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Report
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Report To: General Government Committee
Date of Meeting: February 16, 2016
Report Number: EGD-008-16 Resolution:
File Number: By-law Number:
Report Subject: Bond Head Park Expansion and Transportation Improvements
Recommendations:
1. That Report EGD-008-16 be received;
2. That the park expansion plans be modelled after Concept Three, which includes a more
natural presentation of greenspace with park shelter, paved walkways, benches, picnic
tables, additional parking and shoreline erosion protection, and that these improvements be
referred to the 2016 Capital Budget;
3. That the expansion of parking at Bond Head include spaces along the south side of Boulton
Street, and additional spaces along the east edge of the existing parking area, and that
these improvements be referred to the 2016 Capital Budget;
4. That a 1.5 metre wide sidewalk be constructed as part of Phase 1 of the transportation
safety improvements, on the west side of Mill Street South, including localized curb and
gutter, storm sewer and localized retaining walls, and that these improvements be referred
to the 2016 Capital Budget;
5. That Mill Street South be widened by 2 metres on each side as part of Phase 2, to
accommodate bike lanes, and that these improvements be referred to a future Capital
Budget year; and
6. That all interested parties listed in Report EGD-008-16 and any delegations be advised of
Council's decision.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-008-16 Page 2
Report Overview
Clarington's Official Plan identifies a District Park in the Bond Head area in Newcastle and in
the last few years both staff and residents have been re-imagining the future use of this
uniquely beautiful area as a premier recreational destination for both local area residents and
the community as a whole. In November of 2014 and again in November of 2015 Clarington
staff held Public Information Centers (PIC's) in the Bond Head area to promote broad and
transparent civic engagement in the creation of a shared vision of how the waterfront will take
shape over time, while ensuring enhanced multi-use access to the area that places public
safety as our highest priority.
This report summarizes our efforts thus far and makes recommendations for moving forward
based on respectful recognition of all points of view but with a bias towards an achievable
consensus.
1 . Background
There are essentially three main areas of focus as we develop our vision of the future
Bond Head area, one is of the expansion of the park, the second is for additional parking
at the waterfront and the third is for improved connectivity and enhanced, safe multi-use
public access. We present all three as distinctly separate areas of focus.
1.1. Bond Head Waterfront Park Expansion Features
Clarington's Official Plan identifies a District Park in Bond Head on the east side of the
Graham Creek were it meets Lake Ontario. The existing Bond Head Park was built in 1991
and contains a boat launch, small parking lot, shade structure and seating area. Since that
time the municipality has acquired additional land on the east side of Bond Head Park to
expand the park and provide greater public access to the waterfront.
A conceptual master plan for the proposed park expansion was displayed at the original
PIC in November 2014. Resident feedback on the park concept plan was mixed. Some
residents liked the concept plan as presented, others suggested a water play area, and
some suggested a preference for passive space for picnicking and quiet enjoyment of the
waterfront. Based on the feedback at that PIC three new concepts were developed.
Concept One (attachment 1)
Playground equipment, swings, a park shelter, open lawn/picnic areas, a park path system,
additional parking and shoreline protection.
Concept Two (attachment 2)
Splash pad, park shelter, open lawn/picnic areas, a park path system, additional parking
and shoreline protection.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-008-16 Page 3
Concept Three (attachment 3)
Includes a shelter surrounded by greenspace, paved walkways, benches, picnic tables,
additional parking and shoreline erosion protection. This option was preferred by 15 of the
22 residents who submitted comments for the November, 2015 PIC.
1.2. Expansion of Parking
Expanding the park would also require additional parking since the park is intended for use
by both local residents and residents from beyond Bond Head. At the original PIC four
options for new parking were displayed. The preferred option was to provide parking
directly along the south side of Boulton Street. The spaces proposed along the south side
would minimize the impact on the new parkland and keep all of the park expansion on the
south side of Boulton Street. There may also be an opportunity to expand the existing
parking area along its east edge. The additional parking described above was shown on
all concepts displayed at the November 12, 2015 PIC.
1.3 Enhanced Multi-use Safe Connectivity
Aware that "if you build it they will come", and recognizing the existing use by pedestrians
and cyclists of Mill Street South, transportation improvements have been a major area of
focus throughout the design and public consultation process. Together we have looked
at how to facilitate multi-use connectivity as a way to encourage people to enjoy their
waterfront, while at the same time ensuring public safety for those who come.
It has been our intent to:
• Provide safe multi-use connectivity to the waterfront park which includes the
installation of a sidewalk
• Protect the natural beauty of the area, in particular the unique tree canopy along
Mill Street South existing vegetation and natural features
• Impact the least number of homes on the street and where impact is necessary it
should be minimized as much as is possible (eg. 10 properties versus 15 when
comparing the West to the East side of Mill St. S.).
