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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDSD-2024-244 - Biehn Drive and Sanitary Trunk Sewer Environmental Assessment Update Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Planning and Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: June 3, 2024 SUBMITTED BY: Chris Spere, Director of Engineering, 519-741-2200 ext. 7412 PREPARED BY: Eric Riek, Project Manager, 519-741-2200 ext. 7330 WARD(S) INVOLVED: 4 DATE OF REPORT: April 29, 2024 REPORT NO.: DSD-2024-244 SUBJECT: Biehn Drive and Sanitary Trunk Sewer Environmental Assessment Update RECOMMENDATION: That report DSD-2024-244 - Biehn Drive and Sanitary Trunk Sewer Environmental Assessment Update be received as information. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: The purpose of this report is to provide Council with a status update on the Biehn Drive and Sanitary Trunk Sewer Environmental Assessment project. The key finding of this report is that additional studies are completed and updates to the Environmental Study Report are currently being completed. The financial implications are no impact to Capital or Operating budgets. Community engagement includes one additional PIC scheduled for June 20, 2024. This report supports the delivery of core services. BACKGROUND: Since the mid- Brigadoon areas of the City of Kitchener have planned for area development and evolving transportation needs. Several planning documents including the Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan (TMP) have identified the need to extend Biehn Drive westerly to the future Robert Ferrie Drive extension and ultimately to Strasburg Road. The Biehn Drive Extension would be a major collector road, as identified in Schedule B of and from the Brigadoon community and would help mitigate cut-through traffic on local streets within the community. A collector road collects traffic from local roads within the community and provides connectivity to high tier arterial roads including Strasburg Road. Future development within the Doon South and Brigadoon communities requires a defined alignment for the extension of Biehn Drive to Robert Ferrie Drive as part of the area road *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. network and to accommodate municipal services. The sanitary sewer network must connect to Biehn Drive. To determine the preferred alternative, this Study has considered the natural, social environments and the future land use in the Study Area. The extension of Biehn Drive and the associated municipal servicing has been a longstanding part of the integrated plan for the Brigadoon neighbourhood. The EA Study provides the opportunity to: improve accessibility to the local community by providing additional network links; define a multi-modal transportation plan to support travel within the local neighbourhoods; accommodate the required and previously planned sanitary sewer extension; and allow development to proceed on lands that currently require the roadway ROW plan to be defined prior to developing the land use plan. On March 20th, 2023, Council passed the following resolution: "That Council directs staff to complete further studies to update the Biehn Drive and Trunk Sanitary Sewer Extension Class Environmental Assessment - Environmental Study Report, prepared by BT Engineering, dated January 18, 2023; and, That Council directs staff to complete one additional consultation to be scheduled once the additional studies have been completed; and, That Council directs staff to use the remaining balance of the budget approved in 2020 for this EA to complete the additional work; and further, That staff reports back to Council with an updated Biehn Drive and Trunk Sanitary Sewer Extension Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Environmental Study Report in late 2023 or early 2024." Additional transportation and geotechnical studies have now been completed and are being integrated into the evaluation considerations. REPORT: After receiving direction from Council, Engineering Staff have completed the following activities: Geotechnical Investigation Proposed Trunk Sewer, Biehn Drive South Extension, Cambium Inc., March 14, 2024: Six Boreholes installed August/September 2023. Three Boreholes converted to monitoring wells to measure groundwater level fluctuation; Preliminary findings: Soils appear suitable for trenchless installation of sanitary sewer and watermain; Dewatering Assessment, Biehn Drive Extension, Cambium Inc., March 14, 2024; o Confirmed EASR registration for installation of entry/receiving pits (trenchless installation) would be required based on dewatering rates; Doon South Community Area Transportation Study, Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd., Feb. 28, 2024: Under existing conditions, most intersections are operating at acceptable levels; Approximately 2,841 units remain to be built in Doon South and Brigadoon areas; Within the existing road network, Caryndale Drive continues to function as a major collector and will continue to do so if Biehn Drive is not extended to Robert Ferrie Drive extension; Future extension of Robert Ferrie Drive to Strasburg Road and Strasburg Road to New Dundee Road will help redistribute traffic volumes on Caryndale Drive; Extension of Biehn Drive to Robert Ferrie Drive is justified to provide a diversion route around Caryndale drive corridor for residents living on and adjacent to Biehn Drive and to ensure Caryndale