HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-17-018 - Balzer Creek Trail
REPORT TO: Community & Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: March 6th, 2017
SUBMITTED BY: Denise McGoldrick, Director Operations, Environmental
Services (519-741-2600 x 4657)
PREPARED BY: Matt Wilson, M.Eng, P.Eng, Design & Construction Project
Manager (519-741-2200 x 7149)
Mark Parris, Landscape Architect (519-741-2600 x4397)
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Wards 3 & 6
DATE OF REPORT: February 13, 2017
REPORT NO.: INS 17-018
SUBJECT:Balzer Creek Trail
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RECOMMENDATION:
That Council approve the proposed type 2 multi-use pathway along reach 2 of Balzer
Creek, located between Homer Watson Boulevard and Fallowfield Drive.
BACKGROUND:
Balzer Creek Restoration Study
Balzer Creek is an east-west tributary of Schneider Creek located between Old Country
Dr. and Schneider Creek that drains 260 hectares of land within the Country Hills
Community into Schneider Creek. In 2013 Balzer Creek was identified for a creek
restoration study due to significant erosion and creek migration causing a direct conflict
with an existing sanitary sewer utility.
In 2015, the City of Kitchener completed a Schedule “B” Municipal Class Environmental
Assessment (EA) to evaluate and recommend a preferred creek restoration works and
for the construction of a type 2 multi-use pathway, as identified in the Multi-use
Pathways and Trails Master Plan (2012). Type 2 multi-use pathways are secondary
pathways that support connections to primary pathways (type 1) and local
neighbourhoods.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
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Figure 1: Balzer Creek Restoration Study Area & Trail Context
The Balzer Creek tributary is defined as three reaches, as depicted in Figure 1.
Highlighted improvements of all reaches are as follows:
Creek improvements including stabilization, bank reinforcements, alignment
relocations, vegetation and habitat enhancements
Replacement of substandard pedestrian bridge (Reach 1, Country Hills Park
connection)
Trail construction, including continuation of existing trail from Coach Hill Dr. to
Homer Watson Blvd., integration of Homer Watson Blvd underpass and link from
Homer Watson to Fallowfield Dr.
The creek restoration project is currently in the detailed design stage and targeting
construction for the summer of 2017.
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REPORT:
The focus of this report is the implementation of a new multi-use pathway within Reach
2 of the Balzer Creek Restoration project, connecting Homer Watson Boulevard and
Fallowfield Dr.
The proposed multi-use pathway within Reach 2 is approximately 420m of the total
1.2km length of multi-use pathway between Old Country Dr. and Fallowfield Dr. that will
be connected through this project.
The Reach 2 portion runs parallel to Brisbane Drive within Balzer Greenway,
approximately 3.5m from the back of the property lines to the edge of proposed
pavement, roughly centered within the existing 10m City owned utility easement.
The alignment and location of the Reach 2 portion of trail is required due to the following
factors:
The proposed trail will double as an access road for maintenance operations to
the existing sanitary sewer manholes. The sanitary sewer utility is located within
a 10m city owned easement directly behind the Brisbane Dr. residences.
The City does not own the lands to the south of the utility easement, therefore a
permanent multi-use pathway to the south of the easement is not an option;
The location shown is the most cost-effective trail development solution by:
o Minimizing wetland impacts, thereby minimizing mitigation costs such as
boardwalk development; and
o Representing the shortest distance between key destination points,
significantly reducing material costs.
Appendix A provides an illustration of the preferred design and trail alignment.
Through the public consultation phase of the Creek Restoration project, a total of 260
households were circulated and 14 households either attended the Public Information
Centre (PIC) or replied to survey and comment sheets.
Seven (7) households commented on the multi-use pathway proposal through Reach 2,
with various comments summarized below. Overall, the responses indicated an
acceptance of the maintenance pathway requirement:
Generally don’t like or don’t want the trail (3)
Privacy or security concerns (3)
Concerned over possible decrease in property value (2)
Location of the trail in relation to their property (1)
Trail/roadway crossing safety concerns (1)
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Staff recognize the proximity of the trail to residential property as a potential conflict
between private property owners and the multi-use pathway proposal. Mitigation is
proposed by ensuring sufficient planting is provided within the 3.5m offset between the
private residences and the pathway to achieve a visual buffer and provide a definition
between private and public space.
The implementation of the multi-use pathway as identified in the Multi-use Pathway and
Trails Master Plan is being recommended for the following reasons:
Improved Connectivity, Walkability and Active Transportation
The east-west connection proposed between Homer Watson Blvd. and
Fallowfield Dr. is a critical off-road link between the Country Hills communities
and the Fairway Park commercial hub, also linking the communities to a
proposed portion of the Trans-Canada trail route.