At the first PIC in November 2014, Engineering presented 3 options intended to stimulate
input and comments from the neighbourhood residents. All options included a 3 metre
wide multi-use trail, with different routes:
Option 1 (attachment 4) - east side of Mill Street South
Option 2 (attachment 5) - west side of Mill Street
Option 3 (attachment 6) - west side of Mill Street to Metcalf Street, east along Metcalf
Street to George Manners Drive, south along George Manners Drive to Queen Victoria
Street, continuing south to Lake Ontario along the unopened Right-of-Way of George
Manners Drive.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-008-16 Page 4
There was a mixed response from the local residents with 12 out of the 22 providing
comment sheets supporting the trail on the west side of Mill Street South, 4 residents
supporting the trail on the east side of Mill Street South and 1 resident supporting the trail
along George Manners Drive. Three residents asked for the "Do Nothing" option. Other
comments included that the trail to be revised to a typical 1.5 metre wide sidewalk, that
Mill Street be widened to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists and not provide a
sidewalk at all. A strong response was that the tree canopy and the appearance of Mill
Street South be unchanged as it is one of the reasons for Bond Head's unique beauty.
The residents pointed out that the walkway on the west side of Mill Street South reduced
the number of crossings of Mill Street South, provides direct access to the lake/waterfront
park and connected to the existing sidewalk south of the Graham Creek bridge (also
known as Hunter Bridge).
The Preferred Option (attachment 7) - Based on the above mentioned information,
evaluation of costs and the need to address pedestrian safety, Engineering developed a
modified version of Option 2 that was presented at the PIC on November 12, 2015. We
recommend that the preferred option be implemented in two phases.
Phase 1
The improvements would include constructing a 1.5 metre wide sidewalk on the west side
of Mill Street South, focusing on minimal impact to the existing vegetation/trees. The
sidewalk would accommodate pedestrians only on the sidewalk and cyclists would still
share the road with vehicles until Phase 2 is constructed. The design would include
localized curb and gutter, retaining walls and storm sewer. The location of the sidewalk
would be determined by the path of least impact on the existing vegetation.
For the sake of ease and clarity the entire section of sidewalk recommended as part of
Phase 1, has been broken down into four distinct attachments, each illustrating a section
of approximately 250 m. They are as follows:
• Attachment 8
Phase 1 (sidewalk installation), from the existing sidewalk to Metcalfe Street.
• Attachment 9
Phase 1 (sidewalk installation), from Metcalfe to 590 Mill Street South
• Attachment 10
Phase 1 (sidewalk installation), from 590 Mill Street South to 615 Mill Street South.
• Attachment 11
Phase 1 (sidewalk installation), from 619 Mill Street South to Bond Head Park.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-008-16 Page 5
Phase 2
The improvements would include a road widening of Mill Street South by 2 metres on
each side to accommodate bike lanes with sufficient width to ensure safe separation
between cyclists and vehicles. Upon completion of Phase 1, staff would monitor the
situation and when warranted/required, program the Phase 2 works into a future Capital
Budget.
At the PIC on November 12, 2015, from the 26 comment sheets received, 14 residents
were in support of a 1.5 metre wide sidewalk on the west side of Mill Street South.
Residents acknowledge that a safe passage for pedestrians on Mill Street South is
required. Residents continue to be concerned about speeding along Mill Street. Although
studies conducted by staff and the DRPS, do not indicate a speeding problem, during the
detailed design phase of the project, should it move forward, staff will look at
opportunities to introduce measures that have proven to reduce speeds in other areas of
Clarington.
Another resident concern was the responsibility of maintaining the sidewalk during the
winter months. At the PIC, information was made available to the residents about
Clarington's snow removal (By-Law 93-144) that regulates the clearing of snow and ice
from sidewalks. This By-Law requires adjacent land owners to clear snow from the
sidewalk across the frontage of their property. In addition, information about the snow
clearing program provided by the Municipality was available at the PIC. The requirement
to clear snow was a concern for many residents because of the large frontages along this
section of Mill Street South.
The residents also re-iterated that the feel and look of Mill Street South be maintained as
much as possible stating that not removing the existing tree canopy was critical.
Some other comments received included:
• Sidewalk was too close to house
• Sidewalk will be too narrow for both pedestrians and cyclists
• Provide a cross walk at Queen Victoria Street
• Provide a stop sign at Boulton Street
• Create a one-way road traffic system for the area
• Construct a roundabout at the Queen Victoria Street and Mill Street intersection
• Consider installing a permeable trail instead of a concrete sidewalk
• Several residents asked that Option 3 — George Manners Route (attachment 6) from
the first PIC be re-considered by the Engineering Department.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-006-16 Page 6
Estimated Cost of Preferred Option
The estimated construction cost for the option on the West side of Mill Street is $430,000.
