HomeMy WebLinkAboutENG 03-18 Ci 61 Report to
Executive Committee
PICKE f�I NG
Report Number: ENG 03-18
Date: January 8, 2018
From: Richard Holborn
Director, Engineering Services
Subject: Tree Removal Compensation
- File: A-1440
Recommendation:
1. That the City adopt a fee for Tree Removal Compensation as a condition of a draft plan of
subdivision, zoning, land division or site plan approval application;
2. That the Director, Engineering Services be authorized to include fees for Tree Removal
Compensation in the 2018 Budget (Summary of Fees & Charges);
3. That the City continue to use the existing Reserve established for Tree Removal
Compensation and that funds collected for this purpose be placed in this reserve; and
4. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the necessary
actions as indicated in this report.
Executive Summary: The City of Pickering Council and staff have long recognized the
importance of protecting and enhancing our urban forest. As such, an Urban Forest Study was
prepared in partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 2012. This study
provided recommendations including the need to increase leaf cover and to develop a tree
preservation by-law that regulates the destruction and injury of trees located on private property.
Many of the potential development sites, particularly in South Pickering, currently have tree cover.
In order to permit intensification and infill development, tree removal is an unfortunate
requirement. In an effort to maintain our urban forest, replanting on the development sites or off
site within the community is a necessity. Developers are encouraged to protect as many of the
existing trees as possible and to provide compensatory plantings on site. Due to site constraints,
on-site tree planting is frequently not an option. As such, the City has been collecting cash-in-lieu
for the trees not being replaced, to be used to fund other tree planting initiatives within the
community. To date, approximately $185,000 has been collected and is used to plant trees in
various parks and open spaces within the City.
In order to formalize this Tree Removal Compensation practice, staff are seeking Council's
approval to include the fees for this initiative in the 2018 Budget (Summary of Fees & Charges).
The recommended rate for 2018 is $500 (HST exempt) per tree for all trees that cannot be
replaced, with an upset limit of$3,000 per dwelling unit and $7,500 (HST exempt) per 1,000
square meters floor area or part thereof for industrial and commercial developments. These fees
would be reviewed on an annual basis similar to all fees and charges.
ENG 03-18 January 8, 2018
Subject: Tree Removal Compensation Page 2
Financial Implications: No direct costs are incurred by the City with the adoption of a fee for
Tree Removal Compensation. Staff time is required for the review of tree inventory reports and
compensation plans as well as the administration of the collection of fees. The revenue received
for Tree Removal Compensation will be applied to tree planting programs within the City of
Pickering, and will reduce the requirement to use other sources of funds.
Discussion: The City of Pickering Council and staff have long recognized the
importance of protecting and enhancing our urban forest. Our urban forest forms an important
part of the climate adaption plan, at both a local and Provincial level. It cools our communities,
reduces the 'heat island' phenomenon and the volume of storm water run-off, improves our air
quality, sequesters carbon, and makes our communities a better place to live.
In January 2009, City Council passed Resolution # 23/09 to endorse the concept of the
development of an Urban Forest Strategy and to retain the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority (TRCA) to undertake an Urban Forest Study. The study, which was completed in 2012,
found South Pickering to have a total of 26% canopy cover with 20% of that being trees. The
report also provided 27 recommendations which include:
• increase leaf cover •
• establish a diverse tree population
• develop strategic steps to increase the proportion of large, mature trees in the urban forest
• develop and implement a tree preservation by-law that regulates the destruction and injury of
trees located on private property
• develop a Tree Protection Policy for publically and privately owned trees
The Executive Summary of the Urban Forest Study is included as Attachment #1.
Since the completion of the Urban Forest Study, the City has lost and replaced a significant
number of boulevard and open space trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer and ice storm of
December 2013. Approximately 3,500 trees have been replanted on City boulevards alone to
compensate this loss. These newly planted trees replaced fairly mature trees in many cases,
drastically reducing the total percent of canopy cover. However, over time, the City's recent
investment of 3,500 trees will grow into a more robust tree canopy.