Drive better serves its function as a minor collector based on existing design details (traffic calming and presence of schools in the corridor); Evaluation criteria is being updated based on the results of the additional studies Refinement of Alternative 4 to remove maintenance access path through wetland and include improvements such as traffic calming and multi-use trails along Caryndale Drive corridor. In addition to these activities, on January 25, 2024 after a two year suspension, formal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for Black Ash (tree) commenced with new rules for protection of the species. There were approximately 21 confirmed candidate Black Ash trees within the proposed future road allowance. Due to these legislative changes, additional updates are being incorporated into the evaluation considerations. One additional public consultation (PIC) will take place to present findings of updated studies; this PIC is scheduled to take place June 20, 2024 at Brigadoon Public School. Staff require additional time and will present final updated Biehn Drive and Trunk Sanitary Sewer Extension Class Environmental Assessment-Environmental Study Report and preferred alternative to Council on September 16, 2024. Sufficient budget remains to complete the outstanding tasks mentioned above. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports the delivery of core services. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget. Funds are currently available from Development Charges. Operating Budget The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM This report has been post the council / committee meeting. CONSULT Community engagement included two virtual public information centres with the first meeting taking place April 20th, 2021. The second virtual public information centre took place on November 17th, 2021. In addition, the project was presented to the Kitchener Environmental Committee on June 17th, 2021 and October 21, 2021. The project was presented to the Regional Environmental Committee on November 29, 2021. Lastly, the project was presented to Community and Infrastructure Services Committee on February th 13, 2023. th One additional Public Information Centre is scheduled for June 20, 2024, to present the updated studies and changes to report. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: DSD-2022-188 Biehn Drive and Sanitary Trunk Sewer Environmental Assessment DSD-2023-096 Biehn Drive and Sanitary Trunk Sewer Environmental Assessment September 1989, City Council approved the Brigadoon Community Plan. The Community Plan was processed concurrently with amendments to the Official Plan which established a collector and arterial road network for the Community. The importance of connecting the Brigadoon Community to Strasburg Road was recognized and three collector road connections were proposed at that time including the extension of Biehn Drive. Approved transit routes included Biehn Drive, Strasburg Road and Huron Road. The Biehn Drive extension has been carried forward in all subsequent versions of the City of Kitchener Official Plan. February 1994, McCormick Rankin on behalf of the City of Kitchener completed the report - recognized the need to comprehensively plan a road network to accommodate growth associated with a large geographic area. The process was undertaken in the form of the Environmental Assessment Act. The report recommended several interrelated transportation corridor network improvements and reaffirmed the need for the Biehn Drive extension. Kitchener Planning and Economic Development Committee approved the report and further recommendations dated June 20, 1994 which among other matters, directs an amendment to the Kitchener Official Plan to incorporate the collector road network which includes Biehn Drive. The Brigadoon Community Plan was updated and approved by Kitchener City Council on June 29, 2004. The updated Community Plan provides for the extension of Biehn Drive to Strasburg Road and recognizes Strasburg Road as a 26 metre wide secondary arterial road. Drive extension is identified as a major community collector street. Biehn Drive is shown as extending in a southwesterly direction and connecting to Strasburg Road. City Planning Staff Report (CSD-14-037) prepared in support of the Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Robert Ferrie Drive extension (June 2014) includes the following conclusion: the traffic and transportation needs in the Brigadoon and Doon South communities the Transportation studies done as part of the Integrated EA and OPA process confirmed that the extension of Biehn Drive is necessary to meet the current and projected transportation needs of the Brigadoon/Doon South Communities. It is therefore also recommended that the EA process for the extension of Biehn Drive commence as soon as possible and further that it be concurrent with the EA for the extension of sanitary . The integrated transportation system Transportation Master Plan. Map 11 (Integrated Transportation System) of the in-effect Official Plan identifies the approved Robert Ferrie Drive alignment and confirms that Biehn Drive will be extended from its current terminus southerly and connect to Robert Ferrie Drive. The final alignment of Biehn Drive is to be constructed within the corridor identified on Map 11. Municipal Act, 2001 Planning Act APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, DSD ATTACHMENTS: N/A Click or tap here to enter text.