The benefits of the Mill Street South, West side option are that it is more likely to be used
because it is clearly visible which is of benefit to local users but perhaps even more so to
non-local users who are not as familiar with the area. The sidewalk offers direct access
to the waterfront park, has no road crossings for pedestrians and will offer a more secure
environment in terms of personal safety. The George Manners option is not
recommended simply because it appears likely that pedestrians will still walk along the
edge of Mill Street South and as such will not result in the safety improvements we are
attempting to achieve.
2.0 Speeding on Mill Street South
In response to concerns raised by some residents in the Bond Head area, Engineering
Services undertook a number of speed studies on Mill Street South. Specifically, staff
have recorded speeds in the area eight times since 2006 (the last two studies occurred
over a one week period). Additionally, the Durham Region Police Services (DRPS) Traffic
Liaison Officer has recorded speeds on seven occasions since 2013, and has requested
other DRPS officers to monitor the area. All Studies have shown relatively good
compliance with the posted 50 km/hr speed limit. DRPS has reported that four tickets
have been issued between January 2013 and January 2016.
Staff's observation in all cases was not that there was a speeding problem, an opinion
which is shared by DRPS and by the Municipality's Traffic Watch consultant, but that Mill
Street South is not very conducive to shared use between people who drive their
vehicles, ride their bikes or walk along this road section. As shown in Table 1 below there
are a significant amount of non-vehicular users of Mill Street South and for this reason
staff turned their efforts to investigating opportunities for improvements to the
transportation network in the area that would improve safety for all road users.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-008-16 Page 7
Table 1: June 22, 2014 Miovision Traffic Count
Mill Street South, North of Boulton Street
Time Total (Both Directions)
Car Motorcycle Cyclist Vehicles Pedestrian
7:00 16 0 2 18 3
8:00 38 1 4 43 4
9:00 51 5 14 70 5
10:00 52 6 18 76 6
11:00 79 15 27 121 1
12:00 114 26 20 160 5
13:00 128 19 5 152 6
14:00 120 23 9 152 6
15:00 112 28 4 144 2
16:00 123 19 5 147 0
17:00 86 14 6 106 0
18:00 64 6 5 75 10
19:00 70 5 2 77 5
20:00 54 6 6 66 3
21:00 28 1 0 29 4
22:00 22 2 0 24 0
Totals 1157 176 127 1460 60
3.0 Recommendations
3.1 Bond Head Waterfront Park Expansion
Based on resident feedback from comment sheets and conversations at the PIC it was
clear that the majority of residents prefer to keep Bond Head Waterfront Park as a
passive space for picnicking and quiet enjoyment of the waterfront. Staff therefore
recommend Concept Three which protects the natural greenspace while providing
walkways, benches, a park shelter, picnic tables, additional parking and shoreline erosion
protection.
3.2. Expansion of Parking
The preferred option was to provide additional parking spaces directly along the south
side of Boulton Street in conjunction with additional spaces along the east edge of the
existing parking area.
3.3. Transportation Safety Improvements
Staff recommend a modified version of Option 2, to be constructed in two phases with the
first phase to include the construction of a 1.5 metre wide sidewalk on the west side of
Mill Street South and the second phase to include a road widening of Mill Street South by
2 metres on each side to accommodate bike lanes. Engineering proposes Phase 1 of the
transportation improvements be considered as part of the 2016 Capital Budget.
Municipality of Clarington
Report EGD-008-16 Page 8
4.0 Concurrence
Not Applicable
5.0 Conclusion
The November 12, 2015 Public Information Centre was held to display refined options
and obtain input from residents on proposed improvements to the local transportation
network for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as a future expansion of Bond Head
Waterfront Park. Those improvements are intended to benefit residents of Bond Head
and the broader community.
6.0 Strategic Plan Application
The recommendations contained in this report conform to the Strategic Plan and Councils
initiative to provide waterfront parks.
Submitted by: Reviewed by
Anthony Cannella Franklin Wu,
Director of Engineering Services Chief Administrative Officer
Staff Contacts: Peter Windolf, Karen Richardson
Attachments:
Attachment 1 — Park Concept 1
Attachment 2 — Park Concept 2
Attachment 3 — Park Concept 3
Attachment 4 — Option 1 as presented at the November, 2014 PIC
Attachment 5 — Option 2 as presented at the November, 2014 PIC
Attachment 6 — Option 3 as presented at the November, 2014 PIC
Attachment 7 — The Preferred Option
Attachment 8 - Phase 1 Sidewalk Section Existing Sidewalk to Metcalf Street
Attachment 9 — Phase 1 Sidewalk Section from Metcalf Street to 590 Mill Street
Attachment 10 - Phase 1 Sidewalk Section from 590 Mill Street to 615 Mill Street
Attachment 11 - Phase 1 Sidewalk Section from 615 Mill Street to Bond Head Park
List of interested parties to be notified of Council's decision is on file in the Engineering
Services Department.
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