Summary Notes from RHA meeting August 15, 2022:
Here are the notes from the RHA meeting with city planners to answer questions and concerns, after our residents expressed their disappointment with the postponement of the reconstruction of Rathburn and Ponytrail at the AGM in May.
Introduction:
Capital Works Delivery gave a brief overview of the status of the project schedule:
WSP provided a status update on the design:
Questions and discussion
Question #1
Potential Cost Increases from the Date of Project Estimate to the Date of the Contract Award and Completion
a) In what year was the estimate for the project budget made in? Not what year the project was approved.
b) Is the City ready willing and able to approve additional funds to top up the project’s current approved budget due to inflation and other increases due to supply chain?
c) Or, is it the staff’s plan to reduce the project design, quality and scope or “value engineer” the project to match the capital project budget funds that were developed in years past?
Context
This is a critical issue since the budget was likely developed, submitted and then went into the following year’s capital budget for approval by Council. Several years have likely passed since it was originally developed.
Good budget principles and industry practices would include contingencies for both unforeseen items during construction as well as contingencies for construction escalations costs to reflect the point in time when the budget was developed to the point of contract award. In municipal government that is likely 18 months. But it is unlikely that unforeseen events such as the impact of covid has had on timeline delays, office closures and supply chain material cost increases in 2020, 2021, 2022 would have been anticipated. Costs have significantly increased.
In addition to the inflation costs to date as noted above there are cost increases going forward, if the contract for the construction takes an additional year or more to be awarded, or, if it has been already been awarded but there is a delay in the start of ground breaking until 2023 the cost will increase.
Response and Discussion
The Medians / Islands Final Design
a) Will the large medians be designed with trees and vegetation to help with climate change and extreme storms as well as enhance the prominence of that section of Ponytrail and Rathburn as the gateway into the City centre and enhance the neighbourhood?
Context
There are articles published on the importance of native ground cover, shrubs, trees and other landscaping elements to accommodate future climate change and extreme weather. Over the last several years the run off following extreme rain downpours are becoming more frequent. Landscapes can be designed to require less maintenance and no irrigation through xeriscaping. Trees not only remove greenhouse gas but will aid in rain water run off over land which is a reality in this area. This area is in a flood zone as reflected in our insurance premiums. These medians could serve as secondary water swales.
Equally important is the fact that the Region collects for the City a stormwater charge on residence water bills that is calculated based on the amount of hard surface on their property. The City should lead by example.
In addition, this section of Ponytrail and Rathburn is a vital route and gateway to the City centre along Rathburn from those coming from Toronto. This is reflected in the 4 lanes of roadway and the large distinctive medians that mark you are entering Mississauga and are no longer in Etobicoke.
Response
Project Status Updates
a) Will the City assign the appropriate staff to create a dedicated web site and a group email address with all of the names of the Rockwood Homeowners Association members as well as anyone else in the neighbourhood who wishes to be added or sign up at any time to address these issues, other questions and obtain on-going updates on the project?
Context
We require the current schedule showing a timeline of the critical path and all upcoming milestones and provide regular updates going forward.
Despite all efforts and good intentions made to date, the reality is the project implementation has not been very transparent and open process. There are thousands of residents in the immediate area who are directly affected and have no idea what is going on.
Response
Noise Wall Update
a. Who is in charge? (changed from Transportation and Works to Reality Services)
b. Status update re: detailed design
c. Differences from preliminary design: Trees, location, style, easement vs acquisition, other
d. Request (again) to coordinate with all area PCCs, rather than individually
Response
Discussion
Additional Questions / Comments
Introduction:
Capital Works Delivery gave a brief overview of the status of the project schedule:
- Final Preliminary Design Report Submission – February 11, 2022
- Request For Proposal Issuance – February 28, 2022
- Detailed Design Consultant Contract Commencement – May 2022
- Initiate Field Investigations / Detailed Design – Spring/Summer 2022
- Permits and Approvals Initiation – Summer/Fall 2022
- Initiate Utility Relocations – Fall/Winter 2022 (Tentative)
- Property Acquisitions – Winter/Spring 2023
- Tender Ready – Spring 2023
- Construction Commencement – Summer 2023
WSP provided a status update on the design:
- Currently working through the site investigations (Foundations, Geotechnical, Hydrogeology, and Soil Management).
- Noted that the design is currently two weeks behind due to utility locate delays. Utility locates are required to complete the borehole drilling. This is a current industry wide issue not just on this project.
