By Spencer Sterritt

Harewood neighbourhood rallies against three elderly trees being cut down

Mar 23, 2018 | 5:20 PM

NANAIMO — Concerned citizens are asking the City pause a major walkway development to save several elderly trees.

Roughly a dozen Harewood neighbours met with City staff on Friday near the shores of the Chase River to discuss options for three large trees they didn’t want to see removed to make way for a four-metre bridge crossing the river. The bridge is part of the much larger Georgia Greenway project, which is designed to increase accessibility through the area for cyclists and pedestrians.

Organizer Greg Sorenson said there’s no reason the bridge has to cross the river right where the old trees are.

“There’s more than enough viable options to go around the trees and develop this as more of a greenway. Cutting down the trees, especially of that significance and that magnitude, takes away from it being green.”

He proposed the trail bending around the trees or the bridge being on an angle.

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“If you think on any trail out there, especially if you’re going to involve something called ‘Greenway,’ that means nature’s involved.”

Kurtis Noble with the City told the residents the path was designed to be straight without any bends for a reason, especially since it gives clear line of sight for police officers in the area.

He told the concerned citizens the decision to remove the trees was made after reviewing all the issues, opportunities and constraints with the project. The project is part of the Harewood neighbourhood plan, centennial park master plan and also the transportation master plan.

“What we’ve tried to do is balance all those concerns to come up with what’s best for the project itself and the community at large,” Noble said.

Sorenson said while he didn’t consider meeting with staff for roughly an hour a waste of time, since it brought the community together over the issue, he didn’t learn anything new.

“I don’t feel that we’ve actually progressed….it was the same answers, the same reasons we were always going to get. So we need to go above them.”

He and others said they’ll make a presentation to Nanaimo City Council at their next meeting on Monday, March 26.

“I do believe, I have to believe, that there’s a possibility of change. That’s the most important part,” Sorenson said.

Several trees have already been taken away this week and the trees in question are expected to be cut down next week.

The project was identified as a top five priority during this Council’s strategic planning work.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit