APPENDIXI OF REPORTDPW.98.35 .,, :1r.. ,ji : : I t: .' . " TOWNOF GEORGINA REPORTDPW-98.35 FORCONSIDERATION OF COUNCIL JULY13, 1998 SUBJECT: HIGHWAY404 EXTENSION INFORMATION REPORT RECOMMENDATION: ' THATREPORT DPW.98-35 BE RECEIVEDFOR INFORMATION. REPORT: Councilpassed the following motion at its meetingof June1 , 1998. THATCORRESPONDENCE FROM DR. A. FRIESNERRESPECTING THE RECONSIDERATIONMOTION REGARDING THE PROPOSED HIGHWAY 404 EXTENSIONBE RECEIVEDAND REFERREDTO THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVEOFFICER TO CONVERSEWITH THE MINISTRIES INVOLVED,REGION OF YORKAND TOWN STAFF TO SOLICITTHEIR COMMENTSIN REFERENCE TO THEPUBLIC SUBMISSIONS MADE AT THETWO PUBLIC MEETINGS, AS WELL AS. A LISTINGOF THE FORMER RESOLUTIONSPASSED BY COUNCIL ON THIS MATTER, IN ORDER TO PREPAREAN INFORMATIONREPORT FOR COUNCIL ON JULY 13. 1998. Thefollowing information is appendedfor counci|sinformation: Appendix | - Minutesof the CouncilMeeting of April21 andMay 25, 1998wherein Mr. Jacobs,Projecl Manager for the Ministryof Transportation,has insertedthe Ministry's responseto the issuesraised. The responsesare shownin a ditferentfont and alsohave beenhighlighted by a barin the right-handmargin. Also included are written comments receivedfrom the publicarising out of thesetwo meetings. Appendlxll - Responsefrom the RegionalMunicipality of Yorkto pertinentissues arising fromthe Councilminutes and written submissions as theyapply to Regionaljurisdiction. .....t2 PageTwo of ReportDpW-gB-3S Appendlx lll - Responsesdated May 29, 1998and June 29, 1998from the Directorof DevelopmentServices to issuesthat apply to the Town. Appendixlv - staff ReportsTE-89-10, TE-90-09, Dpw-95-g0, DpW-97-1 T, Dpw-g7-7z and DS96-26which discussHighway 404 relatedmatters and the resultingCouncil resolutions. Appendix V - copies of all previousCouncil resolutionsregarding the Highway 404 extension. We have obtainedclarification from the mover 'conversing' of the aboveresotution and have been advisedthat the referredto in the resolutionshould occur if the Ministry's responsesdid notadequately address the issues.lt is thewriteds opinion that the Ministry's respons€saddress the issuesfully, particularly the Ravenshoecorridor issue. Respeclfullysubmitted, Recommendedby: kn"ra c4{ S. N.Armstrong, C.G.A., A.M.C.T. TownEngineer ChiefAdministrative Officer RTM/sed 1998.07.06 Attachments TOWNOF GEORGINA SPECIALCOUNCIL MINUTES April29,1998 (7:40p.m.) A SpecialCouncil meeting was heldto dealwith the followingmatter: ProposedHighway 404 Extension through Georgina 1. MOMENTOFMEDITATION: A momentof meditationwas observed. 2. ROLLCALL: The Clerkgave the rollcall and the followingmembers of Councilwere MayorGrossi Regional CouncillorWheeler CouncillorJamieson Councillor McClatchie CouncillorHackenbrook CouncillorHastings 3. DISCLOSUREOFPECUNIARYINTEREST: None. 4. PRESENTATIONS: 4.1 PaulMay, Director, Planning and Approvals, Transportation and WorksDepartment, Regional Municipality of York,regarding status of the regionalRoad system within the areaof the proposed highway. Mr.Paul May of the Regionof YorkTransportation and Works Department was in attendanceand using an overheadprojector, showed the audience a mapof YorkRegion and the proposedextension'of Highway 404 and notedthat both Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue have direct impacts on the extension.He statedthat the extensionwould assist the existing anddeveloping communities. Mr.May stated that Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue are both operatingat closeto theircapacity. He notedthat the volumesof traffic overthe pastfive years have remained stable with 1800 vehicles per hour travellingsouth out of Georginain the morninghours and the amount increasingto 2600vehicles south of DavisDrive. 4. PRESENTATIONScont'd: He notedthat the majorityof Georginaresidents travel south to their placesof employment. Mr.May indicated that north of DavisDrive, there were 19,000 vehicles travellingin 1986,compared to 37,000in 1997,a ninetypercent increase in trafficvolume in elevenyears. He statedthat Georgina is pro.lectedto growfrom its current 35,000 population to 65,000by 2021,and East Gwiflimburyfrom it's current 20,000 population to 60,000in 2021. Likewise,the traffic volume is expectedto increaseseventy percent within the nextfifteen years and three times its current volume in twenty-five years. Mr.May stated that the Regionof York'ssolutions to the expectedtraffic problemincluded widening Leslie Street and Woodbine Avenue to four lanesfor the shortterm, but Highway404 would still be requiredto be extendedand once extended, the traffic using Leslie and Woodbine would divertto Highway404, creating excess capacity on Leslieand Woodbine. Mr.May stated that the Regionsuggests extending Highway 404 first as a two-lanearterial road for the shortterm and widening it to fourlanes in the longterm by phases.lmprovements are planned for Woodbine Avenue andLeslie Street at the sametime. Mr.May stated that the Regionof Yorksupports the earlyHighway 404 constructionnorth to RavenshoeRoad and the sharedimplementation of the extensionwith the Province. 