Report to/Rapport au :
Transportation Committee
Comité des transports
and Council / et au Conseil
28 July 2004 / le 28 juillet 2004
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager / Directeur
municipal adjoint
Planning and Growth Management / Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Vivi Chi, Manager / Gestionnaire
Transportation and Infrastructure / Transports et infrastructure
(613) 580-2424 x21877, vivi.chi@ottawa.ca
Kanata (4) Ref N°:
ACS2004-DEV-POL-0021
SUBJECT: Terry fox drive - RICHARDSON SIDE ROAD TO
GOULBOURN FORCED ROAD (environmental assessment addendum)
OBJET : PROMENADE TERRY-FOX - ROUTE SECONDAIRE
RICHARDSON AU CHEMIN GOULBOURN FORCED (ADDENDA À
L'ÉVALUATION ENVIRONNEMENTALE)
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Transportation Committee recommend Council approve:
1.
1.
The Environmental Assessment Addendum recommendation, as illustrated in
Document 1 Recommended Addendum Alignment, to modify the roadway
alignment, the roadway cross-section, and the property requirements for
the future railway grade-separation of Terry Fox Drive between
Richardson Side Road and Goulbourn Forced Road.
2.
2.
The finalization and filing of the Terry Fox Drive - Richardson Side
Road to Goulbourn Forced Road - Environmental Assessment Addendum
Report detailing the above noted recommendations.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité des transports recommande au Conseil municipal
d’approuver :
1. la recommandation de l’addenda à
l’Évaluation environnementale, comme l’illustre le document 1
intitulé Addenda au tracé recommandé, en vue de
modifier le tracé de la route, l’intersection ainsi que les
exigences foncières pour aménager le futur croisement
à saut-de-mouton de la promenade Terry-Fox, entre la route
secondaire Richardson et le chemin Goulbourn Forced;
2. l’achèvement et la présentation du
Rapport d’addenda à l’Évaluation environnementale de la
promenade Terry-Fox - de la route secondaire Richardson au chemin
Goulbourn Forced - dans lequel les recommandations
susmentionnées sont décrites.
BACKGROUND
The Terry Fox Drive Environmental Study Report (ESR), Eagleson Road to
March Road was completed by the former Region and filed in October
2000. Regional Council, on 27 September 2000, approved a report
to advance several key infrastructure projects, in response to rapid
growth, that included the preliminary design of Terry Fox Drive between
Richardson Side Road and March Road. The preliminary design
recommended a number of modifications to the 2000 ESR to resolve
conflicts, improve road design, improve safety, address the anticipated
increased transportation demand, and reduce the impact on geographic
features (rocky hill tops). The proposed modifications were
deemed to be significant enough to require the completion of an
Environmental Assessment (EA) Addendum to the 2000 EA.
The 2000 ESR alignment of Terry Fox Drive, which generally follows the
floodplain of the Carp River (west of the urban boundary), was adopted
into the City's new Official Plan (OP) in May 2003. The location
of the approved alignment relative to the urban boundary raised the
prospect that the urban boundary could/would be considered for
expansion. In accordance with Council direction at the adoption
of the City's new OP a Special Study Area (SSA) was initiated to
address the potential for the development of this land and provide for
the protection of natural environment areas. (See the Key Plan
below) The SSA applies to the land between the 2000 ESR alignment
of Terry Fox Drive and the former urban boundary of the City of Kanata.
The Terry Fox Drive EA Addendum analysis considered the findings of the
SSA study, and the final recommendations of the EA Addendum reflect the
staff recommendations on land use designations in the SSA.
Key Plan
DISCUSSION
Terry Fox Drive EA Addendum - Study Area
Since alternative alignments for Terry Fox Drive were already
considered in the 2000 ESR, the primary study area for the Addendum was
in the immediate vicinity of the 2000 ESR alignment from Richardson
Side Road to Goulbourn Forced Road. A secondary study area was
also defined for the purpose of documenting and evaluating the
surrounding environmental issues.
