Item - 2022.NY33.55

North York Community Council:

1. Approved the request to remove two City-owned Colorado blue spruces in front of 18 Raeburn Avenue, and required the applicant to provide 10 replacement trees (5:1 ratio) using species that would support the Passive House standard, which can be achieved through a combination of on-site planting and cash-in-lieu of planting, to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in order to allow the applicants to construct a new house that meets or exceeds the space heating demand target required for certification to the Passive House standard.

Residents at 18 Raeburn have proposed to build a house to the Passive House energy performance standard. In order to meet or exceed the required space heating demand target energy efficient requirements stipulated by Passive House Canada, two City-owned spruce trees situated on the road allowance in front of the property need be removed, and replaced with a suitable large-growing shade tree. Unfortunately the Street Tree By-law does not have any provision that would allow the removal of the existing spruce trees for the purpose of achieving this certification. City Staff advised our office that they would be working on developing a policy framework that would take into consideration tree removal requests and Passive House and have yet to report back to Council.