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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWD-24-88 + � � TOWN OF NEWCASTLE t REPORT File #6 a Res. # By-Law # MEETING: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION MEETING DATE: APRIL 5, 1988 REPORT #: WD-24-88 FILE #: SUB,JECT: URBAN Vs RURAL ROAD CROSS SECTION FOR THE SERVICING OF THE SOUTH BOWMANVILLE INDUSTRIAL PARK RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: That this report be received; and, 1. THAT the urban road cross-section be used for the servicing of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park; and 2. THAT the Director of Public Works, the Director of Planning and the Treasurer meet with the owners of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park to discuss the financing of the servicing of the Park by means local improvements and any other matters related to the draft conditions of approval; and i i E 3. THAT a report be submitted to the General Purpose and Administration i Committee at the earliest possible date advising the Committee of the results of the discussions; and 4. THAT a copy of this report be forwarded to Mr. Dennis Szechy. . . .2 Lit PAGE 2 REPORT NO. WD-24-88 I REPORT: 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 At the meeting of Council held on Monday, January 25, 1988, the following resolution was passed: "THAT report PD-31-88 be referred to the Director of Public Works with a request to examine the storm drainage needs of the area in question and report back." 2.0 THE ISSUE 2.1 The issue is that the cost of servicing the South Bowmanville Industrial Park using an urban cross-section is greater than servicing the Park using a rural cross-section. 2.2 The purpose of this report is to review the costs and pros and cons of the two alternatives and to make a recommendation as to which of the two alternatives should be used. 3.0 MEETING HELD WITH INDUCON 3.1 Two meetings have been held with Mr. Dennis Szechy, vice-President, Urban Development from inducon Consultants to discuss the details of the servicing of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park. It was agreed that a report would be submitted to the General Purposes and Administration Committee by the Director of Public Works and that this report would include a report from Inducon. A copy of Inducon's report is included in this agenda under separate cover. i . . .3 PAGE 3 REPORT N0. WD-24-88 4.0 ADVANTAGES OF THE URBAN CROSS-SECTION II 4,1 The details of the rural section and urban d section are follows shown on the "Typical Road Cross Sect ion" page 5 of the Inducon report. 4.2 The advantages of the urban cross-section over the rural cross-section are: 1 1. Better aesthetics 2. Wider pavement 3. Easier maintenance 4. Much better drainage 4.3 Aesthetics ownership point of view, the responsibility of 4.3.1 From a purely intaining the ditches on the road cutting the grass and ma allowance lies with the municipality. 4.3.2 toy experience has been that in most cases, the owners of industrial land located in subdivisions which are the municipal by means of open ditches, do not cut the gr property. 4.3.3 If this part of the roadway is to be kept looking aesthetically pleasing, the grass must be cut about once per week during the summer months. 4.3.4 I know of no municipality that provides this level of service with regard to cutting the grass on municipal property. Therefore, unless the property owner cuts the grass on the 4 it will not be done on a frequent enough municipal property, basis. . . .4 Ii PAGE 4 REPORT NO. WD-24-88 4.3.5 On the other hand, it has been my experience, that the owners of industrial property in subdivisions which are serviced with the urban cross-section almost always cut the grass up to the curb and gutter as part of their regular maintenance of their property. 4.4 Wider Pavement The pavement on the urban cross-section is 10.70 metres wide (35 feet) while the pavement on the rural cross-section is 7.0 metres (23 feet) wide. In the case of the rural cross-section, parking occurs on the granular shoulders. In the case of the urban cross-section, parking occurs on the pavement. 4.5 Easier Maintenance 4.5.1 An urban cross-section requires very little maintenance other than the regular maintenance operations such as snow plowing, street sweeping and periodic cleaning of the storm sewers and catch-basins. 4.5.2 A rural cross-section requires snow plowing, street sweeping plus periodic grading and gravelling of the shoulders, removal of gravel from intersections, cleaning of ditches, thawing of culverts during the spring months and very often repair of the ends of the culverts which very often are damaged by trucks running over the ends. On page 3 of his report, Mr. Szechy gives maintenance costs for rural and urban cross-sections obtained from the Ministry of Transportation and the Region of Durham. . . .5 PAGE 5 REPORT NO. WD-24-88 I do not dispute the accuracy of the cost information, but I have concern that the cost comparisons are meaningless for the following reasons: 1. The maintenance requirements for the rural cross-section in the rural environment is far different than the maintenance requirements in the urban environment. For example, the distance between entrance culverts and intersections is far less in the rural environment than in the urban environment. 