The secondary study area includes the area bounded on the south by
Richardson Side Road, on the west side by the Carp River, on the north
side by Klondike Road and on the east side by the future realigned
Goulbourn Forced Road / Second Line Road. The secondary study
area includes the South March Highlands Wetland Complex, the headwaters
of Shirley's Brook, Kizell Drain, the Carp River, and various wooded or
farmland areas. (See Document 1 - Terry Fox Drive EA
Addendum - Study Area)
Recommended Modifications to the 2000 Environmental Study Report
Recommended Modifications to the Horizontal Alignment
The review of the recommended modifications along the corridor has
resulted in a relatively small adjustment of the road to the
west. This shift in the alignment resolves conflicts with
recently constructed farm buildings on the Richardson property (as
noted on the Key Plan). It also allows the development of a
continuous curvilinear alignment that is more in keeping with driver
expectations adjacent to an open rural/parkway setting. The
overall result will be a design that improves user safety by providing
consistent and appropriate feedback to drivers about the road
ahead. (See Document 3 - Alignment Alternatives)
The westerly shift in the alignment of Terry Fox Drive will increase
the encroachment of the road into the Carp River flood plain.
This proposed encroachment has been discussed with the Mississippi
Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA), and the MVCA has agreed that the
reduction in the flood plain will be addressed by a Compensation
Strategy, to be prepared during the detailed design phase. A
separate rehabilitation strategy for the Carp River is also currently
in development to address degraded condition of the river. The
Terry Fox Drive floodplain impact has been identified as an adjacent
area that could be incorporated into this rehabilitation
strategy. The rehabilitation of the Carp River is a
recommendation of the Carp River Sub-watershed Study and the Kanata
West Concept Plan.
The westerly shift increases the size of the Special Study Area
slightly and also increases the portion of environmentally significant
land east of the roadway.
Recommended Changes to the Terry Fox Drive Cross-section
The original concept for Terry Fox Drive from Richardson Side Road to
Goulbourn Force Road was a two-lane rural arterial undivided
cross-section that included a 2.5m bicycle lane in each direction and a
2.0m sidewalk on the east/south side. The 2000 ESR anticipated
that the two-lane roadway could be expanded to four lanes beyond the
2021 planning horizon. The updated 2021 development levels
identified in the new OP confirmed that the two-lane cross-section will
no longer be adequate to address the anticipated increased demand.
The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) long-range transportation model
was adjusted to represent the planned growth predicted in the new OP
for adjacent lands, and it was concluded that four general purpose
traffic lanes would be required on the Terry Fox Drive corridor
(Richardson Side Road to Goulbourn Forced Road) prior to 2021.
The evaluation of safety requirements for the four-lane roadway
identified a center median as necessary to provide appropriate
separation of traffic. In order to minimize the impact of the
four-lane divided cross-section various cross-section alternatives were
tested to determine what combination would have the least impact on the
Natural Environment Area (NEA) land while still providing acceptable
standards for safety.
A reduced center-median width, and the use of an urban cross-section
with storm sewers was the recommended solution to minimize the
cross-section required for the four lanes, and avoid the extra width
required for a rural open drainage design. The four-lane urban
cross-section significantly reduces rock removal costs and its reduced
footprint reduces impacts through environmentally sensitive areas. (See
Document 4 - Cross-Section Alternatives)
Recommended Railway Grade-Separation
The 2000 ESR did not address the future requirement for a
grade-separation at the former CNR - Renfrew Subdivision railway line
as it was initially found that a level crossing would be adequate for
the road and train traffic then predicted. The increased road
traffic projections and the continued protection of the rail corridor
for possible future transit has now supported the investigation of
grade-separation requirements. In addition, past and
current OP's call for the identification of appropriate right of ways
to accommodate future grade-separations at all active or potential road
/ railway crossings. Therefore the Addendum includes design
options for the railway crossing with various bridge configurations to
determine the most appropriate right of way requirements at the
crossing.
An overpass/short bridge option was selected as the most preferred
grade-separation strategy, as it allows the efficient conversion of the
initial at grade crossing to a future grade-separated crossing, while
providing equally favorable environmental and transportation features
to the other options. (See Document 5 - Recommended Grade
Separation)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
Environmental Impact Mitigation Strategy
In order for Terry Fox Drive to complete the link between
Richardson Side Road and Goulbourn Forced Road it is necessary for it
to pass through a portion of the South March Highlands, one of the most
significant land forms in the City.
