TREE DEBATE IN IDYLWYLDE
Locals oppose planting plan
As the City of Edmonton prepares to add 6,000 trees across more than 100 sites, residents of one central community are pushing back against planting in a popular pocket park.
A coalition of Idylwylde residents is calling on the city to halt its plan to add a variety of trees to the green space at 84 Avenue and 77 Street, concerned with reduced visibility and recreation space.
Initially, the city planned to add 30 trees to the site but that number dropped to 18 after feedback from residents. But coalition spokesman John Thompson said this public engagement should have happened ahead of time and the reduction in trees doesn't solve the concerns. There are already trees on the site, Thompson said, arguing more large trees will minimize sight lines and could be a traffic hazard as people and pets pop out of the frequently-used park.
“We use the park every day. It literally is the centre of the lives of everybody in the neighbourhood, so we should be consulted about what we think is appropriate and where,” Thompson said, noting the additional trees will reduce the space for pop-up soccer games and kite flying.
“It's the wrong sort of trees, it's the wrong sort of place and they're not paying attention to the details of the park.”
The 6,000 trees being planted across the city under the urban tree canopy expansion project is the first step in a larger goal to add two million trees by 2050, in line with the City Plan and the energy transition strategy.
Suzanne Young, the city's director for open spaces planning and design, said all city-owned land is being considered for tree planting and open spaces are ideal locations. Although there wasn't specific public engagement for each planting project, Young said there was significant public engagement for the City Plan, which is what this initiative is rooted in.
“Many of these spaces are heavily constrained with other uses and infrastructure or would compromise the health and mortality of new trees,” Young said in a statement to Postmedia. “Parks and other open spaces like boulevards or rights-of-way are ideal candidates because of optimal growing conditions like quality soil, rainfall infiltration and passive recreational uses.
“Planting two million trees by 2050 will help to create carbon storage and sinks, improve ecological connectivity, strengthen biodiversity and create meaningful outdoor spaces for gathering.”
In reducing the number of trees planned for the Idylwylde site, Young said there will still be plenty of room in the middle of the park for walking and recreation. When selecting sites the city also factored in technical reviews or property lines as well as feedback from multiple city departments.
The types of trees to be planted are another concern for Thompson, with the Ohio Buckeye species toxic to dogs if any part is consumed. Crabapple trees could also lead to fallen fruit, although the city said that would be rare, and Thompson is worried that could attract the already-growing coyote population in the area.
Trees in the Idylwylde park are scheduled to be planted Aug. 4, weather permitting. The budget to plant 6,000 trees across the city is $5.4 million including the design, construction and two years of maintenance.