MOD's EDIT: [Flibble is responding to riverrat's question about the practise of clearcutting land entirely before building houses. "Why the hell don't they leave the odd tree?"]
Cost. It costs an obscene amount of money to do landscaping and leave the older and more mature trees in place. I wondered the same myself until I read a long article about that very issue.
Last edited by riverrat; 08-18-2006 at 02:25 PM.
Daisy, my silly Schnorkie
There's also:Originally Posted by Mr. Flibble
- maintenance associated with the trees, eg, raking;
- aesthetics and environmental impact, eg, needles creating a mossy lawn;
- safety, eg, a big tree falling on your frickin' bed.
However, I would still pay more for a place with a few trees. I guess I'm just surprised that not everyone feels that way.
Last edited by riverrat; 12-30-2006 at 11:23 AM.
What I meant about the money, is that it costs the contractors an insane amount to try to work around the trees to preserve them. The roots go out so far, and any large earth moving equipment will kill the trees, so if they try to leave them, they die.
To preseve them they have to build up stuff around the trees and change how they use the backhoes and bulldozers etc. That adds to the cost of building the place by something like $30,000 or more IIRC.
Daisy, my silly Schnorkie
what they do now is to leave wildlife tree patches, aka missed a spot shaving.
I hear your numbers, Flibble. Sounds costly. But I don't get it; there are lots of developments built in the 70's and 80's which appear to have hundred-year-old cedars (etc) on them (areas like Rosstown Rd, Uplands?).
I don't know either. I have 3 huge trees in my front yard - but mind you they can grow that large in the years since the house was built (1971) and because my house is built on a hill, the earth movers probably did not work at the top of the hill.
The article I read some time back explained it well, it was written by an Arborist (tree biologist, or however you say that). She said that it was partly due to the topsoil which must be removed when building the property, and then must be replaced - but is now dead from a bilogical perspective, and to keep costs down (i.e. to improve profits) most of the good topsoil is carted away to be sold at plant stores because it would be "dead" if left in a big pile during the building phase. So sections can be left, but then the other problem comes in that the trees tend to destroy sewer pipes and foundations as well, so they must be kept away from the buildings... The end result is that new trees are planted in ground that has had the majority of biologically active/airrated soil removed and/or killed. To keep the ground healthy one requires a large earth moving machine that cuts air channels 2 meters deep into the soil for new trees to grow.
That is the argument as best as I remember it. I agree with you though, I would like to see them leave the trees, and I am probably making some mistakes in the argument as I am not an arborist myself. IIRC, the article was about the trials and tribulations she had when custom building her own house and trying to keep the trees alive, and the embarrasment she suffered when she could not keep them there or alive when she was a tree doctor for a living.
Daisy, my silly Schnorkie
Hrm, sounds like the only way to keep the existing trees is to build a house without monster machinery. So, more money, again.
Anyone got a cob house? Those are where it's at, it would seem.
Does anyone know why they cut these trees down? They were in the park across from the Tim Hortons and the Tally-Ho. They were chopped down early this year, and new trees were planted. Anyone know why?
That's our aim. We've been researching for about a year now. There is alot of info. around. The only drawback is affordable property. Presently, there is nothing affordable that is available outside of a subdivision.....can just imagine the architectural guidelines that have to be adhered to. Every year there is a great cob house/sustainable living workshop on Lesqueti Isle.....
From what I understand, the standard excuse was used - "they're diseased and pose a possible danger to the public......."
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