On Monday June 7th council meeting there is a public meeting for an application to build a single residential development (house, garage etc.) on a large lot off Burns Blvd but with access from Winter Rd. Reasons for this “unconventional” access is well explained in the report but in general terms it is to enable access with minimum impact on natural heritage features. As reviewed in the report the possibility of development on this lot has been foreseen as early as the 2000 King City Community Plan with the condition that an environmentally acceptable access is found.  As this is the statutory public meeting there will be no decision made at the meeting. Public can register with clerks@ king.ca (or phone 905 833 4068) to make a deputation and/or they can send their questions and comments in via email. Requests for deputations and emails for council review should be sent in by Monday noon hour.

Obviously, the proponent’s planners believes that the proposal is “good planning”, and the opinion of our Township Planner is unknown at this stage; as a layperson I find the application to be rather strange. Even though the KCCP indicates that there is tableland available for development it does not seem “right” to me that there should be a development behind properties on Winter Rd and Burns. For those property owners their backyards backed on to a provincially significant wetland with mature trees. Per the natural heritage report issued by the proponent there are 83 trees of which 64 will be cut down.

It must be said that the timing for a projectrequiring removal of 64 mature trees could not be worse. First there is the devastation occurring righy now due to the gypsy moth although I do recognize that healthy trees will survive. Secondly, King has declared a climate emergency and mature trees are an excellent important carbon sink. Clearly if this project is approved I will be pushing for a three to five replacement i.e. cut one tree down plant three to five.