Green issues in the Plateau and HoMa
The Plateau is struggling to keep its trees alive; meantime more green is to be added to Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. “On est pas là pour embêter les voitures […], mais je mentirais en disant qu’un quartier vert est pensé pour accueillir plus de voitures,” says the borough mayor, trying hard to keep everyone happy.
William 12:20 on 2012/01/31 Permalink
I had a very interesting exchange with Alex Norris, Projet Montreal Coucillior for Mile End on my Facebook wall about this article: http://www.facebook.com/wraillantclark/posts/172922719476927?ref=notif¬if_t=share_comment
walkerp 12:37 on 2012/01/31 Permalink
I don’t understand the law about not replanting trees in sidewalks that don’t meet a minimum width requirement. Who cares? If there was a tree there before, it means there is a space to plant it so why not just put a new one in?
I do believe the borough has been making an effort to replant, but I also think their tree technicians are way too quick to condemn a tree. I’ve seen some cut down on my block that had solid, healthy cores (I’ve also seen ones that looked really healthy but were basically hollow inside). It’s the fear of property damage and liability.
Kate 13:16 on 2012/01/31 Permalink
William, that exchange seems mostly to be about garbage control.
walkerp, I totally agree with you about the sidewalk width thing – it sounds like one of those arbitrary bureaucratic limits that isn’t applied with good sense. Also about the liability issue.
William 14:06 on 2012/01/31 Permalink
It’s about people dumping garbage in tree boxes and the borough’s unwillingness to do anything about it.
Robert J 14:37 on 2012/01/31 Permalink
Man, there are bigger fish to fry that garbage in tree boxes. Go to any American city and check out its tree boxes and I’m sure you’ll be more grateful for the exceptional focus Projet puts on gardening in the Plateau.
William 15:11 on 2012/01/31 Permalink
It’s contradictory to say that there’s an appropriate emphasis on gardening but that garbage in tree boxes doesn’t matter. I think that it’s wonderful that some parts of the Plateau and the city have been treated to beautification, but I would like to see basic sanitation applied evenly across the island. I don’t really care for lowest common denominator comparisons – I think we should strive for excellence, not a race towards the bottom.
Steamboat Willie 14:42 on 2012/02/01 Permalink
How many time a year does Alex Norris freak out about something? He’s quite entertaining if nothing else.
Chris 09:48 on 2012/02/02 Permalink
This is but a symptom of a larger more general problem: too much public space is dedicated to the automobile.
The average Plateau street has small sidewalks yet has 3 lanes for cars (2 parking, 1 moving). The car space is never obstructed, but the sidewalk has trees, garbage cans, hydro poles, parking meters, fire hydrants, bike parking, benches, lampposts, etc.
God forbid we loose a parking space for a single tree on an entire block.