Presentation Overview
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Lakeview Waterfront Connection EA Public Information Centre #3 November 20, 2013 Presentation Overview • Summary of Previous EA Consultation (Winter 2012/2013 to May 2013) • LWC Project Alternatives and Draft Evaluation of Alternatives (January 2013) • Evaluation and Selection of the Preferred Alternative (April 2013) • Recent LWC EA Process (May 2013 – Onwards): • Comments on Preferred Alternative • Refinements to Preferred Alternative • Approach to Characterizing Preferred Alternative in EA • Detailed Effects Assessment • Sensitivity Test with Smaller Fill Volumes • Draft EA Submission & Other Next Steps LWC EA Project Goal and Objectives GOAL To create a new natural park that will establish ecological and public linkages on the eastern Mississauga waterfront OBJECTIVES Naturalization – Establish a diverse range of native terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem habitats and ecological linkages in a degraded area of the eastern Mississauga waterfront Access – Create safe and accessible public linkages for access to and along the waterfront while allowing for compatible recreational, educational and cultural heritage opportunities Compatibility – Ensure that the LWC is compatible with existing infrastructure Coordination – Coordinate with and inform other local planning and development efforts Fiscal Viability – Use an innovative funding approach that seeks to maximize public benefit and value by reusing locally generated fill from Regional and City capital works projects to create this new natural park LWC EA ToR Defined Regional Study Area LWC EA ToR Defined Project Study Area LWC Environmental Assessment (EA) (2013 - Ongoing) • EA Notice of Commencement – January 2nd 2013 • Open Houses: • Public Information Centre #1 (January 22nd) - Alternative Designs and Evaluation Criteria (completed) • Public Information Centre #2 (April 3rd) – Preferred Alternative (completed) • Public Information Centre #3 (November 20th) – Present results of Draft EA before submission to MOE • Target date for submission of Draft EA – Late 2013 Preferred Alternative as Presented at the April PIC LWC EA (Since PIC #2) Comments Received Regarding Preferred Alternative • Overwhelmingly positive comments received on selection of Preferred Alternative • Some concerns raised about effects on Marie Curtis Park West: • Impacts on sand beach • Impacts on wind surfers and kite boarders • Possible impacts on water quality • Some concerns raised that residents of the City of Toronto were not adequately consulted to date • In response to comments raised • Team worked to refine the Preferred Alternative to minimize the loss of sand beach • Expanded community consultation efforts LWC EA (Since PIC #2) Expanded Community Consultation • LWC team participated at a number of Community hosted events: • Mississauga Water Festival in Port Credit – June 14 and 15 • Lakeview Ratepayer’s Community Association Meeting – September 14 • Open Doors Mississauga at Small Arms Building – September 28 • LWC team held 7 informal community outreach events in Marie Curtis Park and Lakefront Promenade Park in July and August: 4 events in Marie Curtis Park and 3 in Lakefront Promenade Park • At the invitation of Councillor Grimes (City of Toronto), LWC team participated in August 21 meeting with approximately 10 concerned residents to discuss and seek resolution of outstanding issues • LWC team participated in Open House in City of Toronto, hosted by Councillors Tovey (City of Mississauga) and Grimes on September 17, to seek additional input on refinements to Preferred Alternative WASTE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY Sand / Gravel Beach LWC EA (July 2013) Refined Preferred Alternative (~2M cubic metres) LWC EA: Looking East LWC EA: Looking Down Serson Creek LWC EA: Island Beach Views LWC EA: Looking West From MCPW LWC EA: Looking West From Mouth of Etobicoke Creek Sense of Scale to Other Waterfront Parks LWC EA Input Received During Expanded Consultation • Overwhelmingly strong support for the Refined Preferred Alternative • A few continued requests to minimize, to the extent possible, encroachment of LWC on Marie Curtis Park west beach due to: • Intrinsic value of the beach • Issues of beach walkability • Kiteboarders and windsurfers • Concerns about water quality • A few concerns about traffic, noise and dust during construction • A few concerns about future parking • Some concerns raised about cost LWC EA Final Refinements to the Preferred Alternative • Over the summer, Region of Peel revised their fill projection estimates to a number closer to 1.5 million cubic metres • Based on revised fill projection estimates and the continuing concerns about encroachment onto the beach of Marie Curtis Park west, there was a desire to create