- Confirming the Design Criteria prepared as part of the detailed design
- Initiated background information gathering for drainage design
- Determining noise wall location
- Initiating Tree Assessment Investigation
- Utility location confirmation
- Initiating civil design work
Questions and discussion
Question #1
Potential Cost Increases from the Date of Project Estimate to the Date of the Contract Award and Completion
a) In what year was the estimate for the project budget made in? Not what year the project was approved.
b) Is the City ready willing and able to approve additional funds to top up the project’s current approved budget due to inflation and other increases due to supply chain?
c) Or, is it the staff’s plan to reduce the project design, quality and scope or “value engineer” the project to match the capital project budget funds that were developed in years past?
Context
This is a critical issue since the budget was likely developed, submitted and then went into the following year’s capital budget for approval by Council. Several years have likely passed since it was originally developed.
Good budget principles and industry practices would include contingencies for both unforeseen items during construction as well as contingencies for construction escalations costs to reflect the point in time when the budget was developed to the point of contract award. In municipal government that is likely 18 months. But it is unlikely that unforeseen events such as the impact of covid has had on timeline delays, office closures and supply chain material cost increases in 2020, 2021, 2022 would have been anticipated. Costs have significantly increased.
In addition to the inflation costs to date as noted above there are cost increases going forward, if the contract for the construction takes an additional year or more to be awarded, or, if it has been already been awarded but there is a delay in the start of ground breaking until 2023 the cost will increase.
Response and Discussion
- Transportation Projects stated that every year the City completes a budget review to prepare a business plan and budget for the following year. This is a dynamic process in which estimated project costs are updated on a yearly basis as more detailed information becomes available. In the case of the Rathburn Road Integrated Road Project an original high level budget estimate was developed at the pre-planning stage (2019) and this budget estimate has been further refined as part of the preliminary design stage (2022). Currently the anticipated overall budget is $12M to $14M. Post Meeting Note – Transportation Projects has confirmed that the current budget for the project is approximately $15M and this includes for detailed design and construction fees and contingencies.
- Transportation Projects noted that cost estimates are updated as the project progresses (i.e. 60%, 90% and 100%). Contingencies are included in cost estimates for unforeseen circumstances.
- Capital Works Delivery stated that the actual construction costs will be confirmed once the tendering process is completed and the bids are received.
- Transportation Projects stated that should the future updated project estimates come in higher than expected and exceed the approved budget, staff will take the appropriate steps to seek approval from Council for additional funding.
The Medians / Islands Final Design
a) Will the large medians be designed with trees and vegetation to help with climate change and extreme storms as well as enhance the prominence of that section of Ponytrail and Rathburn as the gateway into the City centre and enhance the neighbourhood?
Context
There are articles published on the importance of native ground cover, shrubs, trees and other landscaping elements to accommodate future climate change and extreme weather. Over the last several years the run off following extreme rain downpours are becoming more frequent. Landscapes can be designed to require less maintenance and no irrigation through xeriscaping. Trees not only remove greenhouse gas but will aid in rain water run off over land which is a reality in this area. This area is in a flood zone as reflected in our insurance premiums. These medians could serve as secondary water swales.
Equally important is the fact that the Region collects for the City a stormwater charge on residence water bills that is calculated based on the amount of hard surface on their property. The City should lead by example.
In addition, this section of Ponytrail and Rathburn is a vital route and gateway to the City centre along Rathburn from those coming from Toronto. This is reflected in the 4 lanes of roadway and the large distinctive medians that mark you are entering Mississauga and are no longer in Etobicoke.
Response
- Forestry stated that the existing larger medians have been reduced substantially to allow for the installation of the cycle tracks on both sides of the road between Dixie Road and Burnhamthorpe Road.
- Forestry noted that the smaller medians cannot sustain grass or plantings.
- Forestry stated that the City requires the minimum width for sodded medians to be 2.0m wide. This is due to mower size – maintenance crews cannot mow the median with their standard mowers if less than 2.0m. They would need to weedwack instead, which poses a hazard to passing vehicles (flying rocks, etc.).
- Forestry noted that where width permits, the preliminary plan proposes sod (i.e near ORT 11, Rathburn/Ponytrail intersection and between Tapestry Trail and Maple Ridge Dr).
- Forestry noted that for a planted medians (ie. shrubs or soft planting), the City requires a minimum 3.5m wide median curb-to-curb. This includes a 1.5m wide area for splash pads (0.75m on each side of the medians) and a 2.0m wide area for planting. Splash pads are required for maintenance crew safety and to reduce the amount of damage caused by winter snow removal operations.
