Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 14/99) - Council's split personality ensures debate of the proposed new zoning bylaw will be long hard-fought battle, with this week's debate centering around the landscaping of new residential properties.

During a three-and-a-half-hour review of the proposed bylaw Tuesday night, council was divided into two distinct factions.

In one corner were the two chamber of commerce executive directors, Cheryl Best and Bob Brooks, and business owners Peggy Near and Dave Ramsay.

In the other were environmentalist Kevin O'Reilly and union public affairs worker Ben McDonald. Siding more often than not with McDonald and O'Reilly was education department officer Robert Slaven.

Mayor Dave Lovell and Blake Lyons held their ideological cards fairly close to their vests.

The recurring rumble Tuesday was the degree of regulation that will be imposed by the new bylaw on those wanting to build in the city.

The conflict reached a head during discussion of proposed landscaping requirements.

"I've got a problem with the city telling people what kind of trees and plants they have to put on their own property," said Coun. Peggy Near. "That's the height of ludicrous."

The landscaping requirements, if they survive debate, will require new developments to include a certain number of trees and shrubs of specified sizes.

The bylaw would require someone who builds a regular size home on a regular size lot to include one tree per 45 square metres of property. Retained existing elements of the natural landscape, such as rock outcrops, would be considered a fulfilment of the requirement.

"I don't think it's unreasonable," said Coun. Kevin O'Reilly, saying it was important to pay attention to the details.

"If you want to get rid of it completely, we can have a downtown core like we have now." O'Reilly earlier noted there is just one tree along Franklin Avenue between the Adam Dental Clinic and Quality Furniture.

Coun. Bob Brooks said the introduction of landscaping requirements is jumping ahead too fast.

"What I see with this bylaw is we're going from walking, to a Cadillac," said

Brooks. "I don't like what's before us now -- it's way too restrictive."

Mayor Dave Lovell later disagreed, saying he has at least three times as many trees as the bylaw requires on his downtown property.

Near said if the bylaw would have been in place last spring, she would have been violating it by doing her spring planting.

McDonald said some of the criticisms of the landscaping provisions were based on an incorrect understanding of the bylaw.

"I think whether its intentional or unintentional, people are misrepresenting the intent of this bylaw," said Coun. Ben McDonald following Near's comment.

McDonald said the bylaw does not limit what people plant in their gardens, and doesn't apply to existing developments. He added that the requirements of the regulations of the zoning bylaw are small potatoes compared to the powers given the city under the unsightly properties bylaw, which it passed last year.

"This is not a cadillac," said McDonald. "This is bare-bones basic."