HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-09-134 - Conestoga College/Blair Industrial Lands - Sanitary Servicing EA - City of Cambridge1
Qevefvpment &
Technical Services
REPORT TO: Development and Technical Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING: September 14, 2009
SUBMITTED BY: K. Grant Murphy, P.Eng., Director of Engineering Services
PREPARED BY: Jeff Prince, P. Eng., Design and Construction Engineer
WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 3
DATE OF REPORT: September 7, 2009
REPORT NO.: DTS 09-134
SUBJECT: CONESTOGA COLLEGE/BLAIR INDUSTRIAL LANDS
SANITARY SERVICING EA -CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
THAT the Conestoga College South Campus and Blair Business Park Sanitary Servicing Class
Environmental Assessment Study Report prepared by MTE Consultants Inc., dated August
2009 be endorsed by Council;
AND THAT Council directs staff to prepare a cross border servicing agreement with the City of
Cambridge to outline; operational and maintenance requirements, easement requirements and
the sewage rate charge for the flows being conveyed to and treated at the Kitchener
Wastewater Treatment Plant.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of Cambridge has completed a Class Environmental Assessment study to identify the
preferred means of providing sanitary service for Conestoga College's South Campus and the
Blair Business Park to the Kitchener Wastewater Treatment Plant, including a location for a new
sewage pumping station (in Cambridge), and the preferred route for a sewage outlet from this
new pumping station to the Treatment Plant.
In May 2009, Council directed City of Kitchener staff to participate in the Class Environmental
Assessment (Class EA) and report back.
It should be noted that for this project, sanitary sewage will be generated in the City of
Cambridge, flow through the City of Kitchener and be treated in the Regional Wastewater
Treatment Facility, located in Kitchener. The study outcome required careful review and
discussion with all parties throughout the Class EA process.
The preferred alternative, as shown on Figure 12.0 (attached), includes the location of a gravity
sewer system from the Blair Business Park to a Sanitary Pumping Station, located at the
northwest corner of Fountain Street and Morningside Drive (City of Cambridge), and a sanitary
3-1
forcemain routing down Morningside Drive crossing Highway 401, then crossing the Conestoga
(boon) North Campus, continuing along Doon Valley Drive and Old Mill Road to the trail along
the Grand River and ultimately outletting to the Kitchener Wastewater Treatment Facility.
The selection of the preferred alternative was based on an evaluation of the natural, economic
and social conditions as well as public health and safety concerns as they apply to the proposed
work.
BACKGROUND:
In May 2009, City Council directed staff to participate in the Class EA process and report back
the results of the study. The City of Cambridge initiated the Schedule "B" Class Environmental
Assessment (EA) Study to identify a sanitary sewage servicing solution for the Blair Business
Park and the Conestoga College South Campus, both sites located near Fountain Street and
Highway 401, in the City of Cambridge.
The requirement for this study was identified as a condition of the Region of Waterloo's Official
Plan Amendment No. 24 wherein it states that the lands identified may only be developed upon
completion and approval of "an Environmental Assessment to identify the appropriate method of
sanitary service from a municipal sewage treatment plant." MTE Consultants Inc. was
subsequently retained by the City of Cambridge to complete the Schedule "B" Class EA Study
by evaluating a range of alternatives and, through this process, ultimately selecting the
Preferred Alternative.
The Blair Business Park is 30.4 ha in size and is generally bounded by Highway 401 to the
west, Fountain Street to the north, Dickie Settlement Road to the east, and Old Mill Road to the
south. The proposed Conestoga College South Campus is 53.1 ha in size and is generally
bounded by Highway 401 to the west and north, Morningside Drive to the east, and Fountain
Street to the south. Both properties are located within the City of Cambridge municipal
boundary, are included in the Region's Official Plan designation for business school usage, and
are identified in the Region's Sanitary Master Plan for servicing by the Kitchener Waste Water
Treatment Plant.
The scope of this EA Servicing Study includes the collection and identification of the constraints
and opportunities within the study area for evaluation by the project team. Utilizing this
information, the project team developed alternative solutions for the servicing of these lands. All
solutions were then evaluated in a manner consistent with the Class Environmental Assessment
process for Schedule "B" projects, with the primary objective to identify a "Preferred Sanitary
Sewage Servicing Solution" for the Blair Business Park and the Proposed Conestoga College
South Campus.
