The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

9 · Friday, January 29, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Giant White Oak tree downgraded from good to fair Continued from page 1 the decade. At the time, the option to widen Bronte Road, leaving the white oak tree in a new centre median, was estimated to cost $343,000 more than simply bulldozing the noted symbol of Oakville. "We never really got a finite breakdown of that figure," Jim Young, cochair of the Woodland Oak Tree Preservation Committee, said in a recent interview. Council voted to save the tree, if the community, led by Young's committee, could raise the extra money. By the end of that year, when Regional staff said they needed a green light to continue design work on the project, the community had raised $268,000, thanks to a celebrated $150,000 donation from an anonymous Toronto woman who owned property in Oakville, said Young. The Province, Region and the Town of Oakville voted to each spend up to $25,000 to make up the difference. With Oakville planning to celebrate its 150th anniversary by planting 150 oak trees, "this is not the year to cut down the granddaddy of them all," 86-year-old retired teacher Joyce Burnell, Young's co-chair, told councillors during discussion of the municipal donations. Since that time, while the Region did the detailed design work for the road widening, the budget has crept upwards from $6.4 million. A 2008 development charges background study revised the project estimate upwards to just over $9 million. And this past December, council endorsed the new $11 million budget indirectly when it approved the 2010 capital budget, of which the project was one PHOTOS FROM WHITE OAK TREE ASSESSMENT -- UPDATE TO HALTON REGION'S PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS BEFORE AND AFTER: On the left is a 2001 photo of the White Oak tree on Bronte Road and on the right is a picture of the same tree taken in 2009. line item. However, as the project has not gone out to tender, the budget is just an estimate; bids could come in over or under the budgeted amount. Unfortunately, while the budget has increased since 2006, the health of the tree to be saved has declined, according to an arborist's report to the Region from last August. The report was not reviewed by council or its committees, but the Region gave a copy to the Beaver upon a reporter's request. The arborist has downgraded the assessment of the tree's health and predicts it will now survive between 20 to 30 more years, one to two decades less than had been predicted in 2006. "The canopy is thinner and more so in the upper canopy, crown dieback has increased to approximately 15 percent, twig elongation is less in the upper canopy, and minor development of water sprouts continues," wrote Aboud and Associates, which did the original on-site tree assessments in 2001 and 2006, and again last July. In 2001, Aboud had rated the tree in "good" condition, using a system of poor, fair, good and excellent. In his report, Aboud noted some Regional measures taken since that time to mitigate damage to the tree have had the desired effect. "However, it is due to the tree's declining trend over the past nine years (2001 to 2009) and particularly the die-back of twigs and buds recorded July 2009 that I now provide a revised rating of the tree's condition as fair," Aboud stated. The arborist made a number of recommendations to minimize damage from future road construction to the tree. One was to ensure the survival of its DNA by harvesting and replanting its acorns, something the Region has done, according to Ward 4 Regional Councillor Allan Elgar. "Because of the genetics of that particular tree," Elgar said the Region collected 2,500 of its acorns last year and transported them to nurseries. As for the original tree, Elgar said the Region will protect its health by installing an irrigation system in the road median to make up for water runoff that will occur when the area east of the tree is paved over to become Bronte's northbound lanes. There will also be adequate drainage to the side of the roots to allow removal of debris and salt, Elgar added. Elgar's colleague, Ward 2 Regional Councillor Fred Oliver, who voted against saving the tree in 2006, said he still believes the expense to save the tree is futile. "I'm not an arborist but when you put concrete over roots it affects them," said Oliver. "The tree's going to ultimately die." Oliver said he would still prefer the Region take down the tree and keep Bronte in a straight line. It is likely long past that point, however, as the Region's consultant has already done the detailed design, and the Region has already started moving utility equipment in the area. Work on the project is scheduled to begin in late spring and be completed by the end of the year. The Region's design for Bronte around the white oak tree can be found online at www.halton.ca/ppw/Roads/construction/Bronte_2048D.htm. Who's paying for Bronte widening? The Region's 2004 development charges background study estimated the widening of Bronte Road between North Service and Upper Middle Roads to cost $6.4 million, 87 per cent of which would be paid for through development charges (DCs) and 13 per cent, or $833,300, from existing taxpayers.That same split was maintained in the 2008 DCs background study, although the total project cost was revised upwards to $9 million. Now, however, the Region's 2010 budget estimates the project will cost $11 million, with only two-thirds being covered by DCs and taxpayers picking up the other third. However, developers will ultimately pay 87 per cent of the project cost, said Mark Scinocca, the Region's director of financial planning. According to Scinocca, while the Region will have to borrow from internal reserves this year to pay for the project, it will ultimately recoup that money plus interest from developers when the Region creates its next DC bylaw. That means if the project comes in on budget, developers will pay $9.5 million and Halton taxpayers $1.4 million for the widening. Oakville Ward 4 Regional Councillor Allan Elgar argued developers should pay for the whole project. He disagreed with the Region's consultant that wrote the background studies that there would be a benefit to existing users equivalent to 13 per cent of the project cost. "You wouldn't need that road expanded at all if it wasn't for the growth," said Elgar. Asked if regional council, which approved the background studies, could have brought up the issue at that time, Elgar responded: "I wouldn't say you're wrong about that." Guaranteed Income for Life... ...no matter how the markets perform* Our guest speaker, Nilesh Patel, will provide information about the Manulife GIF Income Plus, an investment solution that provides many benefits including: · Predictable income guaranteed never to decrease* · Potential for income to increase and keep pace with inflation · Flexibility to access your savings at any time Date: February 10, 2010 Registration: 6:30 pm Presentation: 7:00 pm Location: Hosted by: Holiday Inn Oakville (The Oak Room), 590 Argus Road Doug Stone, Insurance Advisor Dundee Insurance Agency Ltd. Nilesh B. Patel, District Vice-President Manulife Investments Speaker: To attend this free seminar, please RSVP to Leigh Ann at 905-338-3223 x142 *Provided that withdrawals are not made in excess of the guaranteed income (life withdrawal amount). Insurance products provided through Dundee Insurance Agency Ltd.