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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-075-09 Q rinon REPORT iag the Way PLANNING SERVICES Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: Monday, July 6, 2009 Ova it C,P A, 4 7p - b� Report M PSD-075-09 File #: PLN 23.5.14 By-law M Subject: MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON COMMENTS HIGHWAY 407 EAST EA AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN STUDY PRE-SUBMISSION REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PSD-075-09 be received; 2. THAT Report PSD-075-09 be approved as the Municipality of Clarington's comments on the Draft Highway 407 Environmental Assessment Report (Pre-Submission); 3. THAT the Region of Durham be requested to review the implications of advancing the capital works for a four-lane cross-section of the Taunton Road overpass at the East Durham Link, the connection of Enfield Road and Regional Road 34, and the transfer of the Darlington-Clarke Townline north of Taunton Road to the Region; 4. THAT the Region of Durham be further requested to review the implications of advancing the capital works that will be required due to the tolling of the Highway 407 Mainline and the East Durham Link; 5. THAT a copy of Report PSD-075-09 and Council's decision be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation and the Region of Durham; and 6. THAT all interested parties listed in this report and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F(905)623-0830 REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 2 Submitted by: 4"'4 Reviewed �y: ir�d J. ro , MCIP, P AranIlin ctor, Plan ing Services Chief Administrative Officer a � 2 A.S. Cannella, C.E.T. Director of Engineering Services JAS/FUdf 25 June 2009 REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 3 1.0 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 On March 30, 2009, Committee considered Staff Report PSD-033-09 which provided the Municipality of Clarington's comments on the preliminary design plans for the Technically Preferred Route (TPR) for the Highway 407 East extension. On April 6, 2009, Council adopted the recommendations in the report and added a further recommendation requesting the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) provide a report identifying the effects that changing the 407 transportation model to that of a tolled- road scenario will have on the 407 traffic volume forecasts and the Municipality's road network. 1.2 The Ministry of Transportation subsequently forwarded a letter responding to Clarington's comments. This letter was received for information by Council at its June 1st, 2009 meeting. MTO's responses and Staffs comments are provided in Attachment 3 to this report and discussed in more detail in Section 4. 1.3 On June 15, 2009, MTO released a Draft Highway 407 Environmental Assessment (EA) Report. The Report documents the entire EA process for the proposed 407 East Transportation Corridor that has been underway since 2005, and includes the Individual Environmental Assessment (IEA) for the 407 and the Preliminary Design Study. The Report is being made available to agencies and the public for comment prior to a formal approval submission to the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in summer 2009. The comment period will end on July 20, 2009. Any comments submitted, as well as the responses provided by the 407 Project Team, will become part of the final EA record submitted to the Ministry of Environment for review. This review gives the Project Team the opportunity to "fine-tune" the EA prior to submission. 1.4 The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Recommended Design for the TPR as provided in the draft EA report, discuss the responses provided by MTO to the previous comments provided by the Municipality, and provide further comments to the 407 project team where appropriate. 2.0 RECOMMENDED DESIGN OF THE TECHNICALLY PREFERRED ROUTE 2.1 Subject to final "fine-tuning", the Recommended Design for the TPR as described in the EA Report represents the final position of the 407 Project Team on the 407 corridor. 2.2 The highway component of the corridor has been developed to a preliminary design level while the transitway and the support facilities have been developed to a conceptual design level. The design work completed for both the highway and transitway components of the transportation corridor and the associated support facilities has been completed to a sufficient level of detail to confirm the feasibility of the proposed infrastructure and to identify property requirements and environmental impacts. The transitway corridor and the highway and transitway support facilities will be subject to future Class EA studies prior to implementation. REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 4 2.3 Attachment 2 to this report provides an overview description of the Recommended Design for the 407 transportation corridor through Clarington. 