause of global warming and climate change (Environment and Climate Change Canada).
Infrastructure Impacts: An Eco-Asset Strategy (Adapted from The Benefits of Canada’s Protected Areas: A Scoping Study on Ecological Goods and Services Valuation) explains how a community’s natural assets trumps engineered assets.
Environment and Climate Change Canada: Warns Canada is warming at twice the Global rate (Global News). A recent 2021 Sierra Club Report states the very best way to put the brakes on Climate Change is to protect mature trees. It is also noted some old growth trees can last 1,500 years and current BC logging practices increase climate disaster risks for BC communities: https://www.ubcic.bc.ca/critical_report_.
Oak Bay’s provincial leading urban forest (33% canopy coverage) represents a very positive influence on climate change. So far so good right? Well not really. This is where Council’s Disconnect actions and omissions enters the picture.
The evidence shows and it is plain to see, Oak Bay is cutting down it’s urban forest at an alarming rate. The cause of this is the thousands of building permits approved in the last fifteen years and a Zoning Bylaw that mistakenly allowed excessive building-and-paving lot coverage. With this continued, significant reduction of our limited green space it is clear Oak Bay is heading in the wrong climate change direction.
Worse still, Council is headed for even more lot coverage and tree-cutting through densification. Council recently approved prioritizing infill development in single-family neighbourhoods ahead of housing density in Village Areas on transportation routes. A preferable and less destructive housing option.
The Community collectively has informed the last four Councils that correcting the single-family neighbourhood over-development problem is the number one resident priority. However, it is apparent Council has no intention of doing this as they have prioritized a Planning Department Zoning Bylaw Review for 2023. It will take a year or more for any remedial legislation to be implemented - that is, if a zoning lot-coverage reduction is Council’s intent?
Oak Bay Watch Perspective (Read on for more related Information)
The “evidence” of over-built lots is everywhere in Oak Bay making a mockery of the Zoning Bylaw’s 30% lot coverage specification as well as the preservation of trees, vegetation and soil. It is apparent many new lots in all likelihood have 60% - 70% building coverage or more and many mature trees have been cut down. And, if there is room left on the lot, some are replaced with a few saplings and/ or ornamental trees (See Appendix #1 & #2).
Residents can often be seen scratching their heads looking up at these new over-built developments that often dominate neighbouring properties and the streetscape. Sadly, residents no longer come to Council to protest the impacts of over-development. They realize by now it is a lost cause to again-and- again, year-after-year point out the zoning lot coverage discrepancy.
Infrastructure Financial Impact: Recently the District reported that:
- “As the District develops, so will the pressure on existing services and infrastructure required to serve new citizens”.
- “New development revenue is not keeping pace with new operating costs, heavy infrastructure maintenance and infrastructure replacement”, and
- “This will result in sharper future tax increases and intergenerational funding inequity”.
While Council can point to past Council’s infrastructure underfunding negligence, they seem not to understand their present “Disconnect”. As more and more lots are covered with new over-built houses, ancillary buildings, garages and paving - the fewer the trees and green space. The increased amount of rain, snow, effluent and water use going into the near-end-of-life infrastructure system will result in even more flooding and pipe failures.
The infrastructure systems were not designed or adequate to handle all of this increased capacity. It should be obvious the root causes must be addressed first before adding more over-building and people to the District or the impacts will be much larger and more frequent.
As for climate change, Council’s actions so far have been: converting, at some future date, a handful of District gas-powered leaf blowers to battery operated, adding some marked cycle lanes and initiating a letter writing campaign to the Provincial Government to reduce building greenhouse gas emissions. These initiatives, although commendable, have been recommended for the last two decades with little success. The political, economic and logistical reasons why they have failed have been stated many times.
There are many more effective ways for Communities to address climate change. For example, with an “Eco Asset Strategy” (See Newsletter Part 2 early March); tree experts have explained one Colorado blue spruce can intercept more than 1,000 gallons of water annually when fully grown; one decent-sized mature tree is equal to over two-hundred saplings. Other Communities have recognized natural infrastructure assets (mature trees and vegetation) are more effective and less expensive than their engineered asset counterparts.
A previous Council, for reasons only know to them, disbanded Oak Bay’s Environmental Committee that included very highly-qualified leadership and local expertise. Climate Change issues were high on the Committee’s Agenda. With more inevitable and extreme weather events predicted and likely, there has never been more urgency to reinstate this committee. That is, if Council is at all serious about effectively addressing climate change impacts.
To be continued in Part 2 Newsletter (early March).....
“Nothing is inevitable if you are paying attention” Oak Bay Watch
*******Please help us continue to provide you with information about Community concerns and Council decisions and actions. Oak Bay Watch members also help community groups with their specific development concerns. Donate to Oak Bay Watch - even $5 or $10 dollars provides expenses for door- to- door handouts and helps us maintain our website. Oak Bay Watch is committed to ensuring the Community gets the full range of information on budget, governance and all key development issues – a well-informed opinion cannot be made without this.
(Please use Donate Button at bottom of oakbaywatch.com Home Page)
Keep informed and sign up for our newsletter – bottom of Newsletter Menu Item.
Appendix #1
This New House that appears to be more than 30% of the lot was a replacement
for Appendix #2
Appendix #2
Clearcut Grove of Trees on Oak Bay's Scenic Drive
Clearcut Grove of Trees on Oak Bay's Scenic Drive
