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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-042-10Clarin n Leading the Way REPORT PLANNING SERVICES Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: March 29, 2010 Resolution #: ~PI'+~~56 -(0 By-law #: N/A d p/-~-a57-Iv Report #: PSD-042-10 File #: PLN 15.2 and PLN 15.10.2 Subject: DREDGING - BOWMANVILLE AND NEWCASTLE (BONDHEAD) MUNICIPAL BOAT LAUNCHES RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PSD-042-10 be received; and 2. THAT all interested parties listed in Report PSD-042-10 and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Submitted by: /n-e-~~ y Langmai CSLA, MCIP cting Director, Planning Services FL/df 22 March 2010 Reviewed by~ ~~'"' - - - Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-0830 REPORT NO:: PSD-042-10 PAGE 2 1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT At the Council meeting of December 14, 2009 the following motion was passed: "THAT Correspondence Item D-14 from Robert Kreasul, with respect to Port Darlington Marina, be referred to staff for preparation of a report addressing responsibility for channel dredging and associated costs." This report provides an overview of the responsibility for channel dredging and associated costs and the municipal operation of the boat launches at Bowmanville Creek north of Port Darlington (Attachment 1) and Bondhead on the west side of Graham Creek (Attachment 2). Mr. Kreasul's letter is Attachment 3. 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 Bowmanville Creek/Port Darlington The Port Darlington Marina was initiated and developed by the Gil family in the mid 1970's. At the time the commercial fishing fleet that had existed at the mouth of Bowmanville Creek on the east side of the channel owned by Port Darlington Harbour Company had diminished and transitioned to the sport fishing that continues to exist today. Concurrently there was also a move, by many, to pleasure boating. The Gil family obtained permission to dredge a marina and build the motel/restaurant complex and condominums which continue to exist today; now owned by Port Darlington Marina- Hotel. The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority purchased approximately 57 acres of land in 1975 and another 11 acres in 1977 and 1978. This initiated the development of the Bowmanville Harbour Conservation Area. Initially it was to protect the significant Bowmanville Marsh, and to provide area residents with access to fishing opportunities in the form of a boat launch, fish cleaning station and parking facility just north of Bobby C's and Port Darlington Marina. As part of the work that led up to Clarington's first Official Plan, the Clarington Waterfront Study (1991) was prepared along with the Port Darlington Plan Area: Background Study (1992). These documents are the basis for the policies in the Official Plan and Port Darlington Neighbourhood Secondary Plan that were adopted in 1996. By the late 1990's there had been an evaluation of the mandate of the Conservation Authority with regard to the provision of recreational amenities. The recreational mandate had in large part been eliminated in favour of a greater natural heritage focus. The boat launch area was leased to the Municipality in 2000 on a 20 year lease. Part of the reason for this shift in responsibility was the Municipality's ability to garner funds under the Millennium grant process for the development of the Waterfront Regeneration Trail. In addition, the Municipality had been instrumental in the formation of the Valleys 2000 group, which encompassed the urban portions of the Bowmanville and Soper REPORT NO.: PSD-042-10 PAGE 3 Creeks with a focus on the restoration and enhancement of the creek valleys for the residents of Bowmanville. After the Municipality leased the boat launch, improvements were made in subsequent years through the grading and drainage of the parking area, construction of the Waterfront Regeneration Trail and removal of the fish cleaning station. The area adjacent to the boat launch accommodates approximately 30 vehicles and trailers; however, it is also encumbered with hydro towers and mostly successional vegetation of low ecological importance. Council recently approved an exchange with CLOCA, which will see the Municipality become the owners of the boat launch area. 2.2 Bondhead/Graham