With the redevelopment and infilling of areas within South Pickering, many mature trees have
been removed and many more are at risk in order to permit development. Developers are
required to provide a tree inventory and protection plan along with their application. As a condition
of a draft plan of subdivision, zoning, land division or site plan approval, developers have been
requested to provide compensation for the removal of all existing trees with a caliper of 15 cm
diameter breast height (DBH) and greater. Compensation is made in the form of replacement
plantings on the development site. If there is insufficient room to provide these plantings on site,
plantings may take place on other publically owned lands in proximity to the site that have been
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ENG 03-18 January 8, 2018
Subject: Tree Removal Compensation Page 3
approved by the City of Pickering and with written permission of the subject landowner(s). The
tree inventory, preservation, and removal requirements are outlined in Attachment#2.
Compensation for tree removal is calculated as a ratio that varies, based on the caliper of the
existing tree trunk. Multi-stemmed trees are calculated on a per stem basis.
• Trees with a caliper of 15 cm to 29 cm DBH to be compensated at a ratio of 1:1
• Trees with a caliper of 30 cm to 49 cm DBH to be compensated at a ratio of 2:1
• Trees with a caliper of 50 cm to 74 cm DBH to be compensated at a ratio of 3:1
• Trees with a caliper of 75 cm DBH or greater to be compensated at a ratio of 4:1
Replacement planting is in the form of deciduous trees with a minimum caliper of 60 mm and/or
coniferous trees with a minimum height of 1.8 m. The required boulevard tree planting for
municipal right-of-ways is not considered as part of the tree replacement compensation. Should
compensation planting take the form of naturalization planting in an open space area where
smaller sized plant material may be more suitable, the City determines what the appropriate total
quantity/value of the plant material will be. Reasonable effort must be taken to compensate for
tree loss through on-site and/or off-site plantings by the developer.
Recognizing that many development sites will have insufficient space to plant all the trees
required for compensation, the City may take cash-in-lieu with the funds to be used for tree
planting initiatives within the neighbouring community if possible. At this time, staff have been
requesting cash-in-lieu compensation at a rate of$500 per tree for the quantity of trees that are
not planted. As some development sites may be densely forested or contain many large trees,
the compensation required for these developments may be cost prohibitive. As such, a maximum
value required for cash-in-lieu has been currently set at:
• $3,000 per dwelling unit for residential developments
• $7,500 per 1,000 square meters of floor area or part thereof for industrial or commercial
developments
The quantity and species of trees to be planted in compensation for tree removal and/or the cash-
in-lieu amount shall be approved by the Director, Engineering Services.
Staff have investigated what other GTA municipalities require for tree removal compensation. The
City of Toronto, City of Mississauga, City of Markham, Town of Richmond Hill and Town of Ajax all
require developers to provide compensation for tree loss in the form of replanting. Their methods
of calculating compensation and cash-in-lieu values vary. However, the methods and values
represented here are generally consistent with industry standards.
Staff initiated the requirement for tree removal compensation back in 2008 at the onset of a
number of larger residential developments that were to be located in existing wooded areas within
an existing community. Monies collected for tree removal compensation from these developments
have been used to fund tree plantings in various parks. For example, $35,000 collected from
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ENG 03-18 January 8, 2018
Subject: Tree Removal Compensation Page 4
Pickering Shores Development Inc. and Geranium Rosebank Development Inc. was used to plant
the trees in Rosebank South Park, and $10,000 collected from Almonte Homes Inc. for their
development on Rosebank Road was used to plant trees in Amberlea Park. The recent tree
planting in Glengrove Park was paid for using the City's Tree Removal Compensation Fund to the
amount of$23,715. To date the City has collected approximately $185,000 for Tree Removal
Compensation.
Staff are seeking Council approval to include values for cash-in-lieu for Tree Removal
Compensation requirements in the Summary of Fees & Charges. The recommended rate for 2018
is $500 per tree for all trees that cannot be replanted, with an upset limit of$3,000 per dwelling
unit and $7,500 per 1,000 square meters floor area or part thereof for industrial and commercial
developments. These fees would be reviewed on an annual basis.