Establishing a continuous off-road pathway network provides residents of all
ages and abilities the means to travel easily and safely throughout their
neighbourhood and across the City, a key vision statement of the Multi-use
Pathway and Trails Master Plan
Limited Transportation Alternatives
There are no east-west municipal roadway connections in the Country Hills
East community, an area over 1.2 square kilometers bounded by Homer
Watson Blvd., Block Line Rd., Courtland Ave., Manitou Dr. and Bleams Rd.
All roads, with the exception of Block Line Rd, are regional, primary arterial
roadways experiencing approximately 2,000 to 20,000 average annual daily
traffic. Block Line Rd. is a city owned, secondary arterial road experiencing over
10,000 average annual daily traffic as measured between Homer Watson Blvd.
and Country Hill Dr.
The proposed trail link therefore is critical to achieving convenient, pedestrian
and cycling friendly off-road transportation alternatives.
School Routing
The Country Hills Public School is located on Country Hill Dr. within the Country
Hills Community. The school’s registration boundary includes the Country Hills
East community.
Completing the maintenance access as a multi-use pathway would provide a
direct and convenient connection to the school for residents of the Fallowfield
neighbourhood south of Brisbane, approximately 50 single family homes and
41 townhomes.
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Requirement of Existing Sewer Manhole Access
Paved access to all sanitary manholes is required for maintenance practices.
The distance of paved routes for maintenance access represents approximately
320m of the 420m distance between Homer Watson Blvd. and Fallowfield Dr.
The multi-use pathway would require an additional 100m to complete the
connection between 505 Brisbane Crt, and 67 to 43 Brisbane Dr. The
requirement of the sanitary sewer maintenance access and the additional
connection required for use as active transportation is shown in Figure 2.
An alternative route is feasible as shown in Figure 2 utilizing existing sidewalk
infrastructure for pedestrian connectivity. This alternative is not recommended
by staff, as it does not facilitate off-road pedestrian and cycling routes, a vision
embraced by the city’s Official Plan and reinforced by the Multi-use Pathway
and Trails Master Plan and completes a gap in the off-road network.
Figure 2: Comparison of Sanitary Sewer Access Route vs. Multi-use Pathway
Connection
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SUMMARY:
Staff recommends that the multi-use pathway be constructed as part of the Balzer
Creek Restoration project to realize the goal of providing residents of all ages and
abilities the means to travel easily and safely throughout their neighbourhood and
across the City through off-road transportation alternatives.
In addition, completing the trail works in conjunction with the creek rehabilitation works
provides greater efficiency and cost savings to the project. The parallel development of
trails during creek restoration initiatives is a recommendation of the Multi-use Pathway
and Trails Master Plan in order to achieve the Type 1 and Type 2 network objectives.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The development of the Balzer Creek trail connection coincides with the community
vision, “Together, we will build an innovative, caring and vibrant Kitchener with safe and
thriving neighbourhoods” by providing valued services to residents of our community by
enhancing their “Quality of Life” through enhancement of the active transportation
network.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The multi-use pathway components are currently identified in the Community Trails
Development General Provision and estimated at $400,000. No additional funding is
required to complete the multi-use trail component.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
CONSULT: Two (2) Public Information Centres (PIC’s) were completed as part of the
Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process. A presentation was
also made at the Environmental Committee of Council during the project
development.
The City made the project file available on the public record for a 30 day
review period during which members of the public had an opportunity to
voice any concerns about the project in writing to the Minister of the
Environment.
Through the detailed design phase, two (2) PICs have been scheduled,
one of which was completed on December 14th, 2016. The other is
scheduled to occur in June, 2017 one week prior to the start of
construction.
The Balzer Creek Restoration Study was introduced to the Kitchener
Cycling and Trails Advisory Committee on April 14, 2015 with continued
dialogue with staff through staff updates and regular committee meetings.
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The committee passed a motion “that all trails as defined in the Multi-Use
Pathways and Trails Master Plan be endorsed by the committee”.
This report was circulated to the Kitchener Cycling and Trails Advisory
Committee for consideration during the February 14, 2017 committee
meeting, outlining current implementation issues. The Committee passed
the motion to “support the recommendation provided by city staff in regards
to the Balzer Creek Restoration – Reach 2 Trail”
INFORM: All information about the EA study from the Notice of Study
Commencement and including all information presented at the Public
Information Centres is posted on the City’s website.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Cynthia Fletcher, Interim Executive Director, Infrastructure
Services
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APPENDIX A: Reach 2 Preferred Design and Trail Alignment
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