The construction of Terry Fox Drive will result in five distinct
impacts on the natural environment in the Study Area;
1.
1.
a barrier to ecological connectivity will be created between
significant natural areas east and west of the Terry Fox Drive corridor;
2.
2.
the roadway footprint will remove a section of the Provincially
Significant wetland complex southwest of the junction of Terry Fox
Drive/ CNR rail line;
3.
3.
the roadway footprint will remove and disturb woodland habitat;
4.
4.
the aquatic environment of Shirley’s Brook and the Shirley’s Brook
tributaries will be degraded due to channeling waterways into culverts
to pass under the road and by roadway drainage; and
5.
5.
the roadway will reduce the Carp River floodplain volume.
Each of these impacts on the natural environment will be addressed in
detail in a Mitigation Strategy to be completed during the detailed
design phase of the roadway.
Nevertheless, during the 2000 ESR and the EA Addendum Study a
combination of strategies have been proposed to mitigate:
·
·
wetland impacts;
·
·
woodland habitat impacts; and
·
·
aquatic habitat impacts.
The alignment has been selected to minimize the fragmentation of the
wetland complex, and the cross-section was developed to minimize the
footprint of the roadway. Further consideration will be given to
opportunities to reduce the footprint through the wetland area during
the detailed design.
The impacts on the aquatic habitats are to be addressed by compensation
on adjacent development lands. A joint initiative with the
development area east of the recommended alignment and DFO proposes
relocation and rehabilitation of Shirley's Brook to improve the quality
of the habitat, by adding base flow to Shirley's Brook, which is
beneficial given its current low base flows.
The impact on the Carp River floodplain will be compensated/mitigated
in coordination with the MVCA in a detailed floodplain compensation
plan for that will be prepared during the detailed design phase.
The compensation options can include identification/protection of
replacement storage areas, modification of the Carp River to increase
flood storage, or funding projects elsewhere on the Carp River that
improve flood performance. Alternatively the floodplain compensation
can be incorporated in the Carp River rehabilitation strategy.
Initial investigations undertaken during the Preliminary Design phase
for Terry Fox Drive identified a series of ecological passageways as
the preferred method to mitigate the barrier effect of the roadway and
maintain ecological connectivity between natural areas. The
ecological passageway network consists of smaller wet and dry
passageways in key locations along Terry Fox Drive and a single, larger
ecological passageway to be located in the highlands area southwest of
the CNR crossing.
The Addendum Study identifies a large (20m wide by 3m high) ecological
passageway under Terry Fox Drive as a possible method to mitigate the
barrier effect of the roadway and maintain ecological connectivity
between natural areas. (See Document 6 - Terry Fox Drive
Passageway)
Passageways such as the one proposed have been used in other
jurisdictions (such as Banff National Park, Glacier National Park,
Florida and Europe). While, biologists involved with these
projects have indicated that they believe the passageways to have been
successful in reducing the impact of roadways on important natural
environment features, proof of the benefits of such facilities can only
be determined by long-term monitoring of ecological activity. The
estimated cost for the passageway is $3.2 Million and has provisionally
been included in the overall cost estimate for the project.
An initial location for the large passageway has been established by a
3 month study of patterns of movement of uplands wildlife in the winter
of 2001. The location should be confirmed through further
observation of movement patterns in other seasons. A twelve month
study of wildlife movements throughout a year would be the preferred
method for confirming the passageway location.
The EA Addendum study has provided the opportunity to introduce the
passageway and it was accommodated in the evaluation of all the
relevant alignment alternatives. The final decision on the
appropriate size, location and design of the passageway will take place
during the detailed design phase.
Several other small roadway culvert / environmental passage crossings
are also recommended in other areas where a high incidence of wildlife
activity has been documented.
Stormwater Management
Four stormwater management facilities are required to mitigate the
impact of stormwater runoff from the new road. The property
requirements for the stormwater management facilities have been
identified in the ESR Addendum. The preliminary design allows for
the maintenance of existing drainage patterns and overland flows, but
opportunities for integrated stormwater management can be accommodated
in the detailed design as dictated by adjacent land use. This was
considered important since the Special Study Area contemplated the
development of some of the land east of Terry Fox Drive.
