Marda Loop residents concerned about tree removals but experts say it's not as bad as it seems

Orange pylons, detour signs and construction equipment have become a familiar sight for residents along Marda Loop's main street.

Red tree removal signs? Not so much.

"It was a little weird," said Marda Loop resident Erica Blair, referring to the first time she saw the signs. "There wasn't any explanation as to what was going on."

Residents like Blair are concerned the city is unnecessarily removing mature, healthy trees and not doing enough to save them. Experts, however, said plans to replace and increase the area's overall tree canopy are central aspects of the project.

Beginning in 2009, the city identified 24 established main streets requiring revitalization through its Main Streets program. The goal is to develop these key areas into pedestrian-friendly streets supporting business growth and the surrounding communities.

So far, three streets have been revamped: 37th Street S.W., Bowness Road in Montgomery and 17th Avenue S.W.

Work in Marda Loop is occurring along 33rd and 34th avenues, with the city also working on improvements in Bridgeland.

Once complete, the program should provide a boost to each neighbourhood, said Bev Sandalack, a professor in the University of Calgary's School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape.

"The plan is to change the cross sections of the streets, so narrowing the roadway, widening the sidewalks, adding an actual increase in the number of trees that will be in that area and providing more pedestrian amenities," Sandalack said.

According to the City of Calgary, 99 of the 177 trees along Marda Loop's main street need to be removed due to conflicts with utility lines and sidewalk expansion. Roughly 55 per cent of the existing tree canopy in the area is slated for removal.

Foliage failures

The city's foliage woes are nothing new, Sandalack said, explaining how ideal urban tree cover is usually about 20 per cent, but Calgary's sits at around eight per cent.

"The city is aimed at 16 per cent, which is still lower, but it's roughly double what they have now," she said. 

A statement from the city to CBC News said it plans to "plant over 100 new trees throughout the community."

"We know the important role trees play in a community and appreciate resident concerns. Any trees removed as part of the Marda Loop Main Streets project is done so to improve safety and accessibility for everyone walking, cycling, wheeling and driving through Marda Loop," the statement reads.

According to the city's website, the new trees will be a mix of northern blaze white ash, northern acclaim honeylocust and American elms.

Sandalack said improving the overall tree canopy has become a core tenant of most city development projects.

"The idea is that in all of the plans — especially work that the city is responsible for — there should be a net increase in number of trees," she said.

'I don't see the point'

Still, residents aren't convinced. Many, like Blair, were upset to see the seemingly healthy trees disappear.

"It was a little sad because some of them were huge," said Blair, who has lived in Marda Loop for three years. "I really don't see what the point was in removing the trees."

Others said the tree removal operation is disrupting travel throughout the area.

"It takes like 10 minutes to get down the road, so I'm always going alternative routes," said Catherine McGarry, who lives in the neighbouring community of Bankview but often comes to Marda Loop for work.

McGarry said she also finds the tree removals "strange" and feels they've changed the area too much.

"This used to be such a nice area to come down, like walk your dog and go to the shops and stuff," she said. 

There are also concerns about younger trees being ill-equipped to handle Calgary's dry summers and frigid winters compared to the mature trees, which have adapted to the climate.

Sandalack said while these are important considerations, young trees are not always as vulnerable as they seem.

"Every tree does have a lifecycle," she said. "Urban trees don't tend to live very long anyway. So a replanting strategy is generally a really good idea to have included in any sort of redevelopment plan."

Residents are often attached to trees that have been in their area for a number of years, Sandalack said, but sometimes changes are necessary.

"Everybody wants progress, but nobody wants change," she said. "When you see something happening in your neighbourhood and maybe you don't see the big picture, long-term outcome that's hoped for, it's natural to have a concern about that."

The onus, however, will be on the city to ensure the number of trees they've promised are, in fact, planted, Sandalack added.

Potential for the future

Completed projects, like those along 17th Avenue S.W. and 37th Street S.W., suggest so far the program is having the intended impact. According to Hilary Stout, president of the Killarney-Glengarry Community Association — which encompasses both areas — there is a noticeable change along both main streets.

"I think that they have had a traffic-calming effect, and I think that both of the roads do, in fact, look better. So they do seem to have achieved something of their objectives," Stout said.

Both projects were not without concerns, Stout added, with some residents voicing their worries about mature tree removals in their area. 

"It's my experience that in Calgary any time anybody touches a tree, people get up in arms," Stout said. "We're very protective of our trees, and they would have been older growth trees because it's an older neighbourhood."

The 37th Street plan involved narrowing the road to make room for around 300 more trees, according to the city. And 17th Avenue had a similar tree target.

Stout said that while she does not know the exact number of trees replanted in the area, it does feel denser.

"It actually feels a little bit like there might be more trees on 37th, just obviously smaller, younger trees," she said. "There are not a whole lot of trees on 17th … but 17th is a major thoroughfare in the city, so it's not like they were going to line that."

Blair is hopeful the same will be true for Marda Loop.

"Hopefully, they're gonna put them back in because it definitely makes it a lot prettier," she said.