Appendix C – Agency Consultation McCowan Road Environmental Assessment between Steeles Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive Regional Municipality of York | McCowan Road Environmental Assessment Between Steeles Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive Organization Name Position TRCA Harsimrat Pruthi Planner MNRF Emmanuel Ogunjobi Natural Resources Manager MECP Emilee O’Leary Environmental Planner CN Michael Vallins Public Works Manager MTO Frank Martins Manager MTO Margaret Mikolajczak Senior Project Manager 407ETR Maria Efimova Engineering Technician 407ETR Jeff Booker Manager Metrolinx Anna Krol Project Coordinator City of Toronto Benjamin Morell Assistant Planner City of Toronto Alan Filipuzzi Program Manager City of Markham Mark Siu Senior Capital Works Engineer City of Markham Marija Ilic Manager York Region Edward Chiu Senior Project Manager York Region Jessica Lee Planning and Design Coordinator The following summarizes meetings with individual agencies, stakeholders, property owners/residents, and other interested parties throughout the duration of the McCowan Road Environmental Assessment Study. Key correspondence and meeting minutes are included in this appendix. Records of all correspondence and meetings are documented in the Region’s project file. TRCA • TRCA Meeting #1: September 22, 2017 • TRCA Meeting #2: April 4, 2019 MNRF • MNRF Meeting #1: July 18, 2017 • MNRF Meeting #2: September 19, 2017 • MNRF Meeting #3: June 27, 2018 MECP (formerly MOECC) • MECP Meeting #1: December 11, 2017 • MECP Meeting #2: April 15, 2019 CN • CN Meeting #1: February 15, 2018 • CN Meeting #2: August 20, 2018 • CN Meeting #3: April 4, 2019 Ministry of Ontario (MTO) and 407ETR • 407ETR Design Options Meeting: January 18, 2019 • 407ETR ESR Comments Meeting: September 8, 2020 Metrolinx • Metrolinx GO Transit Meeting #1: August 11, 2017 • Metrolinx GO Transit Meeting #2: July 20, 2018 • Metrolinx GO Transit Meeting #3: April 2, 2019 Regional Municipality of York | McCowan Road Environmental Assessment Between Steeles Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive City of Markham Meetings: • City of Markham Meeting #1: June 1, 2017 • City of Markham Meeting #2: July 24, 2018 • City of Markham Meeting #3: April 2, 2019 • City of Markham Meeting #4: June 17, 2020 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) TAC Meeting #1: June 21, 2017 TAC Meeting #2: September 21, 2017 TAC Meeting #3: July 19, 2018 TAC Meeting #4: April 4, 2019 Stakeholder Group (SHG) SHG Meeting #1: June 21, 2017 SHG Meeting #2: September 21, 2018 SHG Meeting #3: June 14, 2018 SHG Meeting #4: April 24, 2019 TRCA Meeting Minutes McCowan Road Environmental Assessment between Steeles Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive Regional Municipality of York | McCowan Road Environmental Assessment TRCA Meeting #1 – Meeting Minutes Meeting Minutes Project: McCowan Road Environmental Assessment between Steeles Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive Subject: TRCA Meeting #1 Date: Friday, September 22, 2017 Location: TRCA Office, 101 Exchange Avenue Attendees: Edward Chiu (York Region) Tara Erwin (HDR) Jessica Lee (York Region) Michelle Li (HDR) Gerrard Sullivan (York Region) Grant Kauffman (LGL) Scott Smith (TRCA) Katherine Bibby (LGL) Eric Wang (TRCA) Brad Stephens (TRCA) Jamie Milnes (TRCA) Topic Facilitator Action 1 Introduction HDR Information Project Background; this is the first meeting with TRCA to go over Only the McCowan Road Environmental Assessment (EA), the study corridor is from Steeles Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive The project is currently in Phase 2 of the EA progress, York Region has completed the Transportation Master Plan (TMP), and the preferred solution recommended to widen the road to 6-lanes to accommodate transit and HOV, with a right-of-way between 36m to 43m, and a right-of-way of 32.1 m at the Rouge river crossing 2 Environmental LGL Information Multi-session of field investigation was completed during the Only summer, including wildlife, vegetation and tree inventory, fisheries. Noted an Environmental Report that documents the existing findings will be circulated to TRCA for review Noted the project team has confirmed with MNFR that streetscaping planted vegetation will not be treated as protected under ESA 3 Major Watercourse (Rouge River Crossing) HDR/LGL Information As per Fluvial Geomorphic Assessment result, the meander belt Only width is 95 m to 116 m, 100-year erosion limit is 64 m. Preliminary recommendation is to provide a span width of 45 m from Fluvial Geomorphic Assessment. The final recommendation will be provided in the Fluvial Geomorphic Report. Under existing condition, the crossing does not meeting the MTO Highway drainage design criteria. TRCA noted that there are special policy areas upstream to