Report to: Development Services Committee Date Report Authored: November 16, 2010
SUBJECT: Multi-Use Pathway Consultation Strategy - Toogood Pond to Bob Hunter Memorial Park
PREPARED BY: Lorenzo Mele x. 4000
RECOMMENDATION:
1) That the Multi-Use Pathway Consultation Strategy - Toogood Pond to Bob Hunter Memorial Park be received and endorsed; and,
2) That Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This project addresses the new pathway
initiative to be constructed from Toogood Pond to the newly established Bob
Hunter Memorial Park in the Rouge River Valley area. The work plan builds on the work already
completed by the Town and the Milne Working Group to review the trail linkage
between the existing and proposed trail areas.
The project is being carried out under the Municipal Class Environmental
Assessment (EA) process. Within the Class
EA process, the Town’s consultants, Council, local stakeholders
and agencies and the general public will work to identify options and
eventually a preferred pathway alignment and an implementation plan.
Although the EA is identified as a Schedule B,
it is recognized that, due to the complexity of the project and the Town’s
commitment to public participation, the public consultation activities are to
be expanded beyond the requirements of a Schedule ‘B’ EA. Meaningful consultation is essential to create
the appropriate solution for the Multi Use Pathway (MUP). The Town’s consultant will play an
administrative and coordinating role with respect to consultations and
communication concerning the general public, Community Liaison Committee (CLC),
Council, Town staff and stakeholders.
The approach will also ensure that the recreational, environmental,
economic and socio-cultural needs of the community are balanced in the design
of this MUP.
The following internal and external
consultation efforts are anticipated and have been designed based on the
consultation strategy noted above. Each consultation technique is structured to
engage a different target audience and each has a unique purpose, whether to
create awareness, gather information, identify issues, generate ideas, or
establish community support and buy-in.
A. Public awareness campaign (including
notices, website, and electronic newsletters);
·
Notify
the public of the Multi-Use Path EA, explain the process, outline the study’s
goals, announce upcoming public information centres and opportunities to participate
and provide contact information, encourage dialogue and participation.
B. Community Liaison Committee (CLC) -
Nine (9) meetings
·
The
Community Liaison Committee (CLC) will be advisory in nature and will prepare
recommendations to Council. Invitations to participate on the committee will be
sent to community stakeholders and a Charter will be prepared to guide the
conduct of the CLC – refer to Attachment A.
·
The
CLC will discuss the status of the project, address specific components, review
and provide comments on deliverables and provide input on key issues. Participants will serve as conduits to and
from the constituencies they represent.
These meetings will encourage substantive conversation and interaction
among members.
C. Agency Working Group – Eight (8) meetings
·
Invite
input and provide opportunity for purposeful and candid discussion with
identified agencies on major topics, issues, concerns, challenges, and
opportunities to be addressed in the Multi-Use Path EA.
D. Public Information Centres – Three
(3) meetings
·
To
engage the community in sharing their attitudes towards off-road and on-road
networks, connections, opportunities and issues.
·
The
first public information centre will be presented through display boards. It will present the purpose of the study and
information collected to date.
·
The
second public information centre will be used to present the multi-use path
route alternatives and evaluation of the alternatives.
·
The
third public information centre will be used to present the proposed Draft
Multi-Use Path.
E. Committee and Council presentations
– Three (3) meetings
·
To
present study findings at three key points during the study process, including this
report, study overview and communication and consultation strategy, and a final
presentation to Council.
The Consultation Strategy (Attachment A) contains
a more detailed proposal of when major consultations and communications should
take place, as well as the preferred form that the process will follow. It is important to note that the timing of
the communication tasks is subject to change as the project progresses.
1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial
PURPOSE:
To inform Council and receive endorsement of the proposed public and stakeholder consultation and communication strategy related to the Toogood Pond to Bob Hunter Memorial Park Multi-Use Pathway Environmental Assessment – Schedule ‘B’.
