HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-12-084 - Class Environmental Assessment for Strasburg Road.pdREPORT TO:Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
Nov 27, 2012
SUBMITTED BY: Hans Gross Director, Asset Management , 519-741-2416
Barbara Robinson, Director, Engineering Services, 519 741
2410
PREPARED BY:
Binu Korah, Manager, Development Engineering, 519 741
2974
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
Wards 4 & 5
DATE OF REPORT:
Nov 14, 2012
REPORT NO.:
INS-12-084
SUBJECT: CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) FOR
STRASBURG ROAD EXTENSION FROM NORTH OF
STAUFFER DRIVE TO NEW DUNDEE ROAD (SOUTH
SECTION) – ADDITIONAL SCOPE OF WORK
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the additional Scope of Work for the Strasburg Road Extension from North of
Stauffer Drive to New Dundee Road be approved, as set out in Report INS-12-084;
THAT the Purchase Order for SNC-Lavalin Inc., the consultant for this project, be
extended for the amount of $490,096.00plus applicable taxes to complete the Class
Environmental Assessment for Strasburg Road Extension from North of Stauffer Drive to
New Dundee Road and further;
THAT the development charges funded budget for Strasburg Road Extension from North
of Stauffer Drive to New Dundee Road be increased by $146,000.
BACKGROUND:
The Class Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Strasburg Road Extension from North of
Stauffer Drive to New Dundee Road (“South Section”) is currently in Phase 4 of the Class EA
Process. A draft Environmental Study Report (ESR) was published in May 2012, and
comments were received until September 2012. These comments have been provided to the
public. Due to the nature of the comments received, it appears that some additional work will be
required to complete the EA.
The comments received which relate to the Strasburg Road North Section, from Rush Meadow
Drive to north of Stauffer Drive, will not be considered during the Class EA process for the
South Section. The North Section of the project is not currently under review, nor are public
comments being received, except as they relate to final design details. This report does not
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reference this project which is currently under detail design, expected to be completed by the
end of 2012.
City staff presented an Information Report (INS 12-059) on Nov 5, 2012 to the Planning &
Strategic Initiatives Committee advising that staff will bring a detailed report to the November
27, 2012 Special Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee meeting to outline the following
tasks and recommendations:
The additional Scope of Work for the project team and the consultant to address the
issues identified in the comments and complete the Class EA process for this project.
This work will involve additional public consultation and consultant fees, as well as
additional staff time. Further, a means for Council to become more involved in this Class
EA process will be initiated. Note that Council participation in other Class EAs will be
addressed separately.
Comments received following the publication of the Draft ESR which will form the basis for the
additional work recommended generally include the following:
Comments by Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) that it may be difficult to acquire
required permitting in any area known to provide habitat to Jefferson Salamanders
An alternative alignment proposed by a developers’ group
Concerns around preserving the property around 500 Stauffer Drive
In addition, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) conducted an information session on the
Municipal Class EA process to Council on August 27, 2012. At that presentation, Council were
advised that the best time for them to participate in the Class EA would be in setting criteria by
which alternatives would be evaluated. Although ideally this would take place prior to
alternatives being developed, in this case the project team are proposing that we work with
Council to review, and if necessary, refine, the criteria used to select the Technically Preferred
Alternative.
REPORT:
Based on comments received from the public, agencies, interested parties and Council, the
project team concluded that additional work and time is required to finalize the Environmental
Study Report (ESR) for the Strasburg Road Extension from north of Stauffer Drive to New
Dundee Road.
In order to assess the comments received, the project team propose the following tasks be
undertaken:
ADDITIONAL SCOPE OF WORK:
PRESENT EVALUATION CRITERIA TO COUNCIL AND COLLECT COUNCIL INPUT ON
CRITERIA AND POTENTIAL WEIGHTING
Present initial project team thinking on Evaluation Criteria weighting to Council.
o
Convene a workshop with Council and survey members of Council for their
o
preferences with respect to evaluation criteria and weightings for this project.
Reach a consensus from Council as a whole on Evaluation Criteria and associated
o
weightings and take this input back to the project team.
Confirm approved Evaluation Criteria and weightings with technical project team
o
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ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIONS/SPECIAL STUDIES
Address Ministry of Natural Resources Comments, entailing a literature search on
o
the effectiveness of Jefferson Salamander mitigation measures, including the
culvert/bridge/eco-passage design parameters
Undertake a Heritage Impact Assessment for the Technically Preferred Alignment
o
Perform selected additional field investigations as part of the review of the
o
developers' alignment
Undertake additional Traffic Impact Assessment investigations
o
Undertake Servicing Feasibility Analyses – Regional Watermain, Sanitary Sewer
o
and Stormwater Management and other connecting roads (e.g., Robert Ferrie Drive
and Blair Creek Drive).
