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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-15-037 - Samuel Simeon SidewalkStaff Rport I r rc'.� ► t .R Infrastructure Services Department wmkitchener.ca REPORT TO: Council DATE OF MEETING: April 27, 2015 SUBMITTED BY: Steve Allen, Manager, Engineering Design and Approvals, 519- 741 -2200 x 7584 PREPARED BY: Steve Allen, Manager, Engineering Design and Approvals, 519- 741 -2200 x 7584 WARD(S) INVOLVED: 10 DATE OF REPORT: April 22, 2015 REPORT NO.: INS -15 -037 SUBJECT: Samuel / Simeon Reconstruction - Sidewalk Infill RECOMMENDATION: For Information BACKGROUND: The reconstruction of Samuel Street between Cameron and Stirling, and Simeon Street between Cameron and Weber is planned for the 2015 construction season. The project is being completed as part of the City's Accelerated Infrastructure Replacement Program (AIRP) and is driven by the need to replace deteriorating underground infrastructure. Funding for construction was approved by council as part of the 2015 capital budget. In accordance with various council approved policies and plans, sidewalk installation is proposed for both sides of the roadway as part of the larger project. Currently there are no sidewalks on one side of Simeon between Pandora and Weber, and on one side of Samuel between Fairview and Stirling. REPORT: As part of the reconstruction project, sidewalk is proposed for both sides of Samuel and both sides of Simeon. This includes areas where there are currently no sidewalks. Figure 1 shows the location of areas of new sidewalk, where none currently exist. * ** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. * ** Please call 519- 741 -2345 or TTY 1- 866 - 969 -9994 for assistance. 9.a. - 1 Figure 1: Areas of new sidewalk infill The areas of new sidewalk; • are entirely on the City right -of -way, • no private property is required, • are very close to Sheppard Public School • is consistent with most of the neighbourhood having sidewalk on both sides • within 500m of Knollwood Park and the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium • will improve pedestrian safety along these streets 9.a. - 2 Despite the availability of City land on which to place a sidewalk, the installation is made complicated by the presence of City and private trees, and private landscaping in these areas. Several options for sidewalk alignment were presented to the neighbourhood at a public meeting in December 2014. As a result of discussions with some of the affected property owners, modifications were made to the alignment to mitigate the concerns. A site meeting with affected residents was held on April 16th. The purpose of the meeting was to review the proposed sidewalk alignment and discuss with each property owner. As a result of this meeting and further input from City arborists, staff are proposing additional realignments. The following table lists general impacts of the sidewalk installation and to what extent staff can mitigate them- Impact Mitigation Measures Private Landscaping Can be relocated as part of construction Encroaching Fences Will be relocated to property line or a mutually acceptable location to permit sidewalk installation City Trees The alignment chosen aims to minimize impacts to high value trees. Small trees may be removed and replaced with new trees, or physically relocated if feasible. With larger trees there is still a risk that the sidewalk installation will damage some of the trees' roots to the point that they will not survive. This is not possible to determine until after the installation. Loss of driveway space Sidewalk alignment has been modified to ensure existing parking capacity is maintained. Proximity of sidewalk to home Where possible, the proposed sidewalk is placed near the road, with a minimum boulevard, to keep it as far from the homes as possible. There are some areas where the sidewalk alignment runs closer to the homes than others to avoid damage to existing trees, however the proposed sidewalk is always on the city right -of -way. 9.a. - 3 Project Schedule Tender advertising is planned for April 23, 2015 with council award planned for June 1, 2015. Construction is planned to start mid to late June 2015 and be completed by the end of October 2015. Deletion of the areas of proposed new infill sidewalk from the project will not significantly affect the timing of construction or project completion. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: This initiative falls under the Community Priority of Quality of Life. "Work with partners, including all orders of government, to create a culture of safety in our community." FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The cost of the sidewalk is a minor component of the total project cost and is accounted for in the council approved budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The neighbourhood has been kept informed of the project and consulted through meetings and correspondence. In addition to the points of contact noted below, staff have met with individual residents to discuss the project and the proposed new sidewalk as it relates to their own property. Revisions to the proposed sidewalk alignment have been made a number of times to account for property owner concerns and to mitigate negative impacts. April 2013 Residents in the area were advised of the project via letter April 2014 Residents were sent general questionnaire via letter and advised that areas of new sidewalk were being considered. November 2014 Invitation to first public meeting. Notification that proposed work included new sidewalk infill. December 2014 First public meeting. Feedback was gathered on new sidewalk alignment options. April 16, 2015 On -site public meeting to gather feedback on proposed sidewalk alignment. INFORM — This report has been posted to the City's website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. 9.a. - 4 ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dev Tyagi, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services Department 9.a. - 5