East Don Trail Environmental Assessment Community Liaison Committee - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

East Don Trail Environmental Assessment

Community Liaison Committee

Meeting #1 April 22, 2013

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Agenda

• 1. Welcome and Introductions
• 2. Community Liaison Committee
• 3. Project Background
• 4. Environmental Assessment (EA)
• 5. Public Consultation
• 6. Existing Challenges and Issues
• 7. Next Steps
• 8. Closing

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 1. Welcome and Introductions
• Opening Comments
• Role of the Chair
• City of Toronto Welcome
• CLC Member Introductions
• Your Name
• The Organization you are with (if applicable)
• Your interest in the East Don Project Environmental

Assessment

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Project Team Introductions

• City of Toronto
• Daniel Egan, Project Sponsor
• Jennifer Hyland, Project Manager
• Wendy Strickland, Governing Group
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
• Lisa Turnbull, Project Advisor
• Violetta Tkaczuk, Project Manager
• Natalie Seniuk, Public Consultation Coordinator
• Erica Dewell, Intern

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

East Don Trail Project Team

City of Toronto

• Transportation Infrastructure Management
• Daniel Egan, Jennifer Hyland
• Parks, Forestry & Recreation
• Garth Armour, Wendy Strickland
• Public Consultation Unit
• Maogosha Pyjor

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

• Project Management Office
• Lisa Turnbull, Violetta Tkaczuk, Natalie Seniuk,

Thomas Sciscione, Erica Dewell

• Conservation Lands
• Deanna Cheriton
• Water Resource Engineering
• Amy Winterhalt

Consulting Team:

• Aquafor Beech Limited
• Schollen & Company Inc.
• Delcan
• Terraprobe Inc.

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 2. Community Liaison Committee
• 1. Community Liaison Committee (CLC) Meetings
• 2. Ground Rules
• 3. Purpose and Objectives
• 4. Terms of Reference
• 5. Member Agreement

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

CLC Meetings

• Meeting Format
• Series of formats based on content
• Tonight – Presentation & Facilitated Discussion
• Materials
• Handouts and Binders
• Time and Duration
• Approximately 2 hours in length
• Evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
• Location
• Local facility

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

CLC Ground Rules

Common ground rules for members and staff:

• Avoid use of jargon
• Listen to each comment with respect
• Avoid use of cellphones
• Ask questions
• Share information with the group

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

CLC Purpose and Objectives

Purpose:

• Provide additional public input concerning the planning

and design process of the East Don Trail EA Functions or objectives:

• Identify items of public concern related to the impact and

design of the project.

• Offer potential advice or solutions to resolve these

concerns.

• Mechanism to reach out to the community.
• Act as the voice of the community.

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

CLC Terms of Reference

• Requirements and Responsibilities
• Chairing of CLC Meetings
• Membership
• Length of Term
• Attendance
• Record Keeping
• Media Protocol

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

CLC Member Agreement

• Provided with Terms of Reference
• To be signed by all CLC Members
• Please provide before leaving today
• Conflicts of Interest

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 3. Project Background
• 1. Bikeway Trails Implementation Plan
• 2. Feasibility Study

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Bikeway Trails Implementation Plan

2011

• Audit of existing major multi-use trail
• Identification, evaluation and prioritization of new trail

connections

2012

• Public Open House
• Council Approval of Plan on June 6

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Bikeway Trails Implementation Plan

77 km of new trails to be added to existing network was proposed East Don Trail

• Largest and most

complex project

• Identified as a

short term priority

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Feasibility Study

• RV Anderson retained in 2011
• Also called “East Don Trail

Master Plan Update”

• Assessed the potential for a

trail system through the East Don Valley Corridor

• Determined a trail was

possible

• Identified potential issues
• East Don Trail EA to build

upon this Study

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 4. East Don Trail EA
• 1. Study Areas
• 2. Opportunity Statement
• 3. Project Objectives
• 4. Environmental Assessment (EA) Process
• 5. Proposed Timeline

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Study Areas

Regional Study Area

• Lawrence Avenue
• Victoria Park Avenue
• O’Connor Drive
• Don Mills Road

Local Study Area

• Encompasses potentially useable

East Don Corridor Land

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Opportunity Statement

A significant gap in the multi-use trail network exists within the East Don Corridor between the north end of Charles Sauriol Conservation Area, the Gatineau Trail and the Lower Don Trail. The East Don Trail will fill this existing gap in the trail network thus creating a continuous connected trail network.

