David Hedmann wants a landscaped buffer to be in place between Hamilton Boulevard and Wilson Drive before next year.

'I'm disappointed they're not moving (ahead) this year,' he said in an interview Tuesday afternoon.

He spoke after learning city administration is recommending the proposal be considered for the 2006 budget.

After reading the report to council, he said this morning it ignores a number of details about the issue.

On Tuesday, he pointed out the $80,000-price tag would be $20,000 for each property affected, a price which appears to be 'exorbitantly high.'

The estimated $80,000 administration believes it could cost to landscape a buffer area next to Hamilton Boulevard seems a bit high to Hedmann. He presented council with a petition of 38 signatures from people in favour of landscaping.

The report to council doesn't even mention the petition asked for action to be specifically taken in 2005, Hedmann pointed out.

If council simply based its decision on the information provided in the administrative report, he said, members wouldn't know the petitioners wanted it resolved so soon.

It asked the city to provide a proper buffer zone between the Hamilton Boulevard right-of-way and a number of properties on Wilson Drive.

Hedmann, one of the residents affected, argued a proper buffer would mean less noise for area residents and improve the visual quality of the site.

In presenting the administrative report to council on Monday on the issue, city operations manager Dennis Shewfelt said as part of the work it's doing on Hamilton Boulevard, the territory has budgeted for landscaping that will be done in 2005.

While there's a possibility some of that work may be done in the area, the territory isn't willing commit to any such work right now.

Hedmann said the report to council doesn't make any mention of the request in the petition for the city to work with the territory, which did the most recent work on the road, on the landscaping.

Although the petition was accompanied by photographs of 89, 91 and 93 Wilson Dr. that showed the lack of landscaping, the city ignored information Hedmann brought forward that a fourth residence had seen nearby landscaping taken out after the photo was taken, Hedmann said.

This morning, Shewfelt said the city doesn't have an extra $80,000 available in the budget for such work.

'A budget request of approximately $80,000 would be required to complete the landscaping in the area, not including irrigation,' reads the administrative report.

Meeting the requirements of the draft zoning bylaw, which hasn't been approved, would require planting 45 trees with another 90 cubic metres of topsoil for the 10-centimetre cover over the soils there.

Shewfelt said the city didn't look at how much it would cost to plant landscaping to current standards rather than the proposed zoning bylaw because it's expected the draft regulation will be adopted by the time the city will be planting.

He also pointed out the price of trees which can cost upwards of $800 each and having a warranty on the planting contribute to the high cost.

As Hedmann pointed out previously, there will already be crews in place doing work in the area this summer.

Questioned by Coun. Bev Buckway at Monday's meeting, Shewfelt said the trees would be 2.4 metres to three metres high, slightly above the rear fences of the adjacent properties.

Irrigation would also likely be required for the plants. The report states that without irrigation, any trees and landscaping planted would have problems surviving the semi-aird climate.

Though the city's Parks and Recreation Department has a water truck which could be used to water the trees, it's not a sustainable operation, reads the administrative report.

Regardless of whether the transplanted trees are indigenous to the Yukon, they will be impacted by the climate and require a water source, Shewfelt told Coun. Jan Stick. She had questioned him on whether indigenous trees would need the same kind of irrigation.

Stick pointed out the possibility Wilson Drive residents may help out with the cost.

At an earlier meeting, Hedmann told council, 'Finally, in addition to trees supplied by the city, we at 91 Wilson Dr. are willing to supply additional trees at our expense.'

Council will vote whether to go ahead with the recommendation at next Monday's meeting.

In the meantime, Hedmann has already written a letter to council members expressing his and other Wilson Drive residents' disappointment with the recommendation.