3.0 MTO RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY CLARINGTON 3.1 As noted in Section 1.2 of this report, MTO has forwarded a letter to Clarington in which they provide responses to the comments approved by Council on April 6, 2009. Attachment 3 to this report summarizes MTO's responses to Clarington's comments and Staffs comments. Those issues that have not been resolved to Staffs satisfaction include: • Construction of Holt Road between Taunton Road and Concession Road 6; • Construction of an interchange at Liberty Street and the 407 Mainline; • Provision of a 4-lane cross-section on the Taunton Road overpass at the East Link; and • The effect of tolling on Highway 407 traffic volume forecasts and the Municipality's road network. 3.2 Staff understands the responses by the 407 Project Team to the issues identified above; however, we respectfully disagree with the positions that they have taken. Once the draft EA is submitted, the Municipality will have the opportunity to submit its comments on these issues directly to the Ministry of Environment as part of the seven— week formal provincial review of the EA. 3.3 Construction of Washington Road to a Seasonal Standard 3.3.1 Through its approval of Report PSD-033-09, Council requested MTO to improve that portion of Washington Road north of Taunton Road to a seasonal standard to maintain access to agricultural fields. MTO responded that the 407 does not affect continued access to these fields and that the improvements will be Clarington's responsibility. 3.3.2 MTO currently owns the subject lands, and leases them to a local farmer who operates an active agricultural operation on the lands. Washington Road is maintained year round but not paved for a distance north of Taunton Road and south of Concession Road. Approximately 765 m in the middle is seasonally maintained but in very poor condition and impassable to agricultural equipment. Agricultural access to the fields is currently gained from Washington Road via Concession Road 6. 3.3.3 The construction of the 407 Mainline will prevent access to the agricultural fields south of the highway. MTO will be unable to either lease or sell these lands for agriculture and, as such, the lands will become remnant parcels. Additional discussions between Clarington staff and the 407 Project Team are necessary in order to develop a common understanding of the future use of these lands. REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 5 4.0 IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL ROAD NETWORK IN CLARINGTON 4.1 Recommendation 3 of this Report requests the Region of Durham to review the implications of advancing the capital works for the following: • the connection of Enfield Road and Regional Road 34; • a four-lane cross-section of the Taunton Road overpass at the East Durham Link; and • the transfer of the Darlington-Clarke Townline north of Taunton Road to the Region. 4.2 Courtice Road/Enfield Road Connection 4.2.1 The construction of the interchange on Enfield Road (Regional Road 34) will result in this road becoming a major access point to the 407. The resulting increase in traffic on Enfield Road, Taunton Road and Trulls Road will have a significant negative effect on the hamlet of Mitchells Corners. 4.2.2 The Transportation Network schedules in both the Durham and the Clarington Official Plans indicate that Regional Road 34 is intended to be made continuous and by-pass Mitchells Corners through the connection of Courtice Road and Enfield Road. This connection should be constructed prior to the 407 interchange at Enfield Road coming on-line in order to minimize traffic congestion and road safety issues in Mitchells Corners resulting from the interchange. 4.3 Taunton Road Overpass at the East Durham Link 4.3.1 The Preliminary Design Plans indicate that a two-lane cross-section (one lane in each direction) has been proposed for Taunton Road where it will cross over the East Durham Link. The widening of Taunton Road through Clarington is not included in the Region's Five Year Capital Budget. MTO has indicated that they will not be including a four-lane cross-section for the Taunton Road overpass, but that they may consider providing the necessary sub-structure work to support a future widening subject to acceptable cost sharing agreements with the Region and/or Clarington. 