"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday, 10 November 2013

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth and wearing of sackloth and ashes

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Drat":

A good day for reading. Incidentally, yesterday someone told me the minutes for the GC weren't up yet. Is that usual ? I wanted to see if Council ever finished messing with the property owner and his trees. 


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I received my  agenda as usual. That's all I know.

The manager of parks has visited the lot and determined the trees are  compromised by the grading plan approved by the town. They will not survive. 

The Director of E and I  has  visited the lot  and submitted  a detailed report  indicating the lot cannot be properly graded with the trees in place. 

The  Solicitor's  Report is back on the agenda for Council to deal with.

There's a recommendation from the Planning Director for approval of a plan to plant seven trees to replace three .

The home -buyer has been in touch

All  except Councillors Gaertner and Ballard have visited the lot to see  the situation for themselves.

The lot was graded a week  before it was inspected.

It was inspected  two weeks before the report is submitted.

I think we  can predict all but three members of Council will  accept staff advice and  approve the recommendation of the  Planning Director.

There's  no indication at the moment of a third or fourth, I've lost count, delegation from immediate neighbors whose lots abut 33 Longthorp Court.

That's not to say they won't come back once more to fight for the right to enjoy the sight of their neighbors trees, is greater than his right to  have a properly graded yard that keeps the rain out of his
house.

Well---dontcha know -----they bought  lots on the basis of  beautiful trees on someone else's lot.

He bought and paid for a lot with  three trees .

He is losing the trees on the lot  he  paid for .

But his neighbors are the ones losing out.

On the basis of that  logic, my bet is ,there will still be Councillors who insist -----despite all the evidence----and all the months of discussion  and delay -------the trees should not be removed.

Until Tuesday, we cannot know for sure












13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cllrs Ballard & Gaertner are very good at avoiding confrontation with problems they have caused after the fact. Cllr Gaertner still regards the chicanes as ' a noble experiment '. Cllr Ballard has moved on to the wanna-be park.

Anonymous said...


The City of Toronto should authorize a life-size bronze of Ford in the pose of a Buddha and have it placed appropriately in the front of City Hall as a reminder of this pathetic man, who in the end came to be saved, albeit in a slightly different form.

A crack pipe in hand would be optional.

Anonymous said...

Strange when those who prattle endlessly about obeying the rules vote to overrule their own.

Anonymous said...

Still no minutes on the town's site

Anonymous said...

How about the town kicking in to the replacement tree costs for that guy ? They seem to be able to throw money at all sorts of things I consider less deserving.

Anonymous said...

11:30 Really?….Ford would be at the bottom of my list of pathetic politicians.The front of City Hall wouldn't be big enough to house all the statues.

Anonymous said...

13:40 I would also consider having the Town taking down those three trees as well. He deserves it considering what council has put him through.

Anonymous said...

I would have cut them down myself a long time ago without any approval.

Then I would have left a box of kindling on the doorstep of every neighbour that wanted them saved.

They could use it or save it as a keepsake, their choice.

This saga has to end soon!

"stupid cannot be fixed"

Anonymous said...

The heck with that. where is the Stronach Park ?

Anonymous said...

@16:53
That would be awesome. But it is not likely to happen. He is just one man. This Council prefers to deal with numbers of residents who howl at the moon.

Anonymous said...

I bet it will cost over $10,000.00 to remove those three trees.

Considering all the wasted council hours to get to the same result, and the money the poor guy has already spent arguing his point, I agree completely with 16:53!

We should all show up on Tuesday night with lumber jackets on and axes in our hands to show some support!

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours trees"

Anonymous said...

& . by gosh by golly, they are going to demand Stiffer penalties for anyone who appears to defy their by-laws. Even as they vote to over-rule them themselves. And a man who did everything to accommodate their demands.
Completely certifiable.

Anonymous said...

Is the issue about the trees really over?

Still can't believe it!

What are we going to discuss now?

I think I may plan a family trips to the three tree forest before it vanishes.