Feb 22, 2009

Trees on John Street to go

Alas, the big old trees outside the new townhouses under construction at 1920 East John Street are flagged to be removed.

They're very old, clearly rotten and don't seem to have ever been pruned properly. Big chunks fell off them in the last windstorm (and in previous storms, as I recall). Hence they are tagged to be removed (and replaced).


View Larger Map

Looks like the City tried to make the builders keep them: access to the townhouse garages is via a steep driveway, off the alley to the west of the townhouses. The logical driveway cut is on John, but was blocked by one of the (now to be removed) trees. If the tree issue had been resolved earlier, access would have been easier and the condo owners to the north would have been spared a driveway right next to a couple of their units. So it goes: it seemed obvious that the old trees were on their last legs, but maybe DPD didn't see the obvious.

2 comments:

jonglix said...

Isn't there also something in the code that requires developers to make driveway entrances on alleys whenever possible?

Andrew Taylor said...

Yes, but the apparent alley there is (as I recall) an easement for access to parking behind the house on Thomas (at the end of the easement) and not a developed alley.