Attachments:
1. Executive Summary— City of Pickering Urban Forest Study, February 2012
2, Tree Inventory, Preservation and Removal Compensation Requirements
Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By:
Arnold Mostert, OALA Ric and Hol rn, P. Eng.
Senior Coordinator, Landscape & Di -ctor, Engineering Services
Parks Development
AM:mjh
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
Tony Prevedel, P.Eng.
Chief Administrative Officer
CORP0227-07/01 revised
ATTACH MENT# f TOREPORT# C? 63—I 8
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Technical Report
February 2012
Executive Summary
The City of Pickering Urban Forest Study has been prepared by the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority (TRCA), in partnership with the City of Pickering. The purpose of the Study was to assess the
structure and function of the urban forest, and to provide management recommendations for
enhancing the sustainability of both the urban forest resource and the community as a whole.The study
was conducted in the urban areas of the municipality, south of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Line.
The results will serve as a baseline for future research and monitoring, and will equip managers with the
knowledge necessary to manage forest structure for the provision of desired ecosystem services,
including climate change mitigation and adaptation, air pollution removal, stormwater management,
residential energy savings,wildlife habitat,and community aesthetics.
Summary of Results
A suite of tools of analysis created by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station were used to
quantify the structure and function of the urban forest in the City of Pickering.
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Tree Cover and Leaf Area:
The total canopy cover (trees and shrubs) in the Pickering study area is 26 percent. Tree cover in
Pickering is approximately 20 percent; shrub cover is approximately 6 percent. Pickering's 1,672,000
trees provide 68 km2 of total leaf area.The other land use category,which is comprised largely of vacant
land zoned for future development, supports both the highest canopy cover(trees and shrubs) and the
highest total leaf area (trees only). Plantable space is also high in the other land use; however,
competing interests for urban development on these lands may limit opportunities to increase tree
cover.
Tree and Shrub Cover by Land Use(expressed as a percent of total cover):
• Other: 24
• Agriculture: 22
• Residential: 21
• Natural Cover: 18
• Institutional, Utilities and Transportation:7
• Commercial and Industrial: 6
• Open Space: 2
Most Common Tree Species by Land Use(expressed as a percent of total leaf area):
Commercial+Industrial: Open Space+Natural Cover+Agriculture:
• Eastern hemlock: 21% • Sugar maple: 26
• Norway maple: 13% • Eastern hemlock: 13
• Eastern white pine:9% • Eastern white cedar: 12
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ii Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
ATTACHMENTTO REP ORT#=1a3-��
City of Pickering Urban Forest Study
February 2012
Institutional+Utilities and Transportation: Other:
• Red maple: 30% • Eastern hemlock: 18
• Manitoba maple: 12% • Eastern white cedar: 12
• Eastern white cedar: 10% • Sugar maple: 10%
Residential (Low, medium and high density):
• Norway maple: 17
• Silver maple:13
• Eastern white cedar:7
Tree Size:
As urban trees increase in size, their environmental, social and economic benefits increase as well. In
Pickering a tree that is 72.5 cm in trunk diameter at breast height(dbh)stores 85 times more carbon and
25 times more pollution than a tree that is 11 cm dbh.Approximately 48 percent of all trees in Pickering
fall within the smallest diameter class and 75 percent of all trees are less than 15.3 cm dbh. The
proportion of large trees is low; less than five percent of the tree population has a dbh of 38.2 cm or
greater.
Structural Value of Trees in Pickering:
The estimated structural value of all trees in Pickering is approximately$627 million.This value does not
include the ecological or societal value of the forest, but rather it represents an estimate of tree
replacement costs and/or compensation due to tree owners for tree loss.
Carbon Storage and Sequestration:
As a tree grows, it removes, or sequesters, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This carbon is stored in
the woody biomass of the tree. When a tree dies, much of the stored carbon is released back to the
atmosphere through decomposition.Trees in Pickering are estimated to store 104,000 metric tonnes of
carbon, with an associated value of $2.3 million. Annually, trees in Pickering sequester approximately
4,200 metric tonnes of carbon,with an associated value of$96,000.