2. The level of maintenance of a road, be it urban or rural cross-section, is much higher in the urban environment than in the rural environment. 4.5.3 For these reasons, it is my argument that the cost comparisons given by Mr. Szechy are not valid and cannot be used as a justification for using the rural cross-section in an industrial park. 4.6 Much Better Drainage 4.6.1 Good drainage of the area is of prime importance as it relates the aesthetics of the industrial park. 4.6.2 To put this concern in proper perspective, the following should be considered. 1. The slope on the pavement of roads is normally 2% (that is the cross-fall from the centreline of the pavement to the shoulder) . 2. The slope on the gravel shoulders in 60. . . .6 PAGE 6 REPORT NO. WD-24-88 3. These two slopes are shown on the cross-section which follows page 5 of Mr. Szechy's report. 4. THE SLOPE FOR MANY OF THE DITCHES IN THE OPEN DITCH (rural cross-section) WILL BE ABOUT 0.40. WATER WILL LAY IN THE DITCHES AND THE DITCHES WILL ICE UP DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. DURING FREQUENT FREEZE-THAW CYCLES, THE CULVERTS WILL ICE-UP AND WILL REQUIRE THAWING WITH A STEAM JENNY. 5.0 SERVICING COSTS 5.1 On page 2 of his report Mr. Szechy provides cost estimates for the urban and rural cross-sections and for sanitary sewers and watermains. These are as follow: COST/ACRE RURAL URBAN RURAL URBAN Roadwork $1,037,00 $1,413,000 $7,391 $10,071 Storm Sewers 0 938,000 0 6,686 Sub Total 1,037,000 2,351,000 7,391 16,757 Sanitary Sewers & Watermains 2,649,000 2,649,000 18,881 18,881 Sub Total 3,686,000 5,000,000 26,272 35,638 External Roads 312,000 531,000 2,224 3,785 (Lake Road) Total $3,998,000 5,531,000 28,496 39,423 *Based on 140.3 net acres . . .7 PAGE 7 REPORT NO 5.2 ANALYSIS OF THE SERVICING COSTS 5.2.1 The cost of the sanitary sewers and watermains was financed by Durham Region under Section 218 of the Municipal Act. These costs will be recovered by the Region by means of an annual charge on the tax bill and these costs "run with land". 5.2.2 The conditions of draft plan approved specify that the Developer will be required to make a contribution to the Town towards the cost of upgrading external roads. The amount of the contribution has not been determined. 5.2.3 Therefore, it can be concluded, based on the information available, the cost to date to the Developers for the development of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park are: 1. The initial cost of the land plus carrying costs. 2. Planning costs. 3. The annual charges for the cost of the construction of the sanitary sewers and watermains. 5.2.4 Based on the above, the cost to the Developers for the servicing will be as follows: COST/ACRE RURAL URBAN RURAL URBAN Roadwork $1,037,000 $1,413,000 $7,391 $10,071 Storm Sewers 0 938,000 0 6,686 TOTAL $1,037,000 $2,351,000 $7,391 $16,757 . . .8 PAGE 8 REPORT NO. WD-24-88 5.2.5 The asking price for the land in the South Bowmanville Industrial Park is $75,000/acre upwards. 6.0 OPINION 6.1 The South Bowmanville Industrial Park is a very important development to the Town of Newcastle. It is important that the servicing of the Park does not, in the long term, create a problem to the Town or a constraint to the attraction of industry to the Park. 6.2 Servicing of the Park should be by urban cross-section. Rural cross-section is not appropriate in this case. 6.3 The costs presented by Mr. Szechy for the maintenance of urban and rural cross-sections do not give an accurate picture of the true costs to the Town and should not be considered in making a decision on the selection of the preferred alternative. r 7.0 CONCLUSIONS 7.1 The servicing of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park by means or rural cross-section is not appropriate. 7.2 The servicing of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park by means of an urban cross-section is affordable. i i . . .9 i PAGE 9 REPORT NO. WD-24-88 8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1 That the servicing of the South Bowmanville Industrial Park be by means of the urban cross-section. 8.2 That staff meet with the Developers to discuss this matter further and that the discussions include, but not be restricted to, the following: ( 1. Financing of all or part of the cost of the construction of the roads by means of the Local Improvement Act. 2. Determination of the contribution by the Developer towards the cost of reconstruction of external roads. Respectfully submitted, Recommended for presentation to the Committee, i Walter A. Evans, P. Eng., Lawrence 'tseff, Director of Public Works. Chief Admini trative Officer. :llv 25 March 1988 I