Monday Morning

Good Morning Mr ,

I have received  your letter to the Mayor and Council. I note your appreciation for all of Council's original support for the resolution to review the tree by-law.

I have to tell you after the depositions made at the public planning meeting, I am having second thoughts about supporting the proposed draft bylaw.

Your  letter does little to shift me from my revised position.

I have lived in Aurora  fifty years and seen a vast increase in the town's tree inventory  and urban forest cover.  A number of wood lots have been acquired by the town and dedications have been made to other agencies. Vast expanses of ravine lands have come into public ownership.

I regard the number of golf courses established in such a small urban area  as Aurora, a benefit to the community.

Though not in terms of financial returns , certainly in land left uncovered by roads and houses. 

I do not accept your argument property values have decreased over the years with the growth of the town. No evidence  supports that contention. I simply cannot believe you would use an argument of decreased  property values to support the more restrictive tree bylaw on a golf course that existed before your home was built.

Having lived here as long as I have, I must tell you I am aware of the reduction of "the last vestige of Carolinian forest "  to permit  your home to be built. 

The town allowed only  sufficient  trees to be removed to provide for driveway access to  a  house site .

Mr. ,,,,,,,,  few if any developers or real estate agents fail to recognise the  material value of mature trees on a  building site. They use it to promote sales.

The same can be said for public officials,only theirs is not  about material advantage.

The municipality has  a different perspective . It is awareness of the negative  environmental  aspect of removing trees without cause.

I am not aware of the desired ratio of trees to population you reference.

I am only aware that as our town has grown, the urban forest has more than kept pace. Golf courses have contributed substantially to  improvement of our living  environment.Simply by the fact of maintaining open space,tree  and vegetation cover and a wild life sanctuary. I have seen bird species multiply in my  garden over the years. I have yet to see an owl.  

Many people deplore the loss of farmland. I do myself. But if the value of  land makes it ridiculous for farmers  to continue farming, I  certainly welcome a  golf course here and there  to  compensate for and break up the pattern of urban  development.

From the perspective of  protecting the environment from human critters, they  surely are an acceptable option.

Your argument about deteriorating value of your real estate has helped me make up my mind Mr. ..........

I will wait to see how much more stringent the bylaw is, to protect your real estate value and  as a result of  the depositions we heard at the public planning meeting.

I must tell you however I am leaning in favour of democratic rights in the process.