OMB backs city's move to protect more woods

London Free Press Tue, July 29, 2008

ENVIRONMENT: Ex-councillor Sandy Levin put up his own money to battle developers

By MARY-JANE EGAN Tree huggers and fans of London's Forest City moniker have won an environmental victory that promises to help protect the city's dwindling supply of woodlands. The Ontario Municipal Board this week dismissed an appeal by the London Development Institute, a lobby group for developers, intent on challenging city standards for protecting woodlands from development. In David-versus-Goliath fashion, one citizen -- former city councillor Sandy Levin, now working at Huron University College -- put up about $33,000 of his own money to battle the developers and protect his beloved green space. Mayor Anne-Marie DeCicco-Best believes Levin's contribution held some OMB sway. "I've known Sandy a long time and he's always been willing to go the extra mile if it's a principle he believes in," the mayor said yesterday. "This (decision) is very good news for the city because it sets a very clear direction for the future," she said. The OMB decision upholds a near-unanimous decision by city council last year to make it easier to designate woodlands as significant, protecting them from development. Had the city not tightened its guidelines for woodland protection, it was estimated London's forest cover would have fallen to five per cent from eight per cent. Recommended coverage in Ontario is about 30 per cent. Levin, who sat on council from 1997 to 2003, when he chose not to run again, has long been an outspoken advocate for the environment -- riding London Transit or biking to work or walking to his former job at the London Health Sciences Centre -- before such environmentally-friendly measures were considered in vogue. "I guess you could say that," Levin said of the suggestion he's the rare breed who put his money where his mouth is. Levin hired his own lawyer out of Guelph and a city planner from Kitchener-Waterloo to help buttress the city's case against the developers. The total cost of that move was $65,000 -- a cost Levin was prepared to take on himself. But a citizens' group, the London Woodland Coalition, stepped up to the plate and raised half the cost, Levin said. His motivation was frustration that council was gaining a track record for making what Levin saw as wise planning decisions that were too frequently shot down by the OMB. "It seemed the city was losing on a fairly regular basis before the OMB, so I thought, 'Let's see if I can make a difference by hiring my own lawyer and my own planning witness and having that independent voice that could add to the city's case,' " said Levin. Today, he believes his contribution paid off. "This wasn't just Sandy Levin," he was quick to say. "The city had a strong case, and a lot of very generous individuals who believed in protecting these woodlands raised a lot of money to support this position. I was gratified to know that just through word of mouth, this support appeared. It was pretty neat." City Coun. Joni Baechler, a major backer of greenbelt protection, said she's proud of Levin and the citizens who supported his initiative. "I say kudos to Sandy. He's been a tree hugger as long as I've known him, and to take this upon himself, because it meant so much to him, is really remarkable." Baechler said the city's position, backed by a small army of dedicated citizens led by Levin, has scored a huge victory for London's environmental future. "What this has done is ensure the forest stays within the Forest City," she said. Attempts to reach representatives of the London Development Institute failed yesterday.