4.2 JuliaMunro, M.P.P., Durham-York, presenting the Provincial Government'sposition, background, status and future actions for the Highway404 project. Ms.Julia Munro, local M.P.P., stated that the Ministryof Transportation hasconcluded its studiesand hasrequested and recommendedthat the extensionof Highway404 go throughGeorgina to accommodate commutersand recreationaltraffic throughout the Regionof York.. Ms.Munro reviewed the processat thistime, stating that the process commencedin 1993to extendHighway 404 north,beyond Davis Drive. The proposalwas reviewedwith the publicin 1996and a finalreview was conductedin 1997.The Ministry submitted its final Environmental Assessmentstudy to the Ministryof the Environmentin 1997and the final decisioncould take ten to twelvemonths from the Ministry.Property acquisitionwill only be commencedfollowing final approval of the extension. 4. PRESENTATIONScont'd: Ms.Munro stated that under the EnvironmentalAssessment Act, the Ministryof Transportationmust demonstrate the purposefor the proposal, anyand all alternativesto the proposal,and any impactsto the environment,properties, etc. Mrs.Munro indicated that Mr. Steve Jacobs of the Ministryof Transportationwas in attendanceto answerany questionsregarding a technicallypreferred route. 5. DEPUTATIONS: 5.1 PaulNicholls, Pefferlaw Association of Ratepayers Mr.Paul Nicholls, President of the PefferlawAssociation of Ratepayers, statedthat the associationhas been against the northernroute from the outsetand notedthat the majorityof the Pefferlawresidents are also opposedto the proposal. Mr.Nicholls stated that PAR believes the outcomeof the Ministryof Transportationstudy was predetermined.He notedthat the historical, environmental,social and economic impacts on the areaare great and havenot beenconsidered. He alsonoted that there has been a lackof fulland proper public meetings and the Ministryis mistakenif theythink thepublic is in agreementwith the proposal. Theprocesswasnotpredetermined.nordiditlackpublicparticipation. The numerous opportunities for consultation resulted in a number of changesand refinements. Thesechanges were primarily focused on improvements to the location of corridors and routes. Study Area The study areapresented at the first seriesof public consultation sessionswas developedto addressthe problem of a road transportationinefficiency brought about by the absenceof a direct and efficient route acrossnorthern York and Durham Regions . In addition to updatedtraffic forecastswhich indicated changesto the proposedstudy area limits were necessaryto addressfuture travel needs,comments on the proposedstudy areawere also received at the consultation sessions. The study areawas revised to allow generationof alternative methodswhich would better addresstransportation problems in this area. Corridor Opportunities The corridors were first presentedat the secondseries of public consultation sessionsand at the first setof workshops. As a result of commentsreceived at theseconsultation events,and the gathering of additional study area information, a total of 13 corridor refinementswere suggested.These refinements generally expandedthe areasidentified as being suitable for route generation. All of these refinementswere implemented. Route Alternatives Route alternativeswere presentedto the public at the third set of public consultationsessions and the secondset of workshops. A few individuals noted concemswith the level of detail proposedto assessthe natural environment impacts for route alternatives. The Project Team had a similar concern, primarily relatedto the lack of consistentlevel of detail provided by secondarysources on natural environment featuresthroughout the study area. A more detailed field investigation program was developedto addressthis consistencyconcem and improve the level of detail of datacollected. In total, 13 route refinementswere suggestedto reducethe impactsassociated with the route alternatives.Following theseconsultation events the project team assessedthe merits of eachof theserefinements. The refinementswere assessed basedon the designobjectives used to generatealternatives. Eleven of the suggestedrefinements were implemented. Route Analysis and Evaluation The evaluation criteria proposedby the Project Team was available for public review at the first, secondand third public consultation sessions. Evaluation criteria were also presentedat the secondset of workshops. Refinements to the Technically Preferred Route The technically