Air Pollution Removal:
The urban forest can improve local air quality by intercepting and absorbing airborne pollutants.
Pickering's urban forest removes 91 metric tonnes of air pollution annually; this ecosystem service is
valued at$786,000.
• Ozone:48 metric tonnes
• Particulate matter(10 microns) : 24 metric tonnes
• Nitrogen dioxide: 15 metric tonnes
• Sulfur dioxide:3 metric tonnes
• Carbon monoxide: 1 metric tonne
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority iii f
ATTACHMENT#, � TOREPORT# E'1 03-1 a
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Technical Report
February 2012
Residential Energy Savings:
Trees reduce local air temperature due to the shading effects and the release of water vapor through
evapotranspiration. In Pickering the urban forest reduces the annual energy consumption by
approximately 85,600 MBTUS and 2,800 MWH, with an associated annual financial savings of
approximately$1 million. As a result of this reduced demand for heating and cooling,the production of
over 1,700 tonnes of carbon emissions is avoided annually(associated annual savings of$38,100).
Stakeholder Consultation
In October 2011 TRCA and the City of Pickering held a workshop for stakeholders in urban forest
management in Pickering. The workshop achieved the following objectives.
• To obtain feedback on the preliminary recommendations derived from the results of the
characterization of urban forest structure and function;
• To develop a preliminary baseline assessment of the current state of urban forest management
in Pickering through the use of criteria and indicators;and,
• To gain support for the implementation process to follow from this Study.
Recommendations
The following recommendations can assist in progressing towards many of the short and long term
objectives associated with the criteria and performance indicators for sustainable urban forest
management presented by Kenney et al. (2011).To fully evaluate the City's performance for each of the
25 criteria is beyond the scope of this report.Through the development of a management plan the City
can more comprehensively explore the operational actions and resources required to achieve success,
and can evaluate and prioritize the recommendations presented here.
Summary of Recommendations
1. Increase leaf area in canopied areas by planting suitable tree and shrub species under existing
tree cover. Planting efforts should be focused in areas where mature and aging trees are over-
represented. Neighbourhoods in these areas that maintain a high proportion of ash species
should be prioritized.
2. Conduct an Urban Tree Canopy(UTC) assessment of the municipal study area to identify priority
planting areas and set future tree cover targets.
3. Develop and implement an urban forest monitoring program that tracks trends in the structure
and distribution of the urban forest. The recommended monitoring scenario consists of a land
cover mapping assessment(UTC)at a five year interval and a field-based assessment(i-Tree Eco)
at a ten year interval.
4. Conduct. an inventory of all municipally owned and managed trees. Update the inventory at
regular intervals.
iv Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
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TO PORT#..�=6"7 03-48
ATTACHMENT#.._ _I 1
of. — City of Pickering Urban Forest Study
February 2012
5. Utilize the Pest Vulnerability Matrix during species selection for municipal tree and shrub
planting.
6. Establish a diverse tree population in which no species represents more than five percent of the
tree population, no genus represents more than 10 percent of the tree population, and no
family represents more than 20 percent of the intensively managed tree population both city-
wide and at the neighbourhood level.
7. In collaboration with TRCA, develop and implement an invasive species management strategy
that will comprehensively address existing and future threats posed by invasive pests, diseases
and plants.
8. Work with local growers to utilize native and genetically diverse planting stock grown from
locally adapted seed sources in both intensively and extensively managed areas.
9. Evaluate and develop the strategic steps required to increase the proportion of large, mature
trees in the urban forest. This can be achieved using a range of tools including planning policy,
by-law enforcement and public education. Where tree preservation cannot be achieved,Official
Plan policy should be considered to require compensation for the loss of mature trees and
associated ecosystem services.
10. Develop municipal guidelines and regulations for sustainable streetscape and subdivision design
that ensure adequate soil quality and quantity for tree establishment and eliminate
conflict
between natural and grey infrastructure.