flexibility such that the attributes of the Preferred Alternative could be provided with a lower fill volume and a smaller footprint • Therefore, a “lower fill volume condition” of 1.5M cubic metres was developed to establish a lower end range of fill volumes along with the previously identified “upper fill volume condition” of 2.0M cubic metres for the Preferred Alternative SAND / GRAVEL BEACH WASTE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY LWC EA (September 2013) Lower Limit of Preferred Alternative (~1.5M m3) LWC Construction Access Routes • Five alternative access routes through the Arsenal lands were assessed • All potential routes had effects but the best option (Route 2) was selected • Due to the tunnel shaft for Hanlan Feeder Main Project, an alternate entrance to the east will be used for the first year of construction LWC Trail Closure Mitigation • Realign trail along south side of Lakeshore Road to entrance of Marie Curtis Park west - • When possible, open existing Waterfront Trail section during evenings and weekends (when construction closed) - • Temporary pedestrian construction viewing access path will be considered along south side of GE Booth WWTF. This would be an informal trail the width of a mower or narrower, non-connecting path - LWC Construction Phasing • Construction to be phased over 7-10 years dependent on fill availability and funding • Between 4 and 6 construction cells are anticipated: first cell constructed at north end working south • Outer berm (tied to shoreline) established for each cell for truck access and to confine fill operations • Fish capture and relocation will be implemented prior to any filling activity • Clean fill will arrive along the access road and be placed within the containment cell • Depending on the fill schedule, filling and grading activity in one cell could be concurrent with berm construction for the next cell LWC Generalized Construction Phasing • Upon completion of final cell, grading for creek and wetland features and park will commence • Park creation will include seeding and planting of natural features, construction of Waterfront Trail and secondary trails, signage, etc. LWC Detail Assessment of Preferred Alternative • EA provides a description of the Preferred Alternative and how it will be constructed • Same shoreline design, and habitat targets, functions and assumptions for fill volumes between 1.5 million and 2.0 million m3 of fill • Footprint on and off shore varies with amount of fill used • Ultimate volume of fill used and footprint will be no greater than the 2.0 million cubic metre footprint • Effects assessment done for largest footprint and sensitivity tested using smallest footprint • Effects assessment looks at the construction and establishment/post- establishment phases separately LWC Naturalization Effects • Summary for Naturalization • Negative effects; loss and disruption of existing low quality habitat, are primarily confined to construction phase. • Positive effects relating to the creation of new aquatic, terrestrial and wetland habitat and a more diverse shoreline occur during establishment phase • Overall, the Preferred Alternative results in net gains in aquatic, terrestrial and wetland habitat quality and diversity created. • The Preferred alternative meets the Naturalization objective LWC Naturalization Effects • Loss or alteration of 39 ha of open coast aquatic habitat is offset by: • Creation of 33 ha of terrestrial habitat including meadow, beach, forest, wetland, treed swamp and rocky island and approximately 6 ha of altered open coast aquatic habitat • Increase in the irregularity and diversity of shoreline types • Increase in aquatic habitat in both Serson and Applewood Creeks including better connections with Lake Ontario and incorporation of habitat features • Allowing fish migration into Serson Creek from Lake Ontario for first time in decades LWC Access Effects • Summary for Access • Negative effects are related to temporary relocation of Waterfront trail and nuisance effects during construction. • The Preferred Alternative creates public linkages that will reconnect the Waterfront Trail to the water’s edge and facilitate compatible passive recreational use of the new park. • The Preferred Alternative meets the Access objective for the LWC Project Access Effects • During construction, 770 m of the Waterfront Trail will be closed and re- routed along Lakeshore Road. May be opened to public during evenings and weekends. • Informal temporary trail will be established along the existing shoreline to permit limited viewing of the construction site. • New Waterfront Trail along the water’s edge will provide enhanced views and waterfront access • New cobble beaches and wetland areas greatly increases public access to the water’s edge. • Some nuisance effects may be experienced by Marie