Item - 2021.MM36.36

That Councillor Mark Grimes be permitted to add to the agenda of today's meeting an urgent Motion without Notice concerning: 

Enhanced Tree Replacement Strategy for Dwight Avenue Sidewalk Installation
 

Reason for Urgency:

This Motion is urgent as there is an opportunity to offset the tree removal and bolster our tree canopy by increasing the replanting ratio, and planting healthier trees now.

That City Council delete the Recommendation:

Recommendation to be deleted

1.  If the City decides to remove the twelve trees to accommodate the sidewalk along Dwight Avenue, City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and Director of Urban Forestry to:

a. incorporate a 3:1 replanting ratio to compensate for the removal of the twelve City-owned trees on Dwight Avenue, in a combination of on-site planting and cash-in-lieu of planting. Seventeen trees are to be planted on-site. The remaining nineteen trees are to be planted by Urban Forestry in the immediate area, in consultation with local Councillor and Toronto District School Board Trustee;

b. ensure that replacement trees along Dwight Avenue are a minimum of 80mm caliper (diameter), and fast-growing, large shade species, to the satisfaction of the Director, Urban Forestry;

 
c. establish a maintenance plan to ensure the replacement trees survive; and

 
d. take out an ad in the local newspaper, and circulate a written informational piece to residences in New Toronto and Mimico neighbourhoods, in consultation with the local Councillor for street boundaries, outlining the project and rationale for the tree removals, and the Council-directed enhanced replacement plan in Parts 1a to 1c above.

and adopt instead the following new Recommendation:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to halt the tree removal of the twelve City-owned trees on Dwight Avenue until such time that staff can study the feasibility of narrowing Dwight Avenue, in an attempt to accommodate the proposed new sidewalk and save the existing trees, and to report back to the December 2, 2021 meeting of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on the findings.