4.3.2 The construction of the four lane cross-section prior to the East Durham Link coming into service would avoid significant reconstruction costs and delays in the future when the Region would have to undertake the widening of Taunton Road. 4.4 Darlington-Clarke Townline Road 4.4.1 The construction of the interchange at the Darlington Clarke Townline will result in additional traffic using the section north of Taunton Road (Regional Road 4). Although the section of the road south of Taunton Road is currently under the Region's jurisdiction (Regional Road 42), the section to the north that will connect to the 407 remains as a local road. REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 6 4.4.2 The entire length of Regional Road 42 is identified in the Durham and Clarington Official Plans as a Type B arterial. The Region of Durham is requested to agree to the transfer of that portion of the Darlington-Clarke Townline Road north of Taunton Road to the Region's ownership prior to the 407 interchange at this location coming into operation. 5.0 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 5.1 Built Heritage Resources 5.1.1 The 407 EA has identified eight built heritage resources in Clarington that are to be displaced by the Project. The Municipality reiterates its previous comments to the 407 Project Team that these eight structures should be relocated rather than demolished. 5.1.2 Two of the properties, 1909 Bloor Street and 5415 Solina Road, are designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The other six properties have been recorded by the Clarington Heritage Committee as Primary and Secondary Heritage Resources as follows: Primary Heritage Resources Secondary Heritage Resources 5531 Bethesda Road (H43) 4825 Rundle Road (H743) 5681 Acres Road (H111) 2064 Taunton Road (H747) 7500 Highway 115 (11754) 5658 Bethesda Road (H68) 5.1.3 On April 21, 2009, the Clarington Heritage Committee discussed the significance of the buildings to be displaced and determined that placing the six properties that are not designated on the Municipal Register would aid in informing MTO that these buildings should not be demolished. The Committee adopted the following motion: "THAT the 6 heritage properties that are identified for displacement but are not designated be added to the Municipal Register of Properties of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest." 5.1.4 The Municipal Register is for buildings that the Municipality has concerns may be demolished without due consideration of other options. In this case, the 407 Project Team is well aware of the subject heritage resources and is working towards a resolution for each. In addition, MTO does not currently own the properties on which the heritage resources are located. Council's recent direction to Staff requiring notification be provided to owners of properties that are being considered for the Municipal Register may cause additional undue duress for these owners who are already experiencing stress due to the acquisition of their lands for the 407. Adding the properties to the Municipal Register is not recommended at this time. REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 7 5.2 Recommended Design 5.2.1 Exhibit 8-4 of the main EA Report (Proposed Grade Separations) indicates that sidewalks are to be provided on Old Scugog Road where it crosses under the 407 Mainline. However, Sheet 264 in Appendix D (Typical Cross-sections on Municipal Roads with Overpass Structures) identifies Old Scugog Road as not having any sidewalks. The 407 Project Team is requested to revise Sheet 264 by either adding a note or inserting a new typical cross-section that shows a sidewalk for Old Scugog Road. 5.2.2 Sheet 53 in Appendix D (Recommended Plan — Courtice Road/Highway 401) indicates that Darlington Park Road will be re-aligned to accommodate the highway ramp configurations at Courtice Road. However, Darlington Park Road is not listed in Section 8.1.3 of the main EA Report which identifies Local Road Realignments and Connections. This oversight should be corrected in the final draft EA. 5.2.3 Sheet 32 in Appendix D (Recommended Plan — Highway 407 Mainline at Bethesda Road) should indicate the access for emergency vehicles to the 407 through the commercial vehicle inspection station. 5.2.4 Sheet 35 in Appendix D (Recommended Plan — Highway 407 Mainline at Leskard Road) indicates a structure for the relocated private access to the Orono Hunt and Fish Club. However, no typical cross-section for this type of road has been provided. A typical cross-section for private road accesses should be added to the Preliminary Design Report. 6.0 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS 6.1 Staff, with the assistance of Dillon Consulting, are continuing to undertake a detailed review of the draft EA and Preliminary Design Study. This review is primarily of a technical nature and is not expected to identify any policy issues requiring direction from Council. It is Staffs intention to submit these comments to the 407 Project Team by the July 20, 2009 deadline. 