Changes to land use adjacent to the alignment
While the Addendum study was underway, staff were also involved in the
Special Study Area (SSA) review which included public consultation and
gave rise to alternative road alignment reviews. The SSA review
also proposed a change to the land use of some land immediately to the
east of the alignment and a review of those lands deemed to be
environmentally significant. The analysis undertaken for the
Addendum took into consideration that parts of the SSA may be subjected
to future development. This consideration has been built into the
Addendum recommendations.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
The impact on existing rural land uses, such as the impact on
agricultural land, agricultural operations, wooded lands, and natural
environment areas was included in the evaluation of alternatives in the
original 2000 ESR and were updated in the evaluation of alternatives in
the EA Addendum Study.
The 2000 ESR acknowledged the loss of agricultural land and the
fragmentation of farmland caused by the approved alignment.
The EA Addendum recommended alignment does not
significantly change the nature of these impacts.
CONSULTATION
A comprehensive consultation process was undertaken for the EA Addendum.
Consultation activities included:
·
· numerous
Technical Advisory Committee meetings;
·
· discussions
with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority;
·
· discussions
with local landowners; and
·
· a Public Open
House.
While the Terry Fox Drive EA Addendum process was underway the Special
Study Area review was also conducted.
Assistance was provided at public meetings for the Special Study Area
regarding issues related to Terry Fox Drive. Several alternative
alignment options were proposed by the public at SSA meetings and these
were then reviewed in detail to determine their potential environmental
impact. See Document 3 illustrating the alignments that were
reviewed.
The reviews included an alternative alignment proposed by a landowner
(referred to as the Roger's Pass alignment in Document 3) and the
re-evaluation of the First Line road allowance (also know as option 4-2
Hydro Cut, see Document 3) alignment with the current four-lane
requirement. Each of the alternative alignments were reviewed
together with the recommended alignment for their environmental
impacts. The recommended alignment proved to be the
superior alignment on the basis of least environmental impact and least
cost.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The preliminary cost estimate to construct the extension of Terry Fox
Drive from Richardson Side Road to Goulbourn Forced Road is
approximately $34.9 million, excluding detailed design and property
acquisition. A more accurate total project cost will be developed
as detailed design is undertaken.
The construction of Terry Fox Drive from Richardson Side Road to
Goulbourn Forced Road is identified in Phase 3 of the TMP (after 2013
and by about 2021). The construction of the initial 2 lanes may
be required to provide access to new developments, therefore the timing
of initial two lane construction may be dependent on the phasing of
development in north Kanata.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 - Recommended Addendum Alignment
Document 2 - Terry Fox Drive EA Addendum Study Area
Document 3 - Alignment Alternatives
Document 4 - Cross-Section Alternatives
Document 5 - Recommended Grade Separation
Document 6 - Terry Fox Drive Passageway
Document 7 - *NEW* - Additional information, Memorandum from Deputy
City Manager, Planning and Growth Management, dated 22 September 2004
DISPOSITION
Following Committee and Council approval, the ESR Addendum Report
documenting the addendum recommendations will be prepared and filed for
the 30-day public review period, in accordance with the provincial
Environmental Assessment Act.
Once the formal review period is over, and if there is no Part II Order
request to the Minister of the Environment, the project will be
considered approved.
The recommended modification of the Terry Fox Drive alignment will be
included in the appropriate schedule(s) of the City’s Official Plan.
RECOMMENDED ADDENDUM ALIGNMENT Document 1
TERRY FOX DRIVE EA ADDENDUM STUDY AREA Document 2
ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES Document 3
CROSS-SECTION ALTERNATIVES Document 4
RECOMMENDED GRADE SEPARATION Document 5
TERRY FOX DRIVE PASSAGEWAY Document 6
Document 7
M E M O / N O T E D
E S E R V I C E
To / Destinataire Councillor Stavinga, Chair -
Transportation Committee File/N° de
fichier: ACS2004-DEV-POL-0021-Additional Information
From / Expéditeur Ned Lathrop, Deputy City
Manager, Planning and Growth Management Department
Subject / Objet Terry Fox Drive - Richardson Side
Road to Goulbourn Forced Road (Environmental Assessment
Addendum) Date: 22 September 2004
The Terry Fox Drive - Richardson Side Road to Goulbourn Forced Road
Environmental Assessment Study Addendum was presented to Transportation
Committee at it’s 1 September 2004 meeting.