Creek The boat launch on the west side of Graham Creek was constructed in 1991 as a response to the Recreation/Leisure Services Masterplan recommendations. The Recreation/Leisure Services Masterplan was undertaken in 1990 to determine the gaps in leisure services being provided by the. Municipality. One of the major areas of demand from the surveys and public consultation was the lack of public access to the waterfront and lake. The development of the Bondhead Parkette was seen as a way to address this issue. In 2000 as part of the drafting of the Land Acquisition Strategy the lack of space for parking at the Bondhead Parkette/Boat Launch was noted as a concern and three residential properties adjacent to the parkette where identified as future acquisitions. These properties were acquired between 2000 and 2005 and the lands have been added to the parkette as green space. To date, the parking has not been enlarged. 2.3 Boat Launch Economic Spin-offs 2.3.1 The demand for boat launching ramps, mainly required to serve anglers, is projected to grow at a rate similar to that of the future household growth in Durham. Typically launching ramps are provided by marina operators and very few free launching ramps exist. 2.3.2 There is no precise data available on the numbers of persons who use the boat launch or the economic spin-off from this activity. Casual observation by maintenance staff indicates that both facilities are well used and attract anglers from outside the Durham area and province. 2.3.3 The Town of Whitby, which has a boat launch as part of their marina operation indicate there are over 1,000 launches per year. This number does not include boaters that purchase seasonal passes. 2.3.4 The economic spin-off from the tour and charter operators, boaters and casual fishermen is unknown. However; it is known that the impact can be significant. Attachment 4 is a calculator used in the tourism industry based on the known impact from boat launches. Calculations of 500, 1,000 and 1,500 launches demonstrate the spin-off benefits. REPORT NO.: PSD-042-10 2.4 Channel Ownership and Jurisdiction PAGE 4 2.4.1 The Bowmanville/Soper Creek from West Beach Road south to the southern tip of the condominiums is owned by CLOCA. From the condominiums south to the lakefront the channel is owned by the Port Darlington Harbour Company. The piers on either side of the mouth of the channel are owned by the federal government. 2.4.2 The Bondhead Parkette and municipal boat launch are owned by the Municipality, as are the breakwater structures. The Municipality took over the breakwater structures in 1999. The channel ownership could not be determined from the MPAC property fabric, a land title search at the Land Titles office would be necessary to determine ownership. 2.4.3 The provincial government has jurisdiction over the bed of streams. Approval for any works requires licenses and/or permits from the applicable conservation authority and Ministry of Natural Resources. In addition, permits are required from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans; these include restrictions on the time of year that any in-water works are carried out to protect the fishery resource. 2.5 Channel Dredging 2.5.1 The dredging of the basin areas of the different marinas are the responsibility of the owner/operator of the marina. At one time, funding was available from Small Craft Harbour's for the maintenance and development of recreational boating harbours; however, the mandate of Small Craft Harbour's has shifted and is now focused on providing commercial fish harvesters and other harbour users with safe and accessible facilities. The mandate of Small Craft Harbour's is to keep the harbours that are critical to the fishing industry open and in good repair. The Bowmanville and Newcastle. harbours are recreational harbours and do not meet the criteria set out by Small Craft Harbour's, there is no funding that they are eligible for from higher levels of government for ongoing maintenance and operation. 2.5.2 The channels in the area of the boat launches have become silted up over time. Typically when silt builds up it gets blown out in a major storm event, such as Hurricane Hazel. Many of the stormwater management and floodproofing measures that have been implemented by the Municipality in concert with the conservation authority have a modifying effect as they are designed to retain the water upstream in an appropriate facility and allow for drain down after the event. This assists in avoiding flooding throughout the lower reaches of the streams. 