The tamarack trees on Mohawk Crescent are coming down.
It only took two sessions of council and hours of debate to make the decision. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one.
The trees, also the subject of several reports that took years to compile, were deemed a nuisance by council, despite administration’s recommendation they be left standing.
The decision was made despite the resident who made the request to have the city cut the trees down withdrawing said request.
Taxpayers are now on the hook for $8,500, the cost to have them professionally removed.
The resident said, in making the request, that needles from the 11 trees were damaging his car and the roof of his home.
While he may be correct, the question that remains is what does this mean for the rest of the city? There are plenty of city-owned trees that shed leaves and needles on private property,
What happens the next time a resident comes forward with a similar request??Has the city set a precedent? Could it face legal action if the next request is denied?
Coun. Ken Boshcoff calls the decision a national embarrassment. Mayor Keith Hobbs – a potential rival in next year’s mayoral race – scoffed at Boshcoff’s claims. We say remove the trees if need be, but at the homeowners’ expense.
