Cohen pays GVRD $50,000 for cut trees
showaddywaddy
fatpa...@yahoo.ca says...
>
>Way to go, "darrrrrrr'ling!" ;-)
>
another one of your heros, no doubt
Weisgerber_1996
"Fat Pat" <fatpa...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:50956625.03041...@posting.google.com...
> Way to go, "darrrrrrr'ling!" ;-)
>
> Fatpat
> ========================================
>
> Army & Navy president Cohen pays GVRD $50,000 for cut trees
>
> Jacqui Cohen denied personal involvement or knowledge but accepted
> responsibility.
>
> Army & Navy Store president Jacqui Cohen is paying $50,000 to the GVRD
> after 35 trees were cut in Pacific Spirit Park, improving the view
> from a house she owned near UBC.
>
> The trees were on the north-west side of Marine Drive between Acadia
> Road and Wesbrook Crescent at UBC. At the time they were cut in 1997
> Cohen owned the home on the other side of the scenic, winding street,
> at 5850 North-West Marine Drive.
>
> According to a statement provided to the Greater Vancouver regional
> district, which has jurisdiction over the park, Cohen denied she was
> personally involved or had knowledge of the tree-cutting, which opened
> up the view over the entrance to English Bay, "but accepts
> responsibility for the actions of those involved."
>
> "Jacqueline Cohen apologizes and regrets that the incident took
> place," the statement said.
>
> In July 2000, Robert Harrison was convicted for his role in cutting
> the trees and received a nine-month conditional sentence, 18 months
> probation and 50 hours of community service.
>
> According to court documents filed in the GVRD's civil action,
> Harrison, described by his lawyer as a cocaine addict, cut the trees
> at the direction of Cohen.
>
> During Harrison's trial, his lawyer, Dwight Stewart, said in court
> that real estate data gathered during the RCMP investigation indicated
> the enhanced view over the water increased the value of a house by up
> to $1 million.
>
> In 1995 Cohen's house was valued at $7.5 million, but in February 1997
> -- the same month the trees were cut -- it had dropped to $5.9
> million. According to property records, the house was sold for $5.3
> million in May 2001, and is assessed this year at $3.88 million.
>
> The maple and cherry trees cut or damaged by Harrison and another
> unidentified male were worth about $35,5000.
>
> Cohen did not return calls Friday.
>
> Judy Higginbotham, chair of the GVRD parks committee, said it took six
> years to complete the investigation and lawsuit.
>
> "We took this matter very seriously. The lawsuit was a way to express
> our outrage at the wanton destruction of public property,"
> Higginbotham said Friday.
>
> As part of the settlement, Cohen also agreed to pay about $6,000 in
> legal costs. Higginbotham said the $50,000 will be used to partly pay
> for costs the GVRD incurred in the investigation. The rest of the
> money will be spent in Pacific Spirit Regional Park for park
> maintenance and regeneration.
>
> Higginbotham said the Cohen settlement is the first of its kind for
> the GVRD. "This is a case of principle and not a matter of money; the
> principle being you can't cut down trees in GVRD parks and get away
> with it."
>
> While Higginbotham said there were discussions about the settlement
> being larger because the tree-cutting increased the value of Cohen's
> property, the decision was made to place the figure on the value of
> the trees themselves.
>
> "The trees will replenish themselves over time and the view will, over
> a certain period of time, also be changed again to what it was
> before," Higginbotham said.