6.2 Once the final EA is submitted to the Ministry of Environment this summer, the formal MOE Review Process will be initiated. The review period is expected to be seven weeks long. Staff will forward a report to Committee with the Municipality's comments during the formal Provincial review. period. 6.3 In addition, the federal government is expected to issue a draft Screening Report for the federal EA in July 2009, with the final report being issued by the end of the summer. A Draft Preliminary Design Report for the highway, scheduled to be released in Autumn 2009, will cover an analysis of the traffic forecasting work conducted by the Project Team, and provide additional detail on the design of the TPR. This Report will not form part of the EA. REPORT NO.: PSD-075-09 PAGE 8 6.4 The minimum timeline for MOE approval of the EA is 31 weeks. As such, the earliest that the Minister of the Environment could approve the final EA Report is April 2010. The timing of implementation will be affected by the approval date, as well as other factors such as property acquisition, allocation of funding, design, testing and construction. The Province has indicated that its objective is to have the Highway 407 East Extension open in 2013. Attachments: Attachment 1 - Glossary of Terms Attachment 2 - Description of the Recommended Design for the Technically Preferred Route through Clarington Attachment 3 - MTO Response to Report PSD-033-09 List of interested parties to be advised of Council's decision: Dan Remollino P. Eng John Hammond Doug Allingham P. Eng William J Hasiuk John OToole M.P. P. Mark Hawkins Abe Afana Dave Horner Ron Armstrong Karina Isert Ann Ball Jennifer Knox Jim Ballentine Jo-Anne McFarland Dorothy Barnett John and Barbara Montague Fred Biesenthal Denise Pickett Mark Bragg Libby Racansky Mark Canning Hala Rawdah Jean-Maurice Cormier David Bev Rogers Walenty Maria Cyrganowicx Jim Slyfield Yvonne Doorenspleet Bradford Soles Rolf Tanya Fabricius John Sturdy George Field John Waters Linda Gasser Ted Watson Attachment 1 To Report PSD-075-09 GLOSSARY OF TERMS EA Environmental Assessment IAE Individual Environmental Assessment MOE Ministry of Environment MTO Ministry of Transportation TPR Technically Preferred Route Attachment 2 To Report PSD-075-09 DESCRIPTION OF THE RECOMMENDED DESIGN THROUGH CLARINGTON The Recommended Design for the Highway 407 Technically Preferred Route includes a highway corridor (minimum 110 m width) and protection for a 60 m wide transitway corridor, as well as associated support facilities (maintenance facilities, commercial vehicle inspection stations, transitway stations, stormwater management ponds). There will be additional property requirements at interchange locations and in the vicinity of support facilities. 407 Mainline from Harmony Road to the East Link ■ 8 lanes with a closed median (concrete barrier and storm sewer system) ■ Minimum 3.0 m fully paved median shoulder and a 3.0 m paved outside shoulder 407 Mainline from the East Link to Highway 35/115 ■ 6 lanes with an open median (no concrete barrier and ditches) ■ 2.5 fully paved median and a 3.0 m paved outside shoulder. East Freeway Link ■ 6 lanes with an open median (no concrete barrier and ditches) ■ 2.5 fully paved median and a 3.0 m paved outside shoulder. The initial number of lanes to be provided on opening day will be determined through subsequent design phases. Freeway to Freeway Interchanges ■ 407 Mainline and the East Link ■ 407 Mainline and Highway 35/115 ■ Highway 401 and the East Link Arterial Road Interchanges Enfield Road Full 4 No No Re Tonal Road 57 Full 4 No No Darlington-Clarke Townline Full 4 No No Highway 2 Full 6 Yes Yes Taunton Road Partial (to & 2 No No from south Grade Separations (No access to the 407) Lan maid Road Crossin road over 407 2 No No Concession Road 6 Crossin road over 407 2 No No Solina Road Crossing road over 407 2 No No Holt Road Crossing road over 407 2 No No Old Scugog Road Crossing road under 407 2 Yes No Middle Road Crossing road over 407 2 No No Liberty Street Crossing road over 407 2 No No Betheseda Road Crossing road over 407 2 No No Leskard Road Crossing road under 407 2 No No Best Road Crossin road over 407 2 No No Bloor Street Crossing road over 407 4 No No Nash Road Crossing road over 407 2 No No Solina Road north of Crossing road over 407 2 No No Nash Road Crossing Road Realignments ■ Solina Road Realignment to the west • Middle Road Realignment to the west ■ Betheseda Road Realignment to the east • Leskard Road Realignments to the west Local Road Closures • Leask Road a Washington Road ■ Rundle Road ■ Cedar Park Road ■ Acres Road j ■ Cole Road ■ Nixon Road Local Road Realignments/Connections Langmaid Road (north of Concession Road 6) ■ Realigned to the west to better align