At that meeting, Committee directed staff to provide additional written
information regarding the scope of the Environmental Assessment
Addendum, public consultation, evaluation and mitigation of the Carp
River floodplain issues, and the process for the evaluation and design
of environmental passageways. This memorandum has been prepared
to expand on the information contained in the staff report and to
address the concerns noted at Committee.
Scope of the Environmental Assessment Addendum
The original Terry Fox Drive Environmental Assessment set out the basic
elements for the roadway alignment and design for the extension of
Terry Fox Drive from Richardson Side Road to March Road. The EA
was approved in 2000. The EA Addendum was undertaken to address
three significant changes to the 2000 Environmental Study Report:
·
· Modifications
to the roadway alignment
·
· Modifications
to the roadway cross-section, and
·
· Specification
of property requirements for rail grade-separation.
The Addendum was completed in accordance with the Municipal Class
Environmental Assessment (June 2000).
Public Consultation
Project stakeholders were consulted during the development of the
Addendum. Activities included consultation with the following
groups:
·
· General Public
·
· Technical
Advisory Committee/ Approval Agencies
·
· Landowners
·
· Special Study
Area
The number and type of consultation events, the issues or concerns
raised, and the project team responses are described below.
General Public
The primary consultation event with the public at large was a Public
Open House held on 3 December 2002 at the Kanata United Church located
at 33 Leacock Drive in Kanata. The Open House was a joint event;
presenting the recommendations of both the Terry Fox Drive EA Addendum
and the Kanata Lakes Development Serviceability, Environmental, and
Recreation studies. More than 150 people were in attendance,
including Councillor Alex Munter and staff from a variety of City
Departments.
The format of the Open House was typical of City events for EA
studies. A series of information boards were available for review
and the Consultant Project Manager made a presentation. The
recommended alignment for the EA Addendum study was presented, along
with the underlying rationale for the westerly shift from the approved
ESR alignment.
Comments from the public on the study recommendations were collected in
two ways:
(1) a question and answer period following the formal
presentations; and
(2) comment sheets provided at the Open House.
The majority of the people in attendance at the meeting were concerned
with the Kanata Lakes development proposal and the proposed
compensation plan for the inadvertent removal of trees from protected
Natural Environment lands. Few comments were made regarding the
EA Addendum study. Comments that were received are summarized
below, along with the study team’s response.
Comment Response
Existing Goulbourn Forced Road needs to be reconstructed or the timing
for the construction of Terry Fox Drive needs to be advanced. The
volume of traffic on March Road is excessive and there are currently no
other viable options. The 1997 RMOC TMP suggests that
the extension/ widening of this portion of Terry Fox Drive will not
take place before 2006. With the EA approval in place, the City
will be in a position to advance the timing of construction, should the
need to do so be demonstrated. The City monitors local traffic
conditions and can re-evaluate its priorities.
The alignment recommended for Terry Fox Drive in the Addendum makes
sense. Comment noted.
Has the junction/ intersection of Terry Fox Drive and the future light
rail line been adequately considered? The EA
Addendum identified a preferred design concept for a grade-separation
at the junction of Terry Fox Drive and the CNR line. The property
envelope required to construct the grade-separation will be protected,
to preserve the ability to implement a grade-separation in the future,
should it be necessary.
Has consideration been given to the construction of a large transit
station at the intersection of the rail corridor and Terry Fox
Drive? A transit station was not considered at this
location. It is more likely that any future transit station would
be integrated with the community.
Terry Fox Drive should not be built in the recommended alignment.
It should proceed westerly from its current alignment until it meets
the rail tracks, and then follow the rail tracks to Huntmar
Road. This area of the City is in need of north-south
capacity, given that March Road/ Eagleson Road is the only existing
north-south arterial. An alignment that follows the rail tracks
to Huntmar Road would not serve the underlying demand for north-south
travel.