- Forestry noted that there is little financial or environmental benefit to planting trees in a location where they are unlikely to survive; in fact, they may not even live long enough to offset their own carbon footprint, reduce stormwater runoff or reduce temperatures. (Approximately 6 years).
- Forestry stated that planted medians will never be weed-free. When maintenance crews do go out to maintain planting (requiring leaning into planters), closure of one lane is required for safety which may result in traffic disruptions.
- WSP stated that medians are not adequate for LIDs or water swales on this project since they are at the high point in the road cross section and water flows away from them. LID features are being proposed on the boulevards at specific locations to reduce the stormwater runoff.
- One of the attendants noted that other sections of Rathburn Road have planted medians and questioned why that cannot be implemented in this particular neighbourhood.
- Forestry stated that these trees are not healthy and the City has been struggling to keep them alive.
- One of the attendants noted that there must be something other than concrete that can be used, including green solutions and permeable material.
- Capital Works Delivery stated that the City will continue to look into all options for median treatment.
- One of the attendants noted that it should not be a big problem to have a lane closed once in a while to maintain medians.
- Forestry noted that the City will undertake the maintenance required where median planting is feasible.
Project Status Updates
a) Will the City assign the appropriate staff to create a dedicated web site and a group email address with all of the names of the Rockwood Homeowners Association members as well as anyone else in the neighbourhood who wishes to be added or sign up at any time to address these issues, other questions and obtain on-going updates on the project?
Context
We require the current schedule showing a timeline of the critical path and all upcoming milestones and provide regular updates going forward.
Despite all efforts and good intentions made to date, the reality is the project implementation has not been very transparent and open process. There are thousands of residents in the immediate area who are directly affected and have no idea what is going on.
Response
- Capital Works Delivery stated that this project has a dedicated website and that the City will continue to use the website as the main means of communication to provide updates to the community.
- Capital Works Delivery noted that the City has recently hired a project ambassador who has been assigned to this project to address all questions and concerns the community may have. The project ambassador will be available to address all questions and concerns after being trained.
- Capital Works Delivery stated that the project ambassador’s contact information will be added to the website shortly.
- Capital Works Delivery stated that the project ambassador will work with the digital strategy and experience team to redesign the website to make the information more digestible and easier to read. The project ambassador will be updating the website regularly to reflect the questions received from the community.
Noise Wall Update
a. Who is in charge? (changed from Transportation and Works to Reality Services)
b. Status update re: detailed design
c. Differences from preliminary design: Trees, location, style, easement vs acquisition, other
d. Request (again) to coordinate with all area PCCs, rather than individually
Response
- Capital Works Delivery noted that the Planning group oversaw the preliminary design. Capital Works Delivery is responsible for the detailed design and construction phases of this project. Realty Services is leading the negotiations with the condominium corporations with respect to the property acquisition process and is now the main point of contact for the negotiations.
- WSP provided a status update on the design of the noise walls. WSP confirmed that it is in the process of verifying existing underground utilities, which will determine the final location of the proposed walls. Tree condition survey will be completed shortly to confirm the tree impacts due to the installation of the noise walls.
- WSP stated that the final noise wall locations will determine the easement / property requirements and the impacts to existing trees.
- WSP stated that boreholes are needed for input into the foundation report and that they are currently waiting on locates for this operation to start.
- Realty Services stated that the City is open to acquisition of property or obtaining easements subject to preference of each condo board.
- Realty Services stated that the City will continue to have discussions with each condo board separately as every property is unique and the impacts vary. The City will have the noise walls installed on the condominium properties who choose to move forward with the offered terms and conditions.
Discussion
- One of the attendants noted that there were concerns that property owners along Ponytrail Drive are not aware of the noisewall installations that are planned to be constructed this year.
- Capital Works Delivery noted that the letters of agreement have been prepared and stated that they would follow up with the planning group to get an update on the status of the letters of agreement. Post-Meeting Note – Capital Works Delivery contacted the planning group and had the letters hand-delivered shortly after the meeting.
- Transportation Projects stated that the noise assessments have been completed.
- Capital Works Delivery noted that a contractor is onboard to construct the noise walls on Ponytrail Drive between Rathburn Road East and Burnhamthorpe Road in the Fall/Winter of 2022
Additional Questions / Comments
- One of the attendants noted that the drawings are not clear enough and suggested that some elevation drawings showing the difference between existing and proposed be provided.
- WSP stated that some cross sections will be made available to the community.
