1.0 purpose 2.0 recommendation - oshawaapp.oshawa.ca/.../2014/12-08/ds_14_207_report_brita… ·...

Public Report

To: Development Services Committee

From: Thomas B. Hodgins, BES, MA, RPP, MCIP, Commissioner, Development Services Department

Report Number: DS-14-207

Date of Report: December 3, 2014

Date of Meeting: December 8, 2014

Subject: Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study of Britannia Road West, Windfields Farm Drive West to Thickson Road North

File: B-7200, Phase 1

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this report is to receive direction on the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (M.C.E.A.) for the extension of Britannia Road West from Windfields Farm Drive West to Thickson Road North.

Attachment 1 is a copy of the Executive Summary from the Draft Master Plan and Environmental Study Report for the M.C.E.A. dated October 2014.

Attachment 2 illustrates the preferred route.

2.0 Recommendation

That the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:

That, pursuant to Report DS-14-207 dated December 3, 2014, the City of Oshawa endorse the Draft Master Plan and Environmental Study Report dated October 2014 that forms part of the Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment being undertaken by M.M.M. Group Limited on behalf of Tribute Communities and the Town of Whitby with respect to the extension of Britannia Road West between Windfields from Drive West and Thickson Road North; and further that M.M.M. Group Limited be advised that the City has no objection to the filing of the Master Plan and Environmental Study Report with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (M.O.E.C.C.) for approval.

3.0 Executive Summary

Not applicable.

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Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-14-207 Meeting Date: December 8, 2014

4.0 Input From Other Sources

The following have been consulted in the preparation of this report:

Community Services Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee

Further, M.M.M. held Public Information Centres and stakeholder meetings during the M.C.E.A. process as described in Attachment 1.

5.0 Analysis

As a condition of approval for draft plan of subdivision S-O-2012-01, Tribute Communities is required to complete a M.C.E.A. for the future extension of Britannia Road West from Windfields Farm Drive West to Thickson Road North in Whitby.

The purpose of the M.C.E.A. is to determine the location and characteristics of the proposed Type C Arterial road.

M.M.M. Group Limited is conducting the M.C.E.A. on behalf of Tribute Communities and the Town of Whitby.

Attachment 1 is a copy of the Executive Summary from M.M.M.’s Draft Master Plan and Environmental Study Report (E.S.R.) which, amongst other matters, identifies a preferred alignment for the future Britannia Road extension.

M.M.M. identified several alternative routing alignments and evaluated them based on Natural Environment, Social-Economic Environment and Technical and Financial Criteria.

M.M.M.’s preferred alignment is highlighted on Attachment 2.

The preferred alignment is acceptable to City staff, Regional staff, Whitby staff, U.O.I.T. staff and Durham College staff. Tribute Communities also supports it.

The preferred alignment is approximately 195 metres south of the Trillium Cemetery and 80 metres north of the Northern Dancer grave site.

It is recommended that Council endorse the Draft Master Plan and E.S.R. and the filing of the Master Plan and E.S.R. with the Province for a 30-day mandatory public notice period.

6.0 Financial Implications

The construction of any Britannia Road West extension will be undertaken by the developer (Tribute Communities) as part of the future phasing of the Dantonbury subdivision. The City will be financially responsible for funding oversizing costs and bridge construction pursuant to the current Development Charges By-law (2014) and conditions of subdivision approval. These costs will be included in the City’s Forecast Capital Budget.

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Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-14-207 Meeting Date: December 8, 2014

7.0 Relationship to the Oshawa Strategic Plan

The subject of this report advances the Economic Prosperity Goal of the Oshawa Strategic Plan.

Gary P. Carroll, B.ASc., M. Eng., P. Eng., Director, Engineering Services

Thomas B. Hodgins, BES, MA, RPP, MCIP, Commissioner, Development Services Department

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Figure ES1 – Study Area

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

Tribute Communities and the Town of Whitby have prepared this Master Plan and Environmental Study

Report (E.S.R.) in accordance with Schedule ‘�’ of the Municipal �lass Environmental !ssessment (E.!.)

process. The purpose of this study is to determine the location and characteristics of a proposed

westerly extension of Britannia Avenue West from east of proposed Windfields Farm Drive west to

Thickson Road North.

The proposed extension will be a ‘Type �’ arterial road under the jurisdiction of the City of Oshawa and

Town of Whitby. The proposed arterial road will support planned urban growth in north Whitby and

Oshawa and the orderly distribution of traffic.

As shown in Figure ES1, Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class E.A. process (addressed under the Master

Plan section of this study) have been completed from east of proposed Windfields Farm Drive west to

Thickson Road North. Tribute Communities is the proponent for this Master Plan. The Town of Whitby is

the co-proponent only for the section of Britannia Avenue West within the Town of Whitby. Phases 3

and 4 of the Municipal Class E.A. process (the subject of the Environmental Study Report (E.S.R.) section

of this study) have only been completed from east of proposed Windfields Farm Drive westerly to

Thornton Road North. Tribute Communities is the sole proponent for these two phases of the study.