with Langmaid Road to the south of Concession Road 6 Enfield Road and Concession Road 6 ■ A connecting road will be provided between the two roads. Concession Road 6 ■ Realigned to the southwest of Enfield Road • Realigned to the north in the vicinity of Regional Road 57 Acres Road and Cole Road ■ A new local road connection will be provided between these two roads. Concession Roads 6 and 7 ■ Will be realigned in the vicinity of Darlington-Clarke Townline Road South Service Road ■ Will be realigned from west of Courtice Road to Holt Road south of Highway 401 Hancock Road ■ Will be realigned to the west in the vicinity of Highway 2 Rundle Road (south of Taunton Road) ■ Will be realigned to the east Darlington Park Road ■ Will be straightened and re-aligned to the southwest Note: this realignment is shown on the plates for the Recommended Design but is not listed in Section 8.1.3 of the main EA Report- Local Road Realignment/Connections. See Section 4.2.2 of the staff report. Support Facilities Highway Maintenance Facility ■ A secondary highway maintenance facility is proposed to be located in the northwest quadrant of the Regional Road 57 interchange (the main facility will be located in Ajax). The secondary facility will be approximately 2 ha in area. Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facilities • A full commercial vehicle inspection station in the westbound direction of the 407 Mainline east of Betheseda Road • A truck lay-by facility in the southbound direction of the East Link south of Bloor Street. A lay-by facility is a scaled down version of a commercial vehicle inspection facility. It does not include any building infrastructure but it does provide a designated area for enforcement officers to inspect a commercial vehicle. Transitway Stations Transitway stations are typically located at interchanges. On the 407 Mainline, they are usually located in the southwest quadrant of the interchange, and in the northwest quadrant of interchanges on the East Link. The transitway stations, averaging approximately 16 ha in area, will typically provide a transit interface between inter-regional and local transit services, a "kiss-and-ride" area and parking. Opportunities for designated station locations to function as transit interfaces and car pool lots prior to the implementation of the transitway corridor will be determined during subsequent design phases. Transitway locations are proposed at the following locations: 407 Mainline • Enfield Road - southwest quadrant. ■ Solina Road — southeast quadrant ■ Regional Road 57 — southeast quadrant ■ Darlington-Clarke Townline — south side of the highway at Nixon Road ■ Concession Road 8 and Highway 35/115 —southwest quadrant East Link ■ Bloor Street— southwest quadrant ■ Highway 2 — northwest quadrant • Taunton Road — northwest quadrant Noise Walls ■ Hampton — On the north side of Hampton from east of Holt Road to west of Regional Road 57. Stormwater Management Ponds The stormwater management stragey for the 407 takes into consideration the 2031 lane requirements and transitway corridor as well as groundwater levels in the study area. The proposed stormwater management system consists of three components — storm sewers in the median where a median barrier is proposed, stormwater management ponds, and enhanced grass swales. Detailed design and the ultimate layout of the facilities will be confirmed during subsequent design stages; however, a preliminary evaluation was undertaken to confirm the feasibility of the pond locations. Approximately 24 stormwater management ponds are proposed along the 407 Mianline, with another 10 proposed for the East Link. Illumination The 2031 requirements for illumination are as follows: • Full illumination on the Mainline from the East Link to Regional Road 57. • Full illumination in the vicinity of freeway ro freeway interchanges. • Partial illumination at the Enfield and Darlington-Clarke Townline interchanges on the Mainline, and the Highway 2 interchange on the East Link. The illumination requirements for opening day will be determined through subsequent design phases. Construction of Holt Road The Ministry was requested to include the construction of Holt Road between Taunton Road (Regional Road 4) and Concession Road 6 to a year round standard as part of the Highway 407- related works The ministry maintains its position that any improvements to Holt Road between Taunton Road and Concession Road 6 will not be included as part of the EA submission. Clarington will be responsible for such work once the need and justification has been realized. The ministry will be responsible for localized improvements on Holt Road to facilitate implementation of a crossina. See Section 3.2 of Report PSD- 075-09. Holt Road Overpass The EA submission will include