Bloody Shame

Still no re-leaf from council Homeowners must pay $10,526 to remove city-owned, housewrecking maple

By SUE-ANN LEVY

Coun. Mike Del Grande endeavoured at council yesterday afternoon to ask his fellow politicians to reconsider a request by a couple in the west end to remove the Norway Maple tree that has virtually taken over their tiny home.

As Del Grande told me, he felt the information given to council at their last meeting on Jan. 29 -- when council voted 22-13 not to allow Perry Thompson and Norma Graham to remove the city-owned tree -- was "untrue."

Del Grande was referring to the staff report that claimed the couple's home was "dilapidated" and the tree's aggressive roots had infiltrated the Grandville Ave. house's foundation, its pipes, the basement walls and flooring through "pre-existing cracks."

At that same meeting, council's pompous tree emperor, Joe Pantalone, was only too quick to perpetuate the city staff view, declaring the couple's home is "deteriorated" with a "lousy foundation -- even though he later admitted he'd never actually gone to see the house, or the tree, in person.

Del Grande said he was also swayed by the item on today's agenda asking that council approve a pricey 84-unit condo development across from the Old Mill Inn which calls for the removal of 322 trees.

As he noted in his motion, the city does not have a "consistent policy" for addressing forestry concerns raised by local citizens.

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