DRAFT Master Plan and Environmental Study Report | Britannia Avenue West Extension Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment MMM Group Limited | October 2014 | 1010621-004

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DS 14-207Attachment 1

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Problem and Opportunity Statement

The land use designations and policies of the Region of Durham, City of Oshawa and Town of Whitby

Official Plans direct significant urban growth to north Whitby and Oshawa. This growth, coupled with

the Highway 407 East extension currently under construction, will place additional strain on the existing

transportation network, particularly the existing east-west routes of Winchester Road (Regional Road 3)

and Conlin Road.

To accommodate this growth, the Durham Region, Town of Whitby and City of Oshawa Official Plans and

the Town of Whitby Transportation Master Plan have identified the need to extend Britannia Avenue

West westerly from Simcoe Street North. This proposed arterial road would support the orderly

distribution of traffic across the broader transportation network. Locally, the Britannia Avenue West

extension will support adjacent residential, institutional and industrial uses and function as an activity

corridor, with an enhanced streetscape and active transportation facilities to reflect the objectives of

Oshawa’s on-going Integrated Transportation Master Plan and the Whitby Cycling and Leisure Trails

Plan. The extension will also consider the future opportunity for further expansion into Whitby to

support the Town’s long-term growth plans, including the land uses and policies resulting from the

Brooklin Secondary Plan and Transportation Master Plan Studies.

Together, these elements identify the need and opportunity to support planned growth and policy

objectives through the development of a Britannia Avenue West alignment that balances the needs of

all stakeholders. The preferred alignment must consider potential impacts to natural and social

environmental features, such as the West Branch Oshawa Creek valley, the E.P. Taylor Woodlot,

University of Ontario Institute of Technology (U.O.I.T) / Durham College campus, the Bickle subdivision,

the Provincially Significant Wetland north of the Bickle subdivision, the core Windfields Farm area

(including Northern Dancer’s gravesite), and future land use and transportation needs into the Town of

Whitby.

Alternative Solutions

A number of high-level alternative solutions to address the problem and opportunity were developed.

These alternative solutions included:

Do Nothing;

Construct a New Roadway;

Transportation Demand Management (T.D.M.) Techniques;

Widening of Existing Roadways; and

Higher Order Transit.

As appropriate to satisfy Phase 2 of the Class E.A. process, a screening assessment was undertaken to

evaluate the alternative solutions. The construction of a new roadway was determined to be the

preferred alternative, as it best supports future growth and land uses in north Whitby and Oshawa,

improves east-west connectivity, supports the orderly distribution of traffic in the local area, and allows

for a future westerly extension of Britannia Avenue West in accordance with local and regional plans.


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Identification of Corridors

While this study only recommends a preferred road alignment to Thornton Road North, it was first

necessary to determine the alignment of a broader Britannia Avenue West corridor to Thickson Road

North. Defining the broader corridor alignment ensures that the long-range corridor is protected for by

locating the intersection with Thornton Road North at a suitable point. This intersection location will be

used to direct future studies which seek to establish a preferred road alignment over to Thickson Road

North and potentially beyond.

Two potential corridors for the future Britannia Avenue West extension were identified (Figure ES2).

Recognizing that the Bickle subdivision presents the major constraint in the centre of the Study Area, it

was determined that a North Corridor (north of the Bickle subdivision) and a South Corridor (south of

the Bickle subdivision) provided the two best corridor alternatives to be taken forward for evaluation.

In establishing the two alternative corridors, specific features were identified. To the north, the corridor

was located to avoid the presence of a Provincially Significant Wetland (P.S.W.) and provide a suitable

distance from the existing hydro corridor and Highway 407 East extension that is currently under

construction. To the south, the corridor was located to provide sufficient intersection spacing from

Conlin Road West. For both corridors, the Core Farm Area within the Windfields site has been avoided,

recognizing its heritage value.

Preferred Alternative Solution – South Corridor

The two corridors were evaluated against a set of defined evaluation criteria covering the Natural

Environment, Socio-Economic Environment and Technical & Financial categories. The preferred

alternative solution was determined to be the South Corridor. Overall, the South Corridor is likely to

have less adverse impacts on the natural environment and less likely to constrain future development

opportunities. Both of these factors influenced the selection of the South Corridor as the preferred

corridor for the future Britannia Avenue West extension. The analysis and evaluation of the alternatives

were presented to the public at the first Public Information Centre, and the recommendation was

endorsed by the public and the relevant stakeholders.

Alternative Design Concepts

Five alternative alignments (or Options) were developed for evaluation as presented in Figure ES3.

These alternatives all provided a range of technically feasible alternative alignments for the Britannia

Avenue West extension.