the crossing, and it is most likely caused by flooding. Options of a bridge replacement, road profile adjustment or bridge widening are to be explored. It was acknowledged that the existing bridge span width is 26 m, project team is to come up a preferred recommendation based on best effort approach, with technical justification to support the decision. Regional Municipality of York | McCowan Road Environmental Assessment TRCA Meeting #1 – Meeting Minutes Topic Facilitator Action Hydraulic assessment is to be completed based on 2-year to 100- year storm event, and to evaluate floodplain and backwater condition based on the regional flow. LGL noted that fish habitats were observed within the Rouge River, numbers of bird species and wildlife SAR were also identified in the study area. Rouge River watershed is not identified as a Redside dace regulated watercourse, wetland and environmental significant areas are located downstream of the crossing. TRCA noted that the environmental impact study including territorial study should comply with TRCA Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines issued in Oct 2014. The proposed road cross-section will be a 6-lanes road cross section, and landscaping opportunity may be eliminated at the crossing due to narrow ROW constraints. It was noted that there is a pedestrian bridge located upstream of the crossing, future crossing recommendation should take into the consideration of the pedestrian bridge crossing. 4 Major Watercourse (Robinson Creek Crossing) HDR/LGL Information As per Fluvial Geomorphic Assessment result, the meander belt Only width is 46 m, 100-year erosion limit is 22 m. Preliminary recommendation is to provide a span width of 22 m from fluvial Geomorphic Assessment. The final recommendation will be provided in the Fluvial Geomorphic Report. The physical condition of the culverts are good, the current hydraulic opening is approximately 14 m, and meets the MTO highway drainage design criteria. The existing culvert length is 35 m, options to accommodate roadway widening are to be determined. The proposed road cross-section will be a 6-lanes road cross section, and landscaping opportunity may be eliminated at the crossing due to narrow ROW constraints. LGL noted the channel alignment at the crossing is relatively straight, fish and amphibians habitat were observed within Robinson Creek, numbers of bird species and wildlife SAR were also identified in the study area. The tributary of the Robinson Creek is identified as a Redside Dace regulated watercourse. TRCA noted that City of Markham has a restorative project at the northwest corner of the crossing and at the next downstream crossing near Castlemore, there is some groundwater contributing to the Robinson swamp and also at the location near Sixteenth Avenue. 5 General All Information The first public open house is scheduled to be held on October 4th Only and October 5th. Stakeholders and agencies feedback are being incorporated. Phase one of the EA report has been submitted to TRCA for review. The Draft Natural Heritage Report should cover phase 1 and phase 2 requirements and it will be circulated; it was noted to include Regional Municipality of York | McCowan Road Environmental Assessment TRCA Meeting #1 – Meeting Minutes Topic Facilitator Action fisheries and aquatic information. Fluvial Geomorphic Report will be circulated. An Impact Assessment Report will be prepared by LGL to document the mitigation recommendation at a later stage based on the preferred road alternative. Opportunity for overall benefit to compensate for Redside Dace habitat will be explored. TRCA noted that stormwater management design should consider to provide water quality treatment to remove 80% total suspended solid for the entire road corridor, to provide water quantity control from post condition to pre condition, and to consider best management practices to retain the first 5mm surface runoff from an ecology perspective. TRCA suggested to include stormwater management support calculation on the proposed measures, conceptual design to identify potential low impact development locations Regional Municipality of York | McCowan Road Environmental Assessment Meeting Minutes Meeting Minutes Project: McCowan Road Class Environmental Assessment between Steeles Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive Subject: TRCA Meeting - Alternative Design Review Date: Thursday, April 04, 2019 Location: 101 Exchange Avenue, Vaughan ON L4K 5R6 - Don Room Attendees: Harsimrat Pruthi, TRCA Solmaz Rezaei, York Region Matthew Kuyntjes, TRCA Christopher Rotella, York Region Jamie Milnes, TRCA Tara Erwin, HDR Laleh Farhadi, TRCA Soheil Kashi, HDR Edward Chiu, York Region Michelle Mascarenhas, HDR Gerard Sullivan, York Region Meeting Overview: T.Erwin and M.Mascarenhas presented materials as per attached presentation