the provision for a Holt Staff will continue to liaise with The Ministry was requested to Road overpass. The timing for construction of the the 407 Project Team on this construct the Holt Road overpass as overpass will be determined during the implementation issue. part of the initial Highway 407 works to phase, which is beyond the scope of this maintain access to agricultural fields. Environmental Assessment. The Ministry will further consult with Clarington during the implementation phase to ensure that the agricultural needs in the vicinity of Holt Road are addressed_ Liberty Street Interchange The Ministry was requested to construct a full-movement interchange at Liberty Street and the Highway 407 Mainline. The traffic analysis undertaken as part of the EA confirmed that the interchanges at Regional Road 57 and Darlington-Clarke Townline could accommodate anticipated traffic volumes for the planning horizon. As a result, an interchange is not recommended at Liberty Street. It is important to note that a future interchange at Liberty Street is not precluded and could be implemented as part of a separate study approval See Section 3.2 of Report PSD- 075-09. 0 X m a 0 � D 00 oS v (D cn M o -- co w Taunton Road Overpass at East Durham Link The Ministry was requested to incorporate into the EA, a 4-lane cross- section for the Taunton Road overpass over the East Durham Link and to cost- share the construction costs for the additional 2 lanes with the Region of Washington Road The Ministry was requested to improve a portion of Washington Road north of Taunton Road to a seasonal standard to allow access to agricultural fields south of the 407 Mainline. The 407 project team will not be seeking EA approval for a 4-lane cross-section for the Taunton Road overpass. EA approval for the widening of Taunton Road will be the responsibility of the Region of Durham. The Ministry may consider providing the necessary sub-structure work to support a future widening subject to acceptable cost sharing agreements with the Region and/or Clarington. The 407 project team will not be seeking EA approval to carry out improvements to Washington Road north of Taunton Road. The presence of the 407 Mainline does not affect continued access to these agricultural fields. If, and when, such improvements are justified, they will be Clarington's responsibility. See Recommendation 3 and Section 3.1 of Report PSD-075- 09. See Section 3.3 of Report PSD- 075-09. Solina Road The 407 project team will not be seeking EA approval Response accepted. The Ministry was requested to provide to provide a sidewalk and/or bicycle lanes on the a sidewalk and/or bicycle lane on Solina Road structure across the 407 Mainline or the Solina Road south of Solina to connect portion of Solina Road south of Solina. Clarington to the future transitway south of the currently has no plans to provide sidewalks and/or 407 Mainline. bicycle lanes on Solina Road. The Transitway station at Solina is planned as a turn-around station and will not likely include typical station infrastructure such as parking lots and a passenger terminal. It should also be noted that the 12 m cross section proposed for the Solina Road structure includes two 3.5 m lanes as well as two 2.5m outside shoulders that will provide adequate room for the safe passage of farm eauioment and nedestrians Fencing The Ministry was requested to provide page-wire(farm) fencing, rather than chain-link fencing, along the rural portions of the highway corridor in keeping with the rural character of the area. Local Road Terminations The Ministry was requested to acquire sufficient land to provide cul-de-sacs at the end of all roads terminated by the 407, and to transfer said lands to the Municipality of Clarington. The 407 East right-of-way (Mainline and Links) will be Response accepted. fenced in its entirety for safety and trespass reasons. The specific type of fence used in the rural areas of Clarington cannot be fully determined at this time as issues such as wildlife movement, cost, maintenance and liability must be taken into consideration. The ministry will endeavour to work in a consultative manner with Clarington during future design phases to determine whether or not page-wire fencing is appropriate in certain rural areas_ The 407 project team will be seeking EA approval to Response accepted provide sufficiently sized cul-de-sacs on local roads. Once constructed, the lands required for cul-de-sacs and local road right-of-way requirements will be transferred to the Municipality of Clarington. Clarington Energy Park The 407 project team will be seeking EA approval for a Response accepted The Ministry was requested to prepare stormwater management (SWM) strategy that satisfies preliminary designs for the stormwater the local