How will the 1.5 m diameter culverts serve the deer population (i.e.,
assist deer in crossing the road)? The smaller
culverts (the 1.5 m diameter culverts) are intended to serve
small-sized wildlife. Deer are large enough to cross the roadway
at-grade and they will likely do so. (Headlight reflectors have
become a standard method to warn deer of oncoming cars, and are
employed on roads and highways where crossing incidents
occur)
Selection of a floodplain alignment for Terry Fox Drive extends the
urban boundary to the west. This is a bad idea. The current
urban boundary should be maintained. The location of
the road and the location of the urban boundary are two separate
things. The roadway alignment has been chosen in a manner that
will minimize environmental impact (considering all aspects of the
natural, human, transportation, and cost environment). The urban
boundary will be located in a manner that makes sense, through an
independent study of relevant factors.
No other comments have been received from the general public during the
course of the EA Addendum study.
Technical Advisory Committee/ Approval Agencies
As is typical with EA studies for the City of Ottawa, a Technical
Advisory Committee (TAC) was struck to provide guidance to the Terry
Fox Drive EA Addendum. Membership on the TAC consisted of
representatives of the following groups:
· Mississippi Valley
Conservation Authority
· City of Ottawa -
Planning & Growth Management Department (Planning, environment and
Infrastructure Policy Branch; Planning & Infrastructure Approvals
Branch)
· City of Ottawa -
Public Works & Services Department (Infrastructure Services Branch)
Three progress meetings were held with the TAC. Draft designs for
the roadway and strategies for environmental mitigation were discussed
and comments were incorporated into the design for Terry Fox Drive as
it evolved.
Representatives of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA)
were in attendance at the TAC meetings and at a number of stakeholder
meetings related to the preliminary design study. The impact of
the change in the alignment on the Carp River floodplain was discussed
and accepted in principle (by the MVCA) subject to the development of
an acceptable mitigation strategy during the detailed design
phase. The MVCA provided an opinion that the loss of floodplain
storage will have a negligible effect on the Carp River's flow regime
since the Carp River is wide and shallow in the vicinity of the
proposed Terry Fox Drive alignment.
Landowners
During the EA Addendum study, two meetings were held with three major
landowners adjacent to the Terry Fox Drive alignment (Minto, KNL
Developments, Regional Group), and four additional meetings were held
to discuss the details of the preliminary design. Several of the
landowners were active in the preparation of development concepts, and
every effort was made to coordinate the design of the road and its
ancillary facilities (e.g., stormwater management ponds) with the plans
of subdivision. The topics of the discussions fell into three
general categories:
1. 1. One of the
landowners was proposing a minor westerly shift in the alignment, just
north of the Richardson Farm. The proposed shift affected
approximately 500 metres of the alignment and sought to push the road
about 50 metres to the west, at the point of maximum shift;
2. 2. One of the
landowners proposed an alternate alignment for Terry Fox Drive; one
that would see the road generally shift 200 metres to the west in the
vicinity of the CNR crossing. This alignment alternative came to
be known as the Rogers Pass alternative; and
3. 3. Many of the
landowners wanted to know about design details such as location of
proposed local road intersections, shifts in the proposed profile,
etc. As Terry Fox Drive within the study area was simultaneously
subject to a preliminary design assignment, the majority of these
concerns and questions were referred to the preliminary design team and
were satisfactorily addressed.
The minor shift in the alignment north of the Richardson Farm was
considered and the only negative effect would be on the
floodplain. The MVCA was consulted regarding this proposal and it
was accepted in principle, subject to the development of an acceptable
mitigation strategy. The landowner requesting the shift was
advised and concurred that he would be responsible for all mitigation
to offset the additional floodplain impacts.
Six meetings were held with the proponent of the Rogers Pass alignment
(Kanata Highlands Properties) to review the merits and potential
impacts of the proposed westerly shift in the alignment. Detailed
evaluation of the options showed that the Rogers Pass alignment would
have the following comparative effects:
· · the Rogers Pass
alignment would have a greater impact on the natural environment than
the recommended EA Addendum alignment, primarily as a result of the
impacts on the wetlands in the vicinity of the CNR tracks;
· · the Rogers Pass
alignment would remove 20,000 to 60,000 m3 more rock than the
recommended EA Addendum alignment, primarily in the environmental
sensitive area southwest of the CNR tracks known as “the Saddle”; and
· · the Rogers Pass
alignment would have a construction cost of $37 Million, approximately
$3 Million more than the estimated $34 Million construction cost for
the recommended EA Addendum alignment.
