Below
is the information from the recent openhouse regarding the Columbia
Road Extention.
Risks
and concerns are noted at the bottom of this webpage.
Below
is the information provided at the public presentation.
Extention
of Columbia Street West from Zurich Drive to the Wilmot Line
The
following notice was taken from the City of Waterloo's website and
is the same information provided to the public in the Waterloo Chronicle,
published November 11, 2009.
Is
this a Class EA Schedule A, B or C? What phase of the Class EA process
is this?
Based
on materials provided to the public there was a lack of clairification
on the EA process. When I asked staff what phase this project was
in, they said it was in STAGE 5 implying a Class EA schedule "C"
process. There was no materials provided to the public at this event
to support this. Had I not asked, I would not have known.
3
I
noticed one sign along the wall behind the others.
Here
is a photograph of the sign showing the need for salt and drought
tolerant species of plants.
NOTE: The road design which shows the access from Zurich, a round
about and the connection of the road to Wilmot Line was not provided
in the hand out given to the public but there was a display board
with this material at the openhouse. I've requested this information
and city staff sent me the following in response:
1) The required Environmental
Study Report (ESR) titled Columbia Street Extension (Erbsville Road
to The Wilmot Line) Class Environmental Assessment and Preliminary
Design Study 1997 was issued in 1997, completed in accordance with
a "Schedule C Class Environmental Assessment". The City
subsequently proceeded to partial construction on Columbia Street
west of Erbsville Road. In 2005, an addendum to the 1997 ESR was issued
modifying the intersection configuration of Columbia Street at the
Wilmot Line from a "T" to a roundabout. The Ministry of
the Environment (MOE) has directed that the ESR and its addendum are
complete and the City can continue to implement the project. As such,
the concept and alignment of the Columbia Street Extension to the
Wilmot Line is complete.
2) The City is in Phase 5 of the Class
Environmental Assessment (Class EA) process, being the "implementation
phase". The City is completing the detailed design of the road,
which will be followed by contract documents and construction of the
road in 2010.
3) You are requesting a copy of the
final road design showing the roundabout area and the connecting road
to the Wilmot Line. The final road design has not yet been completed.
The preliminary design drawings presented at the public information
meeting on 18/Nov/2009 where for information purposes. The public
information meeting was convened for all stakeholders and citizens
who are interested in the design details for the construction of the
road, and in particular, for items such as bike lanes, multi-use trails,
landscaped medians, lighting, sidewalks, curbs, public transit opportunities
and other features. Although the Class EA process does not require
public consultation in Phase 5 of project, the City of Waterloo hosted
the meeting to provide another opportunity to share information with
the community. The City and its engineering consultant will assess
relevant comments received at the public information meeting when
preparing the final road design.
THE
RISKS OF THIS PROPOSAL