conservation authority's requirements while pond and Courtice Road interchange at also meeting MOE guidelines. Reasonable efforts will the Clarington Energy Park that will be be made to ensure that the design of the SWM pond an enhancement to the business park and re-configured Courtice Road interchange with appropriate treatments and quality (including landscaping) are in keeping with Clarington's landscapina features. vision for the business park. Effect of Tolling on Traffic Volumes The 407 project team has used the most up-to-date The Ministry was requested to provide land use projections as per the Provincial Growth Plan a report identifying the effects that and the Growing Durham recommendations. Tolling changing the Highway 407 will be addressed in the EA Report, along with other transportation model to that of a tolled factors that influence demand such as land use, road scenario will have on the Highway transportation network improvements and modal split. 407 traffic volume forecasts and the A preliminary analysis of tolling indicates a tolled 407 Municipality's road network. will attract less traffic than a non-tolled 407, but it still property impacts in order to reduce the number of attracts traffic relative to the Do Nothing scenario. The potential diversion will be dependent on a number of factors that influence demand as noted above. the watercourse. As a result, the proposed Furthermore, the crossing road requirements were determined on the basis of the non-tolled scenario that was a conservative approach to ensure capacity was provided at the crossing road structures. It is premature to undertake a detailed tolling assessment at this time since the tolling strategy has not yet been defined. The tolling strategy will be determined during the implementation phase of the project that is beyond the scope of this Environmental See Recommendation 4 and Section 3.2 of Report PSD-075- 09. Hancock Road The proposed alignment for the north leg of Hancock Response accepted The Municipality requested that the Road took into consideration the existing sensitive north leg of the realignment of Hancock watercourse that exists immediately north of Highway Road be redesigned with a smooth 2 as well as opportunities to reduce property impacts. horizontal curve to facilitate traffic flow Every effort was made at this location to reduce in this location. property impacts in order to reduce the number of displaced property owners and the potential impacts to the watercourse. As a result, the proposed realignment will be retained. Private Driveways on Re-aligned Local Roads The Municipality's preference is to have Middle Road and other similar situations connect directly to the realigned road and to have private driveways extended to the realigned road. This would avoid the need to maintain old remnant sections of the former road. MTO will be required to ensure that all private driveway entrances are extended to the re- aligned road, and that these entrances are properly designed and constructed to address any potential grade and The 407 project team understands Clarington's request and agrees to extend and re-grade most entrance driveways to tie into re-aligned local roads. In some cases this may not be possible in order to effectively maintain a safe and cost-efficient entrance design ie. Betheseda Road. In these situations, if alternative access cannot be provided, the ministry would recommend acquisition of these lands/properties. Response accepted Remnant Parcels The Municipality supports the approach of creating a Working Group outside of the Environmental Assessment process to address the issue of remnant parcels. The Working Group should be established as soon as possible after the submission of the EA Report, with MTO or another provincial agency being responsible for establishing and supporting its work. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Region of Durham, the affected Municipalities, and the Conservation Authorities should be invited to participate. The establishment of the working group should be a specific recommendation in the 407 EA Report. Liaison Committee MTO is requested to establish a liaison committee comprised of the proponent, the contractor and representatives from the Municipality, the business and agricultural community, and that this be included as a specific recommendation in the 407 EA report_ The 407 project team agrees that further consultation will be required regarding remnant parcels. This may be via a Working Group as suggested by Clarington. How and when this occurs, and who will be the lead party, needs to be determined. The 407 EA Report will include a recommendation for further consultation with stakeholders regarding remnant parcels. As discussed, where possible, remnant parcels will be