According to a report given to Terrace City Council, there was not much the City of Terrace could do other than completely clear out the trees from the new Mills Memorial Hospital construction site.
The report also stated that while the city’s official community plan does have provisions through issuing development permits that can regulate cutting or keeping trees on certain lands, those permits don’t apply to lands like the hospital site.
David Block, development services director and author of the report noted that his report follows a petition and presentation made to council back on June 14 by the construction site’s neighbors questioning several parts of the construction surrounding the $622.6 million hospital replacement project, including why the trees on the fringes of the site were not left as a visual buffer.
Expressing concern from these questions, Terrace City council asked for the report which was provided to them on Wednesday.
The Northern Health Authority had stated earlier that they had the area clear-cut as some of the trees were classified as “hazard trees.” They then said they had to cut all the trees to prevent birds from nesting in them as if they had, the construction project timetable would’ve needed to be pushed back.
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