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Figure ES2 – Alternative Corridors


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Figure ES3 – Alternative Alignments


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Preferred Alternative Design Concept

Overall, Option 5 was considered to be the preferred alternative design concept. From a natural

environment perspective, it has the least potential impacts because it avoids both the older growth

forest and wetland features, which represent the primary natural resources in the Study Area. From a

socio-economic perspective, Option 5 is the preferred alternative because it avoids direct future impacts

to properties fronting onto Thornton Road North. This is perhaps the single main advantage of Option 5

over all other alternatives. Although Option 5 represents the most expensive alternative, it is one of the

most technically feasible alternatives.

Potential Environmental Effects and Mitigation Measures

editions of This Week to introduce the study.

Notice of Public Information Centre (P.I.C.) 1 and P.I.C. 1 – the Notice was mailed to local

residents, relevant agencies and municipal contacts and published in the Oshawa Express and

the Whitby and Oshawa editions of This Week. P.I.C. 1 presented existing and future conditions,

the Problem and Opportunity statement, and the identification and evaluation of alternative

corridors, including the recommendation of a preliminary preferred corridor. Feedback was

sought on the preliminary preferred corridor and also the evaluation criteria taken forward to

Phases 3 and 4 of the E.A. This was provided verbally, via written comment forms, or by using

the interactive survey on the study website.

Measures were identified to mitigate potential adverse environmental effects related to the preferred

alternative. The key potential effects and associated mitigation measures are found in Section 7 and

summarized in Table 9 of this report.

Public Consultation

The E.A. study involved the following public and agency consultation:

Notice of Study Commencement – the Notice was mailed to local residents, relevant agencies

and municipal contacts, and was published in the Oshawa Express and the Whitby and Oshawa

Notice of Public Information Centre (P.I.C.) 2 and P.I.C. 2 – the Notice was mailed to local

residents, relevant agencies and municipal contacts and published in the Oshawa Express and

the Whitby and Oshawa editions of This Week. P.I.C. 2 reviewed the work and recommendations

from Phases 1 and 2, and presented the preliminary preferred alignment. Feedback was sought

on the preliminary preferred alignment and also the evaluation process followed to determine

this. This was provided verbally, via written comment forms, or by using the interactive survey

on the study website.

Study Website - in addition to including information on the study itself, documentation, and

contact details, the website included interactive surveys designed to increase community

engagement

Stakeholder Committee Meetings – a Stakeholder Committee comprised of Tribute

Communities, the Town of Whitby, the City of Oshawa, Durham Region, Central Lake Ontario


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Conservation Authority (CLOCA) and U.O.I.T. / Durham College was established. Stakeholder

committee meetings were held at regular intervals throughout the study and presented

preliminary results and sought direct feedback.

Site Walk - a site walk was held with representatives from MMM’s Project Team, CLOCA, and

the City of Oshawa. The purpose of the site walk was to focus on the Study Area for Phases 3

and 4 to the east of Thornton Road North, in order to identify specific environmental features

and constraints. As a result of the site walk, MMM was given specific guidance from CLOCA

concerning the relative importance of key features and requirements for further studies. This

information was directly used to inform the evaluation of alternative design concepts.

Notice of Study Completion – to mark the completion of the study and begin the mandatory 30-

day review period; this was mailed to local residents, relevant agencies and municipal contacts

and was published in the Oshawa Express and the Whitby and Oshawa editions of This Week.

Next Steps

Future commitments resulting from the work undertaken as part of this study include the following:

Detailed design of the preferred alternative, including the bridge over the Oshawa Creek West

Branch.

A Stage 2 Archaeological Assessment will be completed in advance of detailed design.

Butternut Health Assessment to be performed prior to any construction.

A detailed tree inventory will be undertaken during detailed design.

Development of a sediment and erosion control strategy, landscape planting plan, edge

management plan, etc. to mitigate potential effects on the Natural Environment.

Confirm the availability of alternate Barn Swallow nesting habitat in the meadows and cropland

surrounding the preferred alignment. Provide nesting habitat in accordance with ESA

requirements if necessary.

Permit and approvals will be confirmed during the detailed design stage and may include the following:

Specific consultation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (M.N.R.F.) is required

to determine the permissible in-water construction timing window and to develop site specific

mitigation related to American Eel including the potential requirement for permitting once the

proposed alignment and crossing structures are finalized.

An assessment of Butternuts for identification of hybrids and a Butternut Health Assessment

should be undertaken as soon as feasible to allow for time to obtain a permit under the

Endangered Species Act (ESA) if necessary as this process can take up to a year to complete.


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Attachment 2 Developent Services Department

Item: DS-14-207 Subject: Status report on the Municipal Class

Environmental Assessment Study of Britannia Road West, Windfields Farm Drive West to Thickson Road North

File: F7000-0146

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Approximately 195m

Approximately 80m Roselawn Ave

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Northern Dancer's Gravesite Trillium Cemetery Preferred Alignment of Extension (Option 2) Approved Alignment

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