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TO: |
Mayor and Members of Council |
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FROM: |
Alan Brown,
Director of Engineering |
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PREPARED BY: |
Allan Arbuckle, Manager of Infrastructure & Capital
Works |
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DATE OF MEETING: |
2003 – April -
22 |
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SUBJECT: |
Highway 7 Corridor Sanitary Sewer Servicing Class Environmental Assessment |
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT
the report entitled Highway 7 Corridor Sanitary Sewer Servicing Class
Environmental Assessment be received;
AND THAT the preferred alternative for the
installation of a sanitary sewer on Highway 7 from Warden Avenue to Main Street
Unionville as detailed in the Environmental Screening Document be endorsed.
AND THAT
Engineering Department staff be authorized to
file the Environmental Screening Document for the 30-day public review
commencing May 13th 2003.
AND THAT staff be authorized to enter into
negotiations with adjacent benefiting landowners regarding the front-end
financing for the design and construction of the sanitary sewer;
AND THAT if the benefiting land owners wish
to advance the funds for the design of the sewer in 2003, the Engineering
Department 2003 Capital Budget be amended accordingly;
AND THAT the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to
enter into a front-ending agreement with adjacent benefiting landowners in a
form satisfactory to the CAO and the Town Solicitor
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of the preferred alternative for installation of sanitary sewers on Highway 7 from Warden Avenue to Main Street Unionville and to authorize staff to enter into front-end financing negotiations with adjacent property owners to advance the construction of the sewer.
BACKGROUND:
Servicing Improvements in the Highway 7 Corridor
Required
The Study Area extents from Warden
Avenue to the GO rail line and from the Rouge River to the south limit of the
existing residential subdivisions north of Highway 7 (Attachment A). There are
currently no sanitary or storm sewers installed along Highway 7 and the sewers
which do exist in the study area are predominately small diameter local mains
which do not have adequate capacity or depth to service the planned
developments north and south of Highway 7.(OPA 15 and 22). There are also no
stormwater management facilities in place which could provide stormwater
quality or quantity control for the anticipated developments.
The Town retained the consulting firm of
Earth Tech Canada Inc. to investigate sanitary servicing and stormwater
management alternatives for the study area. The purpose of the study, which is
being undertaken as a Class Environmental Assessment in accordance with the
requirements of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (June 2000) is to
confirm the need for servicing improvements in this area,to investigate
alternatives methods of providing these services and to select a preferred design concept for the project.
Public Consultation
Two
public information centers were held for this project in January and October of
2001. The meetings were advertised in the local newspaper and meeting notices
were delivered to all property owners in the study area.
The first Public Information Centre, was
conducted as an informal drop-in center to introduce the project, identify the
servicing problems in the area, present possible alternative solutions and to
solicit public input. Displays and a project information package including
comment sheets and contact names were available for review at the Civic Centre
over a 2 day period on January 25 and 26 2001.
The second Public Information Centre, held on
Thursday October 24 2001, presented
more detailed background information, identification of the existing problems,
identification of the various alternative solutions under consideration and
presented the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. A
total of twelve people attended the meeting.
A considerable number of individual
meetings and discussions with landowners and reviewing agencies have taken
place since the last Public Information Centre. While there is broad based
support for the recommended sanitary sewer servicing alternative, conflicting
concerns have been raised by both landowners and approving agencies regarding
the stormwater management options which have been presented. The project team
has been working to develop an acceptable compromise solution, however, the
final selection of a preferred stormwater management option is contingent upon
the resolution of a number of Markham Centre issues such as the number and
location of stormwater ponds serving the lands south of the river and proposed
modifications to the floodlines in the area which are beyond the control of the
Town or property owners involved with this study. It is anticipated that these
issues will be resolved by June of this year and that the EA for the storm
sewer will be filed in July. Given that there is interest from some property
owners to advance the construction of the sanitary sewer component of the
project, the study has been separated into two individual Class Environmental Assessments
which are now proceeding independently.
DISCUSSION;
Recommended Alternative
The recommended concept for the construction of the Highway 7 trunk sanitary sewer as shown on Attachment “B” includes the following main components;
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The construction of a gravity trunk sewer
within the existing Highway 7 right-of -way from Village Parkway easterly to
connect to the existing York Durham Sanitary Sewer (YDSS) east of Main Street
Unionville.
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A crossing of the GO Transit rail line
west of Main Street Unionville.
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A crossing of the Rouge River east of
Main Street Unionville.
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Connections to accommodate future sewers
servicing development lands located north and south of Highway 7 including
capacity for the diversion of flows from the Town’s existing local sanitary
sewers located within the Fred Varley Drive sub-trunk sewer drainage area.
Project Schedule
The owners of a number of
properties located on the north side of Highway 7 have expressed a desire to
advance the construction of the sanitary sewer and have requested meetings to
discuss the possibility of front-ending the cost of designing and constructing
the sanitary sewer in order that the development of their lands can proceed.
Pending the outcome of these front-end discussions, the Engineering Department
may proceed with the detailed design of the sewer in 2003 with construction
commencing in 2004.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The total cost for the construction of the
Highway 7 trunk sanitary sewer is estimated as approximately $ 1.9 million including engineering and
contingencies. The cost of constructing this sewer will be included in Area
Specific Development Charge By-Laws for the lands within the study area. These
By-Laws are anticipated to be approved this year.
If the detailed designs and the construction
of the sewer is to proceed in 2003, an amendment to the approved 2003 Capital
Budget will be required.
BUSINESS UNITS
CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
The Legal and Finance Departments have reviewed this report and
their comments have been incorporated.
ATTACHMENTS:
“A” Site Location
“B” Preferred Alternative
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Alan
Brown, C.E.T. Director
of Engineering |
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Jim
Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner
of Development Services |
Q\Development\Engineering\Reports\2003\04\Highway
7 EA