<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"><!-- P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} --></style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size:12pt;color:#000000;font-family:Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif;" dir="ltr">
<p>One serious barrier to a successful transition to a city that is well treed with thriving green spaces is the bad compaction of soil during subdivision construction. The use of heavy machinery causes such serious compaction, especially on city easements
at the front of properties, that trees face miserable prospects of ever growing naturally, and city parks departments find themselves restricted to only a few less desired species, such as invasive Norway Maple, that can withstand severe compaction. This
seriously limits programs to shade streets and reduce discomfort during heat waves.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>When it was suggested that a bylaw was necessary to prevent such deleterious compaction, the response we got was "We couldn't do that - the developers would never hear of it."</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Such temerity is astonishing. A bylaw is necessary to reduce compaction; s<span style="font-size: 12pt;">oil compaction is very easy to measure.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> If the specified maximum is exceeded, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> developers
must take on the expense of rectifying the situation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br>
</span></p>
<p><font size="3">Compaction also affects the </font>availability<font size="3"> of good land for community gardens. There are currently about 75 community gardens in Waterloo Region. However, demand for garden plots is growing quickly and greatly exceeds
availability of space. We recommend requiring that some space, with a good depth of fertile soil for community gardens be required in all new subdivisions. In addition, there is need for allotment gardens to provide a good number of larger plots for particularly
keen gardeners as well as groups growing food for food banks or other charitable destinations.</font></p>
<p><font size="3"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font size="3">There may be other existing perverse bylaws and privately decreed covenants that stand in the way of realizing climate-change goals. For many years developer-ordained covenants prohibited the use of outdoor clothes lines in many subdivisions
until pressure by activists persuaded the Province to prohibit them. However, some subdivisions are still saddled with private-sector prohibitions such as growing vegetables in front yards.</font></p>
<p><font size="3"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font size="3">Greg </font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>