REPORT:
The Conestoga College South Campus and Blair Business Park Sanitary Sewer Servicing Class
EA Study makes the following recommendations:
• The Blair Business Park will be serviced by a gravity sewer routed across Fountain Street,
then easterly within the north shoulder of Fountain Street to the proposed new Blair
Pumping Station at the northwest corner of Morningside Drive and Fountain Street;
3-2
• The installation of this gravity sanitary sewer for the Blair Business Park should be included
as part of the intersection improvements required for the Conestoga College South Campus
access road;
• Anew Blair Sanitary Sewage Pumping Station will be located at the northwest corner of
Fountain Street and Morningside Drive on land currently owned by Conestoga College that
will deeded to the City of Cambridge;
• Twin 300 mm diameter discharge forcemain will be required from the new Blair Sanitary
Pumping Station in the City of Cambridge to the Kitchener Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP);
• The discharge forcemain will exit the pumping station and continue northerly along
Morningside Drive (in the west driving lane) to a crossing location of Highway #401 west of
the existing pedestrian bridge;
• The crossing method will utilize trenchless installation technologies, the exact method of
which shall be determined during final design once more detailed and current geotechnical
conditions of the crossing area are fully known;
• Consideration should be made during the final design process to ensure all opportunities are
considered to maximize usage of the infrastructure pipe crossing of Highway #401;
• After crossing Highway #401, the forcemain will traverse northerly across Conestoga
College Doon Campus parking lots and then westerly along Doon Valley Drive to Old Mill
Road. The forcemain will continue along Old Mill Road to the existing Old Mill Pumping
Station property where it will leave the municipal road right-of-way. The forcemain will then
follow the alignment of the existing sanitary forcemain which runs alongside the Grand
River, crossing Schneider Creek and following an existing pathway to the Kitchener WWTP,
where it will ultimately discharge into the existing raised gravity sewer system;
• Municipal consent/Agency approvals of the final alignment is required at the final design
stage;
• Property requirements/easements to be confirmed during final design include:
• Property will be required from Conestoga College for the Pumping Station Site Plan
footprint located at the northwest corner of Fountain Street and Morningside Drive. The
site area is approximately 0.3 ha (0.74 acres); and,
• Forcemain easements will be required through: the Conestoga College South Campus
near Highway #401; the Conestoga College Doon Campus parking lots; and, the open
space area between Old Mill Road and the Kitchener WWTP, which includes lands
owned by the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo.
• That an agreement be prepared between the City of Cambridge and City of Kitchener to
outline: operational and maintenance requirements; any easemenbencroachment
requirements; and, the cross-border sewer rate charge for the flow from Cambridge into
Kitchener; and,
3-3
The City of Cambridge will make arrangements to facilitate a public open house meeting
with the affected property owners to present the detailed design and construction staging.
The open house meeting should be scheduled a minimum of two weeks prior to the
commencement of construction.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The EA study and subsequent implementation works are being funded entirely through the City
of Cambridge. The City of Cambridge will also pay all of the City of Kitchener staff costs
associated with the Class EA and the design and construction phases of the project.
COMMUNICATIONS:
To guide the decision making process for this Class EA Study, a Technical Steering Committee
(TSC) was assembled consisting of representatives from the City of Cambridge, the City of
Kitchener, MTO, GRCA, Region of Waterloo and the Owners as identified further in this report.
Formal TSC meetings were held throughout the duration of the study to access pertinent data in
addition to various sanitary servicing strategies, public /agency input, property owner comments
and public open house materials.
A formal "Notice of Intent" was published in the Waterloo Region Record and Cambridge Times
newspapers during the week of June 12, 2009 to invite public review and comment on the
identification of a sanitary sewage servicing solution. Presentation material and drawings were
made available at Public Information Centre #1 held at Conestoga College, Doon Campus on
June 23, 2009.
Public Information Centre #2 was again held at Conestoga College on August 27, 2009, to
present the "Preferred Alternative". In addition to again being advertized in the Waterloo Region
Record and Cambridge Times, notices for the Public Information Centre were hand delivered to
the residents along the preferred route. Feedback received from the Public was incorporated
into the final selection where possible. Based on an evaluation of natural and social
environment concerns, economic analysis, as well as public health and safety concerns, it was
confirmed that the final "Preferred Alternative" was approved by the Technical Steering
Committee.
During the consultation process, several key issues were identified as being significant in the
decision making process. Comments received were considered by the project team and
implemented where appropriate. All correspondence and subsequent responses are
documented in the Final Environmental Study Report (ESR).
CONCLUSIONS:
The completion of the Conestoga College South Campus and Blair Business Park Sanitary
Servicing Class Environmental Assessment Study has established a preferred alternative to
provide sanitary services to the subject lands.
The preferred alternative, as shown on Figure 12.0 (attached), includes the location of a gravity
sewer system from the Blair Business Park to a Sanitary Pumping Station, located at the
northwest corner of Fountain Street and Morningside Drive (City of Cambridge), and a sanitary
forcemain routing down Morningside Drive crossing Highway 401, then crossing the Conestoga
3-4
(boon) North Campus, continuing along Doon Valley Drive and Old Mill Road to the trail along
the Grand River and ultimately outletting to the Kitchener Wastewater Treatment Facility.
The ESR Document has been completed in accordance with the Environmental Assessment Act
and following endorsement by the City of Kitchener, the City of Cambridge Council will complete
its final review and approval. The EA Document will then be placed on record for the 30 day
mandatory period.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer
General Manager, Development and Technical Services
3-5
3-6