Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas
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GO Rail Network Electrification Project Final Environmental Project Report Addendum APPENDIX C2: Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Table Union5-1 Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto For [INSERT DISCIPLINE] BASELINE CONDITIONS REPORT Prepared by: AS I Reviewed by: Gannett Fleming Project No. 060277 Metrolinx Electrification Project Contract No. QBS-2014-IEP-002 Prepared By: Morrison Hershfield 2/3/21 i | P a g e Submittal Date: February 2021 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto METROLINX GO RAIL NETWORK ELECTRIFICATION Quality Assurance Document Release Form Name of Firm: Archaeological Services Inc. (ASI) Document Name: Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto Submittal Date: February 3, 2021 Discipline: Task 18 – RCUS TPAP Prepared By: Lindsay Graves Date: January 21, 2021 Reviewed By: Amber Saltarelli Date: January 29, 2021 Approved By: Andrew Gillespie Date: February 3, 2021 Project Manager The above electronic signatures indicate that the named document is controlled by ASI, and has been: 1. Prepared by qualified staff in accordance with generally accepted professional practice. 2. Checked for completeness and accuracy by the appointed discipline reviewers and that the discipline reviewers did not perform the original work. 3. Reviewed and resolved compatibility interfaces and potential conflicts among the involved disciplines. 4. Updated to address previously agreed-to reviewer comments, including any remaining comments from previous internal or external reviews. 5. Reviewed for conformance to scope and other statutory and regulatory requirements. 6. Determined suitable for submittal by the Project Manager. GO Rail Network Electrification Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto REVISION HISTORY Revision Date Comments 00 August 12, 2020 Revised Submission to Metrolinx. 01 February 3, 2021 Final Submission to Metrolinx. GO Rail Network Electrification Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment USRC Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto Executive Summary ASI was contracted by Gannett Fleming Canada ULC, on behalf of Metrolinx, to conduct a Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment (hereafter CHR) of the Union Station Rail Corridor (USRC) Hydro One (HONI) Conflict Areas Study Area (Project Study Area). As part of the Metrolinx Electrification Program, Metrolinx is working with HONI to define the areas in the vicinity of Metrolinx rail corridors where proposed electrification infrastructure will conflict with existing HONI Infrastructure (i.e., HONI transmission lines) and to establish Environmental Assessment (EA) requirements that may need to be fulfilled in relation to the identified conflict areas. With respect to the Metrolinx USRC, there is existing HONI infrastructure in conflict with the proposed electrification infrastructure between approximately USRC Mile 0.72E to 1.72E (City of Toronto) which will therefore need to be installed/relocated in order to mitigate the conflicts. The Project Study Area (Figure 1-1) includes the following properties with a 50 metre buffer: • Lower Sherbourne Street Bridge (Subway); • Parliament Street Bridge (Subway); • Cherry Street Bridge (Subway); • Esplanade Transformer Station; • Don Fleet JCT (including new and existing sites adjacent to Lower Don Trail); and • Portion of the Corktown Commons, where future steel monopole is proposed that will be studies under a separate addendum. The purpose of this report is to present an inventory of all known or potential built heritage resources (BHRs) and cultural heritage landscapes (CHLs), identify existing conditions of the Project Study Area, provide a preliminary impact assessment, and propose appropriate mitigation measures. This CHR follows guidelines presented in the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries (MHSTCI) Sample Tables and Language for “Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment” and Environmental Project Reports (EPR) under Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) for Proponents and their Consultants (MHSTCI 2019). The results of background historic research, background document review, and field review revealed a study area with an urban land use history dating back to the early nineteenth century. A total of five BHRs and two CHLs were identified in the Project Study Area, which includes three provincial heritage properties (PHP)s, one provincial heritage property of provincial significance (PHPPS), one potential BHR, one National Historic Site/Proposed Heritage Conservation District, and one potential CHL. Direct impacts to the three PHPs have been identified: Lower Sherbourne Street Subway, Parliament Street Subway and Cherry Street Subway (BHR 1, BHR 2 and BHR 3). Indirect impacts have been identified to the three PHPs (BHR 1, BHR 2 and BHR 3) and the Cherry Street Tower, a PHPPS (BHR 4). No direct or indirect impacts to the Eastern Avenue Bridge (BHR 5), Distillery District National Historic Site/Proposed Heritage Conservation District (CHL 1), or Don River Heritage Plaques and Bridge Abutment Remnants (CHL 2) have been identified. Based on the results of the CHR, the following recommendations have been developed: Prepared By: ASI 2/3/21 iv | Page Rev. 01 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto 1. Selection of construction staging and laydown areas will follow Metrolinx’s selection procedures which include avoiding heritage attributes wherever possible or effectively mitigating impacts where not possible. 2. Direct impacts to the Lower Sherbourne Street Subway, Parliament Street Subway and Cherry Street Subway (BHR 1, BHR 2 and BHR 3), all PHPs, are anticipated as a result of a proposed utility bridge adjacent to the south elevation of each bridge. A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) (ASI, in progress) for each bridge is recommended to determine appropriate site-specific mitigation measures. a. The HIAs must be prepared in accordance with MHSTCI Information Bulletin No. 3: Heritage Impact Assessments for Provincial Heritage Properties (2017) to identify alternatives and mitigation and monitoring commitments to avoid or lessen impacts on the Cultural Heritage Value and heritage attributes of the PHP, based on the PHP’s Statement of Cultural Heritage Value (SCHV). b. HIAs will be conducted during the TPAP and updated during detailed design as appropriate should designs change, and the recommendations of these HIAs will be followed and adhered to by the Contractor during subsequent design stages and construction. 3. Indirect impacts to the heritage attributes of the following PHPs and PHPPS are possible due to installation of new/modified infrastructure: Lower Sherbourne Street Subway, Parliament Street Subway, Cherry Street Subway (BHR 1, BHR 2 and BHR 3) and the Cherry Street Tower (BHR 4). The following mitigation measures will be adhered to: a. To ensure these properties are not adversely impacted during construction, baseline vibration monitoring should be undertaken in advance of construction. Should this advance monitoring assessment conclude that the structures on these properties will be subject to vibration impacts: i. Preferred Option: Plan construction activities to avoid adverse vibration impacts. ii. Alternative Option: Prior to construction, if it is found that there is potential adverse impacts as a result of the vibration zone of influence, a qualified engineer should include impacted properties in the condition assessment of structures within the vibration zone of influence. Further, Metrolinx must make a commitment to repair any damages caused by vibrations. b. The area should be monitored for vibration impacts during construction, and immediately cease work if acceptable vibration thresholds are exceeded until the above has been undertaken. 4. During design, the recommendations of all HIAs and this CHR will be followed and adhered to during design and construction, including but not limited to strategies to protect heritage attributes. 5. Should additional HONI Conflicts within the USRC be identified that were not considered as part of this report (or other Metrolinx studies), then the conflicts will be assessed by a qualified cultural heritage professional, documented and submitted to the MHSTCI for review. The exact documentation to be submitted to the MHSTCI will Prepared By: ASI 2/3/21 v | Page Rev. 01 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Cultural Heritage Report: Existing Conditions and Preliminary Impact Assessment Union Station Rail Corridor Hydro One Conflict Areas, Toronto depend on the nature of the conflict, its location within the USRC and any previous reports prepared. 6. This report should be submitted by the proponent to heritage staff at the City of Toronto, the MHSTCI, and any other relevant stakeholder with an interest in this project for review and comment.