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Emergency Gate Access

Council split on Kincardine-lnverhuron Emergency Access policy

TROY PATTERSON
KINCARDINE NEWS STAFF
Council is split as to whether or not to allow the public to use an emergency access north through Inverhuron.
The connection, a locked, gated passage from Upper Lome Beach Road in Kincardine Twp. to Inverhuron's Victoria Street, was negotiated by the Municipality of Kincardine, Bruce Power and a developer, after blizzards shut down Bruce Road 23 and Highway 21 for weeks last winter. Public Works director Jim O'Rourke gave two options on how the municipality could use the gate at the Jan. 9 council meeting.
One would see the gate opened by South Bruce OPP and Public Works during extreme whether conditions, to allow only for buses and essential staff from Bruce Power a safe route to the site.
The other option would see the gate opened to the general public during extreme weather conditions. O'Rourke said the first option is preferred, as Victoria Street isn't built for heavy traffic and opening it to the public could lead to trucks and delivery vans using the route during road closures. "I caution council that (Victoria St.) is not built as an arterial road... it's very narrow," O'Rourke said.
The gate would be opened upon notification from OPP and Bruce County Public Works. The Ward 1 foreman would then notify Wards 2 and 3 of the closure and would place signs at McCaskill Road to the south and Lome Beach Road to the North. Public Works would then ensure the path from Golf Links Road to Victoria Street at Bruce Road 15 was plowed and sanded, before opening the gate.
Counc. Ken Craig supported the ree-. -Commendation, and said if roads are closed, the only drivers on the road should be essential staff and emergency vehicles. "I have no desire for it to be a road to get anywhere," Craig said. "It should be for Hydro employees to keep the lights on."
Deputy Mayor Laura Haight said the policy isn't perfect, but they could start with the first option and then adjust it in the future, if need be.
Counc. Gord Campbell thought the opposite, and said it should start being opened to all and if it's abused, tighten up the rules. Campbell said the first option looks like "favouritism" towards Bruce Power workers. "It should be open to the general pub- lic," said Counc. Randy Roppel, who wasn't in favour opening the gate strictly for Bruce Power workers.
Roppel said taxpayers are fielding part of the bill for this route, so they should have access. He said if people need to get into town for medications or treatment "If our people want to use the route to get to Kincardine, Tiverton or Port Elgin for work, then it's their God-given right," he said.
Counc. Ron Hewitt said the procedure seemed "cumbersome" and asked if less people could be involved. O'Rourke said the OPP is supportive of the procedure as laid out.
Mayor