2.5.3 All the marina's and ports along the Lake Ontario waterfront have experience with dredging. Typically they carry out a major dredge every 10-15 years with spot dredges in between to maintain depths in specific areas. Clarington's municipal boat launches and their associated channels have not been dredged since they were built. 2.5.4 The major cost to dredge is often the disposal of the sediment. In the best case, the dredgate can be used for beach nourishment further along the shoreline. This can occur if soil testing confirms no contaminates in the sediment and the approval agencies allow for disposal of the dredgate in this manner. In these best case scenarios the REPORT NO.: PSD-042-10 PAGE 5 dredging is carried out on a cost per cubic metre with the silt being sucked up and pumped through piping to its disposal site. If the dredgate is to be hauled away, there are trucking costs, plus the preparation and rehabilitation of the soil waste site. The Town of Cobourg has acquired dredging equipment and are willing to provide the service for $10.00/cubic metre if all other aspects are taken care of (e.g. dredging permits, soil testing, soil waste area). If haul away of the dredgate is included the price increases to between $25 to $30 per cubic metre depending on the length of haul, cost of the disposal, remediation of the site, etc. 2.5.5 Typically local marina operators (Cobourg, Port Hope, Newcastle, Bowmanville, and Whitby) spend between $20,000 to $40,000/annually to maintain their basin areas. Some years the costs are less; other years are higher depending on the amount of dredging required and where they are in the cycle after a major dredge. 2.5.6 The estimated cost to dredge the channel in Bowmanville Creek from the boat launch to the southern tip of the condominiums would be approximately $40,000 if the dredgate could be used for beach nourishment on the East Beach. 2.5.7 The estimated cost to dredge the channel in Graham Creek from the boat launch to the lake would be approximately $5,000 if the dredgate could be used for beach nourishment on the Bondhead parkette. 3.0 COMMENTS 3.1 The Municipality does not have a legal responsibility to dredge the channels in the vicinity of the boat launches. 3.2 CLOCA and Port Darlington Harbour Company are the owners of the channel in Bowmanville. 3.3 Ownership of the channel in Newcastle would have to be determined through a land titles search, it has been confirmed that it is not owned by Port of Newcastle Marina. 3.4 The Municipality could recover operation costs for the maintenance of the boat launches through the use of barriers and pay/display machines which would require payment for the parking of vehicles/trailers. Separate parking areas accessible to the general public not wishing to use the launch could be provided to allow access at both launches for non-boaters. 3.5 The Municipality benefits from the tourism that the boat launches support; however, there is no specific information available on the economic benefit. REPORT NO.: PSD-042-70 4.0 CONCLUSIONS PAGE 6 4.1 Should Council wish to support the economic benefits that the boat launches help promote, specific direction to the appropriate staff will be required. Staff Contact: Faye Langmaid Attachments: Attachment 1 -Bowmanville Boat Launch site plan Attachment 2 - Bondhead Boat launch site plan Attachment 3 - Mr. Kreasul's letter Attachment 4 -Economic Spin-off Calculator Interested parties to be notified of Council's decision: Bob Currie, Port Darlington Marina-Hotel Bowmanville Andy Wiggers, Wiggers Custom Yachts Bob Kreasul Kevin Williams Kelvin Whalen, Kaitlin Group Allison Woollacott, Port of Newcastle Marina Perry Sisson, CLOCA Mark Peacock, GRCA Attachment 1 To Report PSD-042-10 .~ Attachment 2 To Report PSD-042-10 _. , • ,.w` , ,. i -~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~' 9 ~ ~ ~t ~ ,R f .A ~^ .!C. - .. ~C ~. ~ ~ , ~st - '+ Wes, ! 3~r. j. ( 1 J~M ~~r ` ~ ., ,y t ._ .. ~ i.. ~' ~. 3~j ~.( w ..i ~ _ ~j'a•~ ,w -y. ~~z a ~~ k ~~ ~: ~ ~" :~, ~ {. -~ . 1 , l~' Y~ ~ ~ , x ( ~`, .~ ..~ ~ ,,t~~~tti1~~~~ ~ 4 f ~ ~~'' ~. ~' ~,-. ~ ;~ k ~ k k 1 •.., ti . 