The Rogers Pass alignment was dismissed as a result of these
incremental impacts.
The design issues related to intersection location and roadway profile
were referred to the preliminary design team and the interested
landowners were incorporated into the consultation process for that
study.
Special Study Area
The Terry Fox Drive EA Addendum study team acted as a technical
resource to the Special Study of land use designations for the
interstitial lands. The City and Consultant Project Managers
attended all three of the Steering Committee meetings and answered a
range of questions from the participants.
The primary issue raised by the Special Study Area Land Use Study
Steering Committee related to Terry Fox Drive was the request to
re-examine the Hydro Cut alignment, in light of the conclusion that a
four lane road would be required on this portion of Terry Fox Drive
(the ESR have originally concluded that only two lanes would be needed
before 2021). The reasoning was that the right-of-way would be
wider, possibly changing the conclusions regarding the relative merit
of the Hydro Cut as a road alignment, compared to the floodplain
alignment.
The evaluation of the Hydro Cut alignment options revealed the
following:
· · the impact of the Hydro
Cut alignment on the natural environment would be greater than the
impact of the recommended EA Addendum alignment, primarily as a result
of the removal of a significant area of woodland within the
Compensation Land area;
· · the Hydro Cut alignment
would require the removal of 8 hectares of land designated for
development, as a result of trying to complete the west-to-south turn
in Terry Fox Drive without impacting further on natural areas; and
· · the Hydro Cut alignment
would have a construction cost of $38 Million, approximately $4 Million
more than the estimated $34 Million construction cost for the
recommended EA Addendum alignment.
Carp River
The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has reviewed the proposed
road alignment on active farmland in the flood fringe adjacent to the
Carp River. The MVCA has confirmed that they have no objections
to the proposed alignment and have identified no significant adverse
impacts on the natural function of the river based on the road location.
Calculations were completed, during the preliminary design, to
determine the loss of flood plain due to the new road alignment
encroaching into the Regulatory (100-year) flood plain of the Carp
River. The cross sections from the existing Conservation
Authority HEC2 backwater model were employed in the analysis. An
estimated 45,000 cubic metres of floodplain storage area will be lost
due to the proposed EA Addendum alignment. The proposed EA
Addendum alignment is approximately 18,000 cubic metres more than the
2000 ESR alignment that had a total impacted of about 27,000 cubic
metres. The MVCA is aware of this additional floodplain impact, and
have agreed that the loss of floodplain storage will have a negligible
effect on the Carp River’s flood regime since the Carp River is wide
and shallow in the vicinity of the proposed Terry Fox Drive alignment.
The general MVCA requirements for the Terry Fox Extension within the
Carp River floodplain are as follows:
·
· The road
surface must be above the 100-year flood plain elevation to ensure
appropriate flood proofing.
·
· The loss of
flood plain storage due to the roadway footprint will be compared to
the additional flood plain storage created from the construction of any
stormwater management and any required fish habitat compensation
works. Local grading that creates additional storage can be used
to compensate for any residue loss of flood plan storage.
·
· The cross
culvert near Station 13+400 must remain to allow the existing backwater
flood plain storage to remain upstream of the road.
These issues will be addressed during the detailed design phase.
Under Ontario Regulation 159/90 a permit will be required from MVCA for
any fill placement and/or construction within the Regulatory flood
plain of the Carp River. This process will ensure that the flood
plain issues will be addressed to the satisfaction of the MVCA.
Environmental Passageways
As noted in the staff report the location and function of the
conceptual environmental passageways are subject to further refinement
during the detailed design stage. Additional studies of migration
patterns are recommended to verify the type and location of
passageways. Decisions on land use within the Special Study Area
will be a critical factor in the size, type and location of passageways.
It is important to note that the passageways depicted in the EA
Addendum report are conceptual and can be accommodated or
deleted/modified without further changes to the alignment or
cross-section of the roadway.
Following further wildlife studies and subject to final land use
adjacent to the road corridor, the actual environmental passageway plan
will be presented to the public and to Transportation Committee during
the development of the detailed design.
Yours truly,
Original signed by Ned Lathrop
Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager
Planning and Growth Management