Mountain Park Avenue Bridge Municipal Class Environmental Assessment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MOUNTAIN PARK AVENUE BRIDGE MUNICIPAL CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT November 2012 City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. STUDY INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and Purpose .......................................................................... 1 1.2 Study Area ................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Class EA Process ...................................................................................... 3 2. PHASE 1, “PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION” ................................ 5 3. EXISTING CONDITIONS ..................................................................................... 7 3.1 Existing Land Uses .................................................................................... 7 3.2 Transportation System ............................................................................... 8 3.3 Natural Environment .................................................................................. 9 3.4 Cultural Heritage ...................................................................................... 12 3.5 Archaeology ............................................................................................. 14 4. PHASE 2 ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS ............................................................. 14 4.1 Alternative Solutions ................................................................................ 14 4.2 Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................... 15 4.3 Recommended Alternative ....................................................................... 21 5. PUBLIC & AGENCY CONSULTATION .............................................................. 21 5.1 Study Contact List .................................................................................... 21 5.2 Project Website ........................................................................................ 22 5.3. Notice of Study Commencement ............................................................. 22 5.4 Interim Report .......................................................................................... 23 5.5 First Nations Engagement ....................................................................... 25 5.6 Notice of Completion................................................................................ 27 6. IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................ 27 7. PROJECT SCHEDULE ...................................................................................... 33 Dillon Consulting Limited – November 2012 – 12-6835 Page i City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Species Observed ........................................................................................... 11 Table 2: Historic Species At Risk Occurrences ............................................................. 12 Table 3: Classification of Heritage Bridges .................................................................... 13 Table 4: Evaluation of Alternatives ................................................................................ 17 Table 5: Notice of Study Commencement Comments................................................... 22 Table 6: Summary of Interim Report Comments ........................................................... 23 Table 7: Summary of First Nations Comments .............................................................. 26 Table 8: Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Measures ................................................ 29 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Study Area ....................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process ...................................... 4 Figure 3: Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Existing Condition .................... follows page 6 Figure 4: Vegetation Removal Area ......................................................... follows page 32 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Public and Agency Consultation Appendix B: First Nations Consultation Appendix C: Natural Environment Existing Conditions Review Appendix D: Overview of Codes for the Conservation Status of Species Appendix E: Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report Dillon Consulting Limited – November 2012 – 12-6835 Page ii City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) 1. STUDY INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Purpose The Mountain Park Avenue Bridge is a single span girder structure which carries pedestrian and vehicular traffic over the Sherman Cut access road in the City of Hamilton (Figure 1). Mountain Park Avenue is classified as a local road roadway in the City of Hamilton Urban Official Plan (Approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on March 16, 2011). The plan is currently being appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. The original bridge was built in 1930 and was called the Mountain Park Avenue Bridge over Mountain Boulevard. Multi-use pathways connect to the existing sidewalks on the structure from the adjacent Mountain Drive Park. The Juravinski Cancer Centre (Hamilton Health Sciences Centre) is adjacent to the west side of the structure and utilizes Mountain Park Avenue as an emergency service route for ambulance Looking south from the bridge, at the Sherman Cut exit. Inspections of the bridge were completed in September 2011 and July 2012 and identified a number of deficiencies with the current structure. The 2012 Inspection Report, completed by AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, recommends the bridge be replaced within five years. If it is not replaced, the report includes an extensive list of repairs required within five years. Additional details on the existing Looking west at bridge from Mountain condition of the bridge are included in Section 2 Park Avenue of this report. Based on the age of the structure and deficiencies observed in 2011 and 2012, the City of Hamilton retained Dillon Consulting Limited to complete a Schedule B Class Dillon Consulting Limited – November 2012 – 12-6835 Page 1 City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess alternatives for the replacement of the existing structure. This Project File Report documents the Class Environmental Assessment process completed for this study. Following detail design of the new bridge and the receipt of all required approvals, construction is currently scheduled for 2013. 1.2 Study Area As shown on Figure 1, the Study Area for the Class EA is located in the City of Hamilton and bordered by the edge of the Niagara Escarpment on the north, Upper Sherman Avenue on the east, Concession Street to the South and the Juravinski Cancer Centre (Hamilton Health Sciences) to the west. Figure 1: Study Area Dillon Consulting Limited – November 2012 – 12-6835 Page 2 City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) 1.3 Class EA Process Municipal infrastructure projects must meet the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Assessment (EA) Act. The Municipal Class EA (October 2000, as amended in 2007 and 2011) applies to a group or “class” of municipal water, wastewater and roads projects which occur frequently and have relatively minor and predictable impacts. These projects are approved under the EA Act, as long as they are planned, designed and constructed according to the requirements of the Class EA document. The specific requirements of the Class EA for a particular project depend on the type of project, its complexity and the significance of environmental impacts. Three categories of projects are identified in the document, including Schedule A, B and C projects. The replacement of the Mountain Park Avenue Bridge is classified as a Schedule B project. Schedule B projects follow Phases 1 and 2 of the Class EA process (Figure 2): Phase 1 of the Class EA process consists of “Problem/Opportunity Identification” Phase 2 consists of the development and Looking west at existing bridge evaluation of “Alternative Solutions.” Phases 1 railing. and 2 of the project are documented in Sections 2 and 4 of this report. Phase 2 includes an impact assessment of the recommended design of the new bridge, including measures to avoid/mitigate any adverse impacts and documentation of the Class EA process in a Project File. Dillon Consulting Limited – November 2012 – 12-6835 Page 3 City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) Figure 2: Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process Dillon Consulting Limited – November 2012 – 12-6835 Page 4 City of Hamilton Mountain Park Avenue Bridge – Class Environmental Assessment (Project File Report) 2. PHASE 1, “PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION” The Mountain Park Avenue Structure was originally built in 1930. The structure has a total deck length of 19.05 m, a span of 18.10 m and an overall width of 13.14 m. It is supported by four I-beam/girders, concrete abutments and wingwalls. The bridge supports one lane of traffic in each direction and includes sidewalks on each side. The multi-use pathway on the north side of Mountain Park Avenue, along the top of the escarpment,