1 ~i ~ ~ ,~,k;,kPilki ~ k _ -+~M1 's I I I k l 1 k ` ~• ~ s~ sue. !, ~ :~ .. .•.~f -i z'' :. ~~ i / ~~ Z ~ti. i ~~~ .~ I, ~ ~ y ;~ ,. ~ r~ .4 ~~" ~~~,~~ n M~ ~~ I ~, 1° . Lake O~ita~io Robert G. Kreasul Phone: 905-243-7711 November 26, 2009 Dear Mayor Abernathy: Attachment 3 To Report PSD-042-10 I am writing this letter representing the over 150 resident boats in the Port Darlington Marina, transient boaters, residents of Wiggers Yachts Basin (winter and summer), and. the users of the Clarington boat launch ramp, which, I believe, are in the thousands. We have a situation at the harbour that needs to be fixed rather urgently -there is not enough depth in the channel to the lake from September onward to float even a dingy equipped with an outboard motor. 9I.L users are affected by this, as it is unsafe to plough through the mud to get to the lake: We even see geese standi0g in what was, in the spring, a part of the channel! During the summer season, unless you have local knowledge of exactly where the channel is, you l6Clll run aground. Our harbour is such a picturesque destination for transient boaters, and the first thing we offer them is -the certainty of running aground.:........ There is a great deal of tourist income derived from. the harbour, what with the over 50 Salmon .Charter boats, and marine tourists travelling along the North Shore, as well as American boaters coming across. I understand that the municipality is required to keep the channel navigable from the boat launch ramp to the lake. This is NOT the case currently, all you need to do is ask any boater who uses our harbour. We would be happy to discuss the situation with'you any time, at your convehience. I have included some maps/photos to clarify the channel into Port Darlington. I will contact you on Monday as a follow up to this letter -thanks for your attention. Robert G. Kreasul cc: Mary Novak Ron Hooper Willie Woo Charlie Trim Adrian Poster Gord Robinson Attachment 4 To Report PSD-042-10 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BOAT LAUNCHES 1. 500 LAUNCHES: Ec Impact ResuttfTables 22-Mar-10 TABLE i - Ecwwmic Impa~c#s of Trip Spendim3 by Boats Using the Launch Site Sectary ~te9ary 5aBCS ~~ latxnr Income Value (Ode`s 3) tWO's 4) f000`® $) at Effects Ixsdgirg Ftanna Services Rermrt Ftecreation&Entertainment RepairBiMaintenance Grocery Stores (MarginLGSales} Gas Service Statioro-s (Margln&Sales} Sporting G ~arxaem Retail Margiars Odaar Retail Trade (MarginsGSales) Wha4esak Trade (t~argi 4es} Losal FiaduRian of Goads 7ota1 Effects oralary Effects Iota! Effects 3.4 O.i 1.3 2.4 3.2 0.1 S.Y 1.4 8.4 0.2 3.2 3.fi 2.2 0.0 0.8 1,.3 2,6 01 1.0 1.4 fiA 0,1 2.2 2,4 i.4 0,0 0.6 OJ 26,6 0.5 10.4 14.2 9,3 0.1 2.8 5.0 36.0 O.fi 13»2 19.2 2. 1, 000 LAUNCHES Economic Impact Result/Tables TABLE 1. -Economic Irrrpacis of Trip Spending. by Boats Using the Launch Site Sartor/Spotrdilrg cakegory Sales lobs Labor Income Yalue Added (ooo's b) (goo's 5) (afro°s g} Direct Effects Lodging Marina SerVICeS Restaurant Recre a t i o nF<.Fnte rta i nm a n[ Repair&Maintenance Grocery Stores (Margin&Sales) Gas Service Stations (MarginffiSales) Sporting Goods/Equipm ent Retail Margins Other Retai[ Trade (Margins&Sales) Wholesale Trade (Margins&Sales} Local Producti'.on of Goads Total Direct Effects Secondary Effects Total Effec#s 6.8 0.2 3.0 4.8 6.3 0.1 2.3 3.8 16.7 D.4 6.4 7.2 4.3 O.i l.b 2.6 5.2 0.1 2.0 2.7 11.9 0.1 4.5 S.B 2.D 0:D 0.9 1.3 53.2 1.0 20.7 28.4 18.7 0.2 5.6 10.0 7 i:9 1.3 2G-3 38,4 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BOAT LAUNCHES 22-Mar-10 3. 1,500 LAUNCHES Ecanamic Impact ixesultlTables TABLE 1 -Economic I3opacts of Trip Spending by Boats Using the Launch Si[e SectoeJS~pending category sales )ohs Labor Income Value Added (040's $) (000`s $) (000's S) Direct Effiec[s Lodging 10.2 0.2 4.S 7.2 Marina Services 9.5 0.2 3.4 5.7 Restaurant 25.1 0.6 9.6 10.9 Recreation&Entertainment 6.5 0.1 2.3 3..9 Repair&Maintenance - _ _ Grocery 5#ores (Margin&Sa les) 7.8 0? 3.1 4.1 Gas Service Stations (Margin&Sales) 17.9 0.2 6.7 g,7 Sporting GoodsjEquipment Retail Margins - _ _ _ Other Retail Trade (Margins&Sales) 3.0 0.1 1.4 2.p wholesale Trade (Margins&Sales) - _ _ _ Local Production of Goods - _ _ Total Direct Etfectr 79.9 1.6 31.1 42.5 Secondary Effects 28.0 0.3 8.4 15.0 Totat Eftects 107.9 1.9 39.5 57.5 NOTE: Dollars are in USD.