11. Apply and monitor the use of structural soils, subsurface cells and other enhanced rooting
environment techniques for street trees. Utilizing these technologies at selected test-sites in the
short-term may provide a cost-effective means of integrating these systems into the municipal
budget.
carbon emissions byprovidingdirection
and
12. Reduce energyconsumption and associated
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assistance to residents and businesses for strategic tree planting and establishment around
buildings.
13..Conduct an assessment of municipal urban forest management activities (e.g. pruning, tree
planting)to determine areas where emission reductions can be achieved.
14. Conduct a detailed thermal mapping analysis to identify the thermal "hot-spots" where tree
planting efforts can be prioritized.
15. Develop and implement a tree preservation by-law that regulates the destruction and injury of
trees located on private property.
16. Develop a Tree Protection Policy that outlines guidelines for tree protection zones and other
protection measures to be undertaken for all publically and privately owned trees.
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Toronto and Region Conservation Authority V
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ATTACHMENT# ( TO3PORT#, C-) �� - /°
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February 2012
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17. Allocate funding to create an Urban Forestry Unit comprised of certified arborists and other
qualified professionals that can implement the recommendations outlined in this Study as well
as actions listed in future urban forest management plans.
18. Research and pursue new partnerships and opportunities to enhance urban forest stewardship
in the City of Pickering.
19. Develop and implement a comprehensive municipal staff training program.
20. Establish an interagency Urban Forest Working Group to liaise with existing stakeholders and
build new partnerships.
21. Work with TRCA to design a target natural heritage system in Pickering that can be considered
for adoption into the City of Pickering Official Plan.
22. Work with Durham Sustain Ability to engage EcoBusiness members in tree planting activities in
commercial and industrial areas.
23. Develop research partnerships to study the impacts of climate change on the urban forest, and
to-evaluate the potential for planting more hardy and southern species in select locations.
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24. Work with TRCA,the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the National Tree Seed Centre of
NRCan to implement a seed collection program for native ash species.
25. Develop and implement an urban forest monitoring program that tracks trends in the structure
and distribution of the urban forest using the i-Tree Eco analysis.The structure and distribution
of the urban forest should be comprehensively evaluated at regular 5-year intervals and
reported on publicly.
26. Develop and implement an urban forest management plan for the City of Pickering.
27. Utilize the criteria and performance indicators developed by Kenney et al. (2011) to inform the
creation of a strategic urban forest management plan and to assess the progress made towards
urban forest sustainability.
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vi Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
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A'i TACHMEN T# 2 TO REPORT# rrJq o3- /8
Tree Inventory, Preservation, and Rei 4r $ 1 C mpensation Requirements
Tree Inventory Report and Preservation Plan Requirements
All submissions for approval of a draft plan of subdivision, zoning, land division or site
plan approval, shall include a Tree Inventory Report and Preservation Plan prepared by
a Certified Arborist or Landscape Architect. The report shall include all trees on the
development site and those on adjoining lands that may be affected by the proposed
construction activities. All trees with a caliper of 15 cm diameter breast height (DBH)
and greater shall be included in the report. Tree species, size, their health condition
and whether they will be protected or removed, shall be provided in a table format and
their location keyed into a site plan. All tree protection zones (TPZ) shall be indicated
on the plan by showing the location of tree protection hoarding. All tree protection
measures shall be in compliance with the City of Pickering standard detail P-1100, Tree
Protection Fencing and P-1101, Tree Protection Notes.
Tree Removal Compensation Requirements
As a condition of approval of a draft plan of subdivision, zoning, land division or site plan
approval, compensation shall be provided for the removal of all existing live trees with a
caliper of 15 cm DBH and greater (excluding Ash trees), to be removed from the subject
lands for the purpose of development, or that die prior to the end of the maintenance
period due to development impacts. Compensation shall be made in the form of
replacement plantings or cash-in-lieu, to be paid to the City of Pickering to fund tree
planting initiatives elsewhere within the City.
