HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-07-052 - Walter Bean Grand River Trail Crossing of the Grand River
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Community Services
Report To:
Date of Meeting:
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
Community Services Committee
June 18, 2007
Ken Currier, Director of Operations
Tim O'Brien, Landscape Architect, ext. 2399
Ward 3
June 4, 2007
CSD-07-052
WALTER BEAN GRAND RIVER TRAIL CROSSING OF THE
GRAND RIVER
RECOMMENDATION:
For Information Only.
BACKGROUND:
At the Council meeting on April 30, 2007, Council requested a written report from staff which
addressed the following questions:
1. By what process could the previously completed Environmental Assessment Report
and Addendum be re-opened in order to consider alternative bridge locations for the
proposed pedestrian bridge crossing of the Grand River; and,
2. Without re-opening the Environmental Assessment Study previously completed, by
what process could the matter of an alternative pedestrian bridge location be
addressed.
At its meeting of September 19 2005, Council considered and took no action related to a staff
recommendation contained within Community Services Department report CSD-05-092
proposing that a new EA Study be initiated to study the possibility of constructing a pedestrian
bridge crossing of the Grand River at the old Huron Road ford site near the intersection of
Huron Road and Mill Park Drive as requested by residents of the Lower Doon - Pioneer Park
communities.
At its meeting of September 19 2005, Council approved the motion made in response to the
staff recommendation contained within Community Services Department reports CSD-05-105
and CSD-05-070, directing staff to proceed with detailed design for a pedestrian bridge crossing
of the Grand River and connecting trails at the location confirmed by the 2003 Environmental
Assessment Study Final Report and 2004 Addendum Report, with a report back to a future
meeting for review and approval of the proposed design.
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The 2003 EA Study, including the establishment of the study area limits and the evaluation of
alternatives, placed a higher value on a "Continuous Link Bridge" over a "Community
Connection Bridge".
"Continuous link" may be defined as a link in the continuous route of the Walter Bean Trail in
Kitchener along the Grand River. "Community connection" may be defined as the connection of
Kitchener's community trails into, through and between neighbourhoods throughout the city.
The trail planning, design and implementation for the Walter Bean Grand River trail over the
past decade has focused on the vision of a continuous link trail, of making the Grand River and
its valley lands more accessible to the public to enjoy for recreation and nature appreciation.
The presently approved bridge location at Doon Valley Golf Course was identified as the
preferred location for a continuous link bridge by the 2003 EA Final Report. The 2004
Addendum Report confirmed the DVGC bridge site as the preferred location for a continuous
link bridge, and noted that the bridge at this location could also serve as the community
connection bridge.
The 2004 EA Addendum Report recommended no further detailed study was warranted for
bridge location # 5 (the old Huron Road ford location) on the basis that this location did not meet
the criteria for a continuous link bridge.
The Environmental Assessment Study and Addendum previously completed for the proposed
continuous link bridge, was undertaken by the City of Kitchener over a three year period at an
approximate cost of $125,000.
REPORT:
Staff have provided the following responses:
1. By what process could the previously completed Environmental Assessment Report
and Addendum be re-opened in order to consider alternative bridge locations for the
proposed pedestrian bridge crossing of the Grand River.
Committee may cause the previously completed EA Study to be re-opened by way of a number
of processes.
An Environmental Assessment is a public consultation process, legislated by the Province of
Ontario. The presently approved river crossing location at DVGC would certainly be re-
considered in any new public consultation meant to address a pedestrian bridge on this reach of
the Grand River. Initiating a new public consultation to consider any potential pedestrian river
crossing location in the Pioneer Park and Lower Doon communities, would in fact trigger the
previously completed EA Study and Addendum to be re-opened.
A new Environmental Assessment process would be triggered if Committee wishes to question
the results of the previously completed EA Study and Addendum and initiate a new public
consultation process focused once again on the issue of potential locations for a continuous link
bridge crossing.
The previously completed EA Study and Addendum would be re-opened if Committee initiates a
new Environmental Assessment process to consider potential locations for a community
connection bridge crossing, in the case that Committee no longer endorses the continuous link
bridge or now weighs more heavily a community connection bridge. The scope of a newly
defined EA study area would include the presently approved DVGC bridge location as one of
the potential river crossing locations to be evaluated against community connection criteria. It is
Report No: CSD-07-052
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possible that the DVGC pedestrian bridge location would again be identified as the preferred
river crossing location.
If a new Environmental Assessment is initiated to consider potential locations for a community
connection bridge or continuous link bridge, there is the potential for a request by any member
of the public to the Ministry for a 'bump up', i.e. Individual EA Study, which if approved by the
Minister would involve considerable time and money by the City and would further delay the
present continuous link bridge project.
2. Without re-opening the Environmental Assessment Study previously completed, by
what process could the matter of an alternative pedestrian bridge location be
addressed.
Following construction of the presently approved continuous link bridge crossing at DVGC,
Committee may wish to initiate a new Environmental Assessment public consultation process to
consider the issue of potential locations for a community connection bridge crossing between
the Pioneer Tower and Pioneer Park - Lower Doon communities.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
CONCLUSIONS:
The 2003 Environmental Assessment Study may be re-opened by anyone of the following
processes:
· By initiating a public consultation process to generally address questions of a pedestrian
bridge crossing in this reach of the Grand River;
· By initiating a new EA to address the question of alternate locations for the proposed
continuous link bridge; or,
· By initiating a new EA to address the question of potential locations for a community
connection bridge.
Ken Currier
Director of Operations
Community Services Department
AP