ADDITIONAL COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES
Conduct a comparative assessment of seven (7) alignments. This includes six short-
o
listed alternatives from the April 2012 Draft ESR (See attached Figures, Appendices
A and B), plus the Developers’ Group Alignment (See attached Appendix C,
Developer`s Option, W2 Modified).
Prepare comparative assessment matrix using revised criteria (if any).
o
Prepare summary evaluation matrix applying agreed Evaluation Criteria weightings.
o
An information and evaluation session with the project team will be conducted to select the
Technically Preferred Alignment (Version 2).
Public Information Centre (PIC) No. 4 will be held to present the new set of alternatives, their
evaluation, and identification of the Technically Preferred Alignment Version 2 (TPA-V2).
Once all the comments are received and addressed, as appropriate, the project team will
prepare a Revised Environmental Study Report for Council endorsement and file the document
with the Ministry of Environment for the 30-day mandatory public review period.
PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF TECHNICALLY PREFERRED ALIGNMENT (VERSION 2) (TPA-V2)
In the event that the above scope of work returns a preferred alternative other than the existing
one (E4 Modified), additional Preliminary Design work will be required for the TPA-V2. This
work will include the following:
Survey
o
Geotechnical Investigations
o
Storm water Management Pre-design
o
Regional Watermain and other municipal services Pre-design
o
Structural Pre-Design
o
Road Pre-Design
o
This work, if required, will be undertaken following PIC No. 4, but prior to finalizing the ESR.
ADDITIONAL CONSULTANT FEES AND OTHER COST REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE
CLASS EA PROCESS
SNC-Lavalin`s and their sub-consultant fees to complete the additional scope of work is in the
amount of $490,096.00 excluding applicable taxes. In addition to the consultant fees, additional
staff cost and administrative cost, such as newspaper advertisement, facilities for Public
Information Centres, circulating the notices to the residents, printing etc., will also be required to
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complete this Class EA process. Therefore the total cost of $565,000 is required to complete
the project.
PROJECT TIMELINES & KEY ACTIVITIES
KEY ACTIVITY TIMEFRAME
Review and Council Endorsement of Evaluation Criteria
February 4, 2013
Council Workshop
Additional Investigations/Special Studies
December 2012
Jefferson Salamander literature search on
effectiveness of mitigation measures
February to April 2013
Heritage Impact Assessment
January 2013
Selected field investigations
January to April 2013
Servicing Feasibility Analyses
Additional Comparative Assessment of Alternatives
January 2013
Review Developers’ alignment
February 2013
Comparative assessment and evaluation
April 2013
PIC No. 4 (TPA-V2)
April 2013
Environmental Committee/Heritage Committee
presentation
May 2013
Council (PSI Committee) endorsement of TPA-V2
Preliminary Design of TPA
May - July 2013
Develop Preliminary Design and mitigation
measures
Environmental Study Report
May-August 2013
Revise April 2012 Draft ESR
September 2013
Council endorsement – ESR
September 2013
Finalize Draft ESR
September/October 2013
File ESR (for 30-day review period)
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
This project is fully funded from the Development Charge Reserve fund and has no financial
implication to tax levy. Total committed cost for this project to date is $2,459,715. With the
additional scope of work required for this project, $146,000 of additional funding will be required
as calculated below:
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Total additional cost required $565,000
Projected surplus available in Strasburg Road project $419,000
Deficit (to be funded by budget increase) $146,000
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The Strasburg Road Extension project is aligned with the City of Kitchener Strategic Plan; refer
to Strategic Plan document, community priorities – Development sections 1 & 3. Further, this
project is also one of the priority projects identified in the Kitchener Growth Management Plan,
as it provides service to lands identified as Priority B
CONCLUSION:
The City has received comments from agencies, the public, affected parties and Council on this
project. There is a need to investigate these comments and undertake additional technical
analyses. In addition, Council has expressed a desire to participate in this EA process, and that
is best achieved by examining the evaluation criteria set out be the project team, revising them if
necessary, and endorsing final evaluation criteria.
Therefore, staff recommend that Council approve the additional Scope of Work and the
proposed Class Environmental Assessment Process for the Strasburg Road Extension from
North of Stauffer Drive to New Dundee Road. To achieve this, staff also recommend increasing
the budget for this project as well as the Purchase Order for SNC-Lavalin Inc., the consultant for
this project.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jim Witmer, Interim DCAO Infrastructure Services
Department
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Appendix A:- Technically Preferred Alignment
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Appendix B : Short-Listed Alternatives
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Appendix C : Developers’ Option, W2 Modified
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