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Project Objectives

Connections

• Key multi-use trail connection route

Public Safety

• Safe access to valleylands
• Safe off-road option for cycling and recreational use
• Options to accommodate emergency and maintenance

vehicles

Natural Environment

• Respectful of the natural environment
• Provide single focused route
• Avoid or minimize negative environmental impacts

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Project Objectives

Recreation

• Create outdoor recreation opportunities for variety of

users and neighbouring communities

• Increase access to natural areas
• Function as a recreation destination

Transportation

• Function as a commuter route for a variety of users

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

EA Process

• work plan on how the EA and public consultation will

proceed

• identify the opportunity/need for the undertaking

Terms of Reference/Identify Opportunity

• prepare a detailed inventory of existing conditions

within the study area Environmental Baseline

• identify all reasonable alternatives to the
• pportunity

Prepare Alternatives

• evaluate all identified alternatives for

environmental effects ** Evaluate Alternatives

• select a preferred alternative based on evaluation

Preferred Alternative

• detailed environmental analysis of the preferred

alternative ** Refine Preferred Alternative

• file ESR with MOE for 30 day review

Environmental Study Report

**Evaluation Process will consider the biological, physical, socio-economic, and cultural environments

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Proposed Timeline

Terms of Reference/Identify Opportunity Environmental Baseline Prepare Alternatives Evaluate Alternatives Preferred Alternative Refine Preferred Alternative Environmental Study Report

TAC #1

• Nov. 2012 - May

2013 May - Sept. 2013

• Oct. 2013 - Jan.

2014

• Feb. – June

2014

TAC #3 TAC #2 TAC #4 TAC #5 TAC #6 CLC #1 CLC #4 CLC #3 CLC #2 PIC #1 PIC #2 PIC #3

Review Review Review

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 5. Public Consultation
• 1. Public Consultation Plan
• 2. Public Consultation Schedule
• 3. Summary of Public Meeting #1

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Public Consultation Plan

• To provide all those with a potential interest in the project
• pportunities to contribute their views during the

planning stages of the project.

• Techniques:

INFORM

• Project Newsletter & Websites
• Frequently Asked Questions

CONSULT

• Public Information Centres (PICs)

INVOLVE COLLABORATE

• Community Liaison Committee (CLC)

EMPOWER

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Public Consultation Schedule

Date Meeting Topic April 11, 2013 CLC Meeting #1 Project Introduction Environmental Assessment Process Existing Challenges and Issues May 29, 2013 CLC Meeting #2 Existing Conditions Evaluate Options including “Do Nothing” August 2013 CLC Meeting #3 Evaluation of Preliminary Alternatives September 2013 Public Information Centre #2 Evaluation of Preliminary Alternatives October 2013 CLC Meeting #4 Preferred Alternative January 2014 Public Information Centre #3 Preferred Alternative

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Summary of Public Meeting #1

• Public Information Centre (PIC) #1 held on February 13,

2013

• Open house format
• Feedback collected through:
• Interactive mapping
• Comment form
• Discussions with staff
• Summary of event available on project website

www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/eastdontrail

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Summary of Public Meeting #1

• Support:
• Increasing opportunity for recreation
• Larger cycling network connections
• Providing safe routes for cyclists
• Improving access for a wider demographic
• Concerns:
• Potential environmental impacts
• Impact on personal enjoyment with increased use
• Trail etiquette with multiple types of users

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 6. Existing Issues and Challenges
• Share knowledge about the Study Area as it relates to:
• Physical Environment
• Natural Environment
• Socio-Economic Environment
• Cultural Environment
• Questions to think about:
• Is there additional information that could provide value to

the EA process?

East Don Trail Environment Assessment East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Physical Environment

• Potential Slope

Stability Issues

• Flooding
• Steep grades
• Limited space

Steep Grades Potential Slope Stability Issue

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Physical Environment

• Potential Slope

Stability Issues

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Physical Environment

• Steep Grades
• Limited Space

Limited space Steep Slopes

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Natural Environment

• Species at Risk
• Wildlife Use
• Potential

Environmentally Significant Area

• Local Wetlands
• Natural Cover

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Natural Environment

• Potential

Environmentally Significant Area (ESA)

• Species at Risk

(SAR)

Potential ESA SAR

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Natural Environment

• Natural Cover
• Local Wetlands
• Species of Concern

Local Wetlands Natural Cover Natural Cover

East Don Trail Environment Assessment East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Socio - Economic Environment

• Infrastructure
• Private Land

Ownership

• Land Use

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Socio – Economic Environment

Infrastructure

• Rail Line
• Hydro Corridor
• Enbridge Pipeline
• Toronto Water

Access route

• Sanitary Sewer

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Socio – Economic Environment

Land Use

• Former Landfills
• Flemingdon Golf

Course

• Current Use

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

Issues and Challenges

Physical Environment

• Potential Slope Stability

Issues, Flooding, Steep Grades, Limited Space

Natural Environment

• SAR, Wildlife Use,

Potential ESA, Local Wetland, Natural Cover

Socio-Economic Environment

• Utilities, Informal Use,

Land Ownership, Historic Dump Sites

Steep Grades

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

• 7. Next Steps
• Background Environmental Inventory
• Consultant Studies
• Geomorphological evaluation
• Geotechnical assessment
• Existing Conditions
• CLC Meeting #2 – Tentative date May 29, 2013
• Review Existing Conditions
• Evaluate Options including “Do Nothing”

East Don Trail Environment Assessment

QUESTIONS?

• Please remember to leave a signed copy of the CLC

Member Agreement with a member of the project team

Natalie Seniuk Toronto and Region Conservation Authority nseniuk@trca.on.ca 647-537-4185

CLC Website – please add to your notes www.toronto.ca/eastdontrailclc/