assessed for opportunities to provide mitigation and enhancements. Response accepted The 407 project team agrees that further consultation Response accepted is required with stakeholders and that this may include the need to establish a liaison committee at subsequent stages. Such a requirement will be explored outside of the EA Report. Cultural Heritage Evaluation Reports The Cultural Heritage Evaluation Reports to be prepared for a number of the properties should also include floor plans of the building, the footprint on the lot, and photographic records of the exterior and interior of the building and of the vista from the buildina Impacts on Heritage Properties The impact assessment reports do not include any information on the compensation techniques to be used to reduce the impact on heritage resources, nor do they indicate if the owners of the identified properties have been contacted in regards to the mitigation measures proposed. This information should be provided to the Clarington Heritage Committee to allow for a more thorough review of the impact on the Municipality's built heritage resources, once the negotiation with the owners is complete. Attachment 4 provides the Municipality's comments on all of the heritage resources identified by the impact assessment reports as being displaced or disrupted by the 407 and the East Durham Link. The 407 project team will review the above Response accepted recommendations and incorporate them into our work where feasible. The Built Heritage Impact Assessment Report includes proposed mitigation strategies and commitments for further work, including the preparation of a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report. Details of the mitigation measures being proposed will be provided to the Clarington Heritage Committee once available. The 407 project team will review Attachment 4 and incorporate the comments into our heritage work where appropriate. Response accepted Community Signs Community signs should be located on the 407 corridor at the eastbound entrance to Clarington, as well as the hamlets of Salina, Hampton and Leskard. The design of the signs and graphics should be distinct and accurately represent the history and character of the community—for example, the old water-powered mill in Hampton. Hamlet signs should also include a reference to the Municipality of Clarington. Signs should be made of durable material to minimize maintenance and to ensure that they remain attractive for a Iona time Bridge Artwork As with community signage, bridge artwork should be durable and accurately reflect the history and character of nearby communities. For example, the grade separation over Wilmot Creek should reflect the historical significance of the fishery in In general, signage details will not be included as part of the EA submission. As you are aware, through our Community Value Plan (CVP) exercise a number of locations in Clarington were identified to recognize local heritage. This includes signing as well as landscaping. The ministry agrees to consult with Clarington prior to finalizing sign locations, wording and format. Bridge artwork details will not be included as part of the EA submission. Through the CVP a number of locations have been identified for architectural enhancements including bridge structures. This will be a commitment in the EA Report. The ministry agrees to consult with Clarington prior to finalizing artwork at applicable bridge locations. Response accepted. Response accepted Highway Lighting Highway lighting located in proximity to homes and communities should be visually screened to minimize the impact on residents. Where possible decorative lighting (eg. heritage themes) should be installed. The Municipality'has lighting guidelines that recommend full cut-off, high efficiency The ministry makes every effort to limit the trespass of highway lighting on adjacent residential properties where feasible while ensuring our standards for illuminating the highway corridor are met. Decisions related to decorative lighting will be made in consultation with Clarington staff prior to construction and will not be part of the EA recommendations. Response accepted Stormwater Management Ponds As previously noted, the specific type of fence to be Response accepted The many stormwater management used to fence the corridor will be determined through ponds proposed along the 407 corridor subsequent design phases. Selection of the fencing provide an opportunity, with the use of type must take into consideration safety, trespass, cost appropriate landscaping, to create both maintenance and liability issues. visual assets and wildlife habitat. However, when located in proximity to communities, fencing that is attractive and compatible with the landscape should be considered.