The Editor,
Re. “PoCo committee wants city to set tree targets” (The Tri-City News, Aug. 1).
After reading this article, which notes that 55% of Port Coquitlam’s trees are on private properties, I question if the city in the updated tree bylaw would also shift sole responsibility to the owners to maintain their trees.
Trees are important but also can be a menace (especially during high winds) and therefore require regular maintenance and also not to encroach adjacent properties causing neighbourhood grief or harm.
As to city’s revised policy, doubling fees for permits and cash-in-lieu sounds like cash cow.
Nobody will remove a tree just for the fun of it and I would hope that city management and council will give this entire subject another good thought.
If city and homeowners apply common sense in this situation, all should come out right in the end.
Brie Oishi, Port Coquitlam