Replacement planting may be done on the development site or on other publicly owned
lands in proximity of the site that have been approved by the City of Pickering and with
written authorization of the subject landowner(s). Replacement planting shall be in the
form of deciduous trees with a minimum caliper of 60 mm and/or coniferous trees with a
minimum height of 1.8m. The required boulevard tree planting for municipal right-of-
ways will not be considered as part of the tree replacement compensation. Should
compensation planting take the form of naturalization planting in an open space area
where smaller sized plant material may be more suitable, the City will determine what
the appropriate total quantity/value of the plant material is that will be required.
Reasonable effort must be taken to compensate for tree loss through on-site and/or off-
site plantings by the developer.
Tree compensation shall be calculated as follows. Multi-stemmed trees shall be
calculated on a per stem basis.
• Trees with a caliper of 15 cm to 29 cm DBH at a compensation ratio of 1:1
• Trees with a caliper of 30 cm to 49 cm DBH at a compensation ratio of 2:1
• Trees with a caliper of 50 cm to 74 cm DBH at a compensation ratio of 3:1
• Trees with a caliper of 75 cm DBH or greater at a compensation ratio of 4:1
ATTACHMENT#.__a�_ TO REPORT#�`��� C 3-i°
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The cash-in-lieu value for the total number of trees required for compensation may be .
reduced by deducting the number of trees to be planted by the developer within the
subject lands or other approved site(s). Cash-in-lieu shall be paid for by the developer
for the quantity of trees not planted at the unit rate outlined in the current year Summary
of Fees & Charges.
The quantity and species of trees to be planted in compensation for tree removal and/or
the cash-in-lieu amount shall be approved by the Director, Engineering Services.
Examples of tree compensation calculations
On the subject site there are 50 trees of various sizes and conditions proposed for
removal; 15 of them do not require compensation as they are less than 15 cm in caliper
or are dead, leaving 35 trees that require compensation. Based on the size ratios shown
in the following table, 56 trees are required for compensation. See the examples in the
scenarios provided for various ways that the compensation is calculated, depending on
the size and type of development.
Existing tree sizes No 1:1 2:1 3:1 4:1 Number
compensation ratio ratio ratio ratio of trees
required required
Trees < 15 cm cal. or dead 15 0
Trees with 15 to 29 cm cal. 20 20
Trees with 30 to 49 cm cal. 10 20
Trees with 50 to 74 cm cal. 4 12
Trees with 75 cm + cal. 1 4
Total trees required for compensation 56
Scenario 1:
The subject site is being developed with 30 new townhome units and the site area and
layout permits adequate space for tree planting so that more than 56 trees will be
replanted on site to compensate for the tree loss. No cash-in-lieu is required as tree
loss is fully compensated through replanting.
Scenario 2:
The subject site is being developed with 50 new townhome units. The site area and
layout permits 32 new trees to be planted on site. Compensation in the form of cash-in-
lieu is required for 24 trees at the unit rate outlined in the Summary of Fees & Charges.
ATTACHMENT# - T OREFORT# Cr4C O3✓ 18
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Scenario 3:
The subject site is smaller but more densely treed with 2 residential dwellings proposed.
of the as trees
The rear yards can only accommodate a total of 6 new part
compensation. Cash-in-lieu is required for 50 trees at the given unit rate but as only 2
dwelling units are being constructed, the cap fee per dwelling unit may apply as outlined
in the Summaryof Fees & Charges.
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Scenario 4:
The subject site is being developed for a new 10,000 square meter industrial building
and associated parking area that will cover the majority of the site. The layout permits
that 20 new trees can be planted on site. Compensation in the
form of cash-in-lieu is
required for 36 trees at the unit rate outlined in the Summary of Fees & Charges.
Scenario 5:
The subject site is an existing commercial plaza that is being expanded, adding another
1,200 square meters of floor area and the required parking spaces. The layout permits
that only 4 new trees can be planted on site. Cash-in-lieu is required for 52 trees at the
given unit rate but as the addition is relatively small, the cap fee per 1,000 square
meters of floor area or part thereof may apply as outlined in the Summary of Fees &
Charges.
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