BACKGROUND:
Beginning in 2005, the Town Engineering and Planning Departments began a master planning exercise for the development of an active transportation network. The initiative was separated into two distinct planning assignments – the Cycling Master Plan and the Pathways and Trails Master Plan. One of the first projects indentified through these master plans was a multi-use pathway in the Milne Dam Conservation Area (MDCA) that would connect the western and eastern reaches within the park with a multi-use pathway that would begin to create a vital active transportation and recreation link along the Rouge River from 16th Avenue to the Rouge Park thereby connecting Unionville, Markham and the Milliken communities.
In 2008, with funding through the Province of Ontario – Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII) the Engineering Dept. began a process to prepare the design and acquire the necessary approvals to advance the project towards construction. Through this process the Town formed the Milne Working Group that provided assistance to Council and staff to review the alignment, related design specifications and associated treatments.
On June 23,
2009 (Attachment B) Council deferred their decision to develop the pathway in
MDCA pending further consideration of the western and eastern approaches of the
proposed pathway network along the Rouge River. The Cycling, Pathways and
Trails master plans were adopted on April 27, 2010 and the associated
resolution (Attachment C) confirms Council’s direction on this matter: “That
the location and design of the eastern and western extremities of the proposed
Milne Dam Conservation Area - Trails and Pathways be subject to further
detailed review, in consultation with the Milne Working Group, to align the
pathways from Toogood Pond to the west and the Rouge Park trails to the east
(east of the Milne Dam) and the crossings of the Rouge River.”
Further, the work completed to date on the Milne Park Multi-Use Pathways and the Milne Working Group considerations have been incorporated into the scope of work for this current study. The Study will, as Council directed, determine the pathway from points east and west of the Milne Dam from Toogood Pond to Rouge Park (Bob Hunter Memorial Park) and the crossings of the Rouge River.
OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:
The Town’s Cycling Master Plan and Pathways and Trails Master Plan were adopted by Council in April 2010. A 5 year implementation program is now being finalized, and will be presented to Development Services Committee on December 13, 2010, for their review and approval. Staff will then proceed to advance the projects identified in the 5 year program towards consultation, approval, design and construction, which is subject to Council approval of funding through annual capital budgets. In order to be in a position to proceed with public consultations and planning for the year one project (Toogood Pond to Bob Hunter Memorial Park multi-use pathway system) a Request for Proposal (RFP) was released to the market to carry out an Environmental Assessment (EA) and associated stakeholder and community consultations to confirm the alignment and acquire approvals to develop this pathway system.
A total of 5 (five) qualified firms submitted proposals in response to the RFP and the contract was awarded to MMM Group based on the technical and financial merits of their proposal.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE:
Project 200-R-10 Multi-Use-Pathway Class Environmental Assessment Study is funded through Engineering Capital Account 083-5350-8114-005 Cycling Lanes/Pathways.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
The development of a cycling, pathways and trails network through greenways in the Town and for use as active transportation and recreation facilities will assist with the implementation of the following key Town of Markham strategic priorities: Building Markham’s Future Together and the related Growth Management Strategy and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) objectives, Markham’s Green Print sustainability plan and the Leisure Master Plan. The Ontario Disabilities Act states that “The people of Ontario support the right of persons of all ages with disabilities to enjoy equal opportunity and to participate fully in the life of the province” (ODA, 2001). Bill 118 (AODA) and Bill 125 (ODA) recognize the need to provide for accessibility standards, improve opportunities and facilitate the removal of barriers in order to enable persons with disabilities to fully participate in the life of the province.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Relevant internal departments including; operations, parks, planning, corporate communications and external agencies will be involved throughout the study and will continue to be engaged as required through a cross commission staff implementation team and the Cycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (CPAC).
RECOMMENDED BY:
_______________________ ________________________
Alan Brown, C.E.T. Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director
of
ATTACHMENTS:
A. DRAFT - CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: MARKHAM MULTI-USE PATH CLASS EA
B. EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON JUNE 23, 2009
C. RESOLUTION OF COUNCIL MEETING NO.7 DATED APRIL 27, 2010