A little story-a bit about trees, a bit more about infills. When the article was published about my mapping of the red dot trees and stumps, and more generally about our dying canopy, someone googled me up, found my work phone number, and left me a message wanting to talk. 1/

I called the person back in the evening, assuming they would like to talk about the tree/canopy issue. The person who called, however, really wanted to talk about infills. The conversation started about the article, but she started talking about the new infill next door to her 2/

The caller was upset about how the infill builder unilaterally removed the trees from the yard. Their yard, their prerogative, but her shade. She also talked about other elements to the build: the infill dwarfed her house and blocked her window view. 3/

The infill was built so close to the edge of the property, and so close to her house, that it would be impossible to go up a ladder to access the eaves and roof on that side (infill builder soon found out he had the same problem). 4/

We talked for about 1/2 hr. Honestly, I know that the caller was angry, but I think she was isolated and lonely because of the Covid situation as well. All this to say: I have no skin in the infill game. I am conceptually supportive of infills and more density. 5/

But infill builders have to find a way to be good neighbours, respectful neighbours, sensitive to whom they are building beside. They are not building between two houses, they are building between people and in a pre-existing community. 6/

Pushback would abate, at least a bit, if there was more respect woven into the process. People get their backs up understandably because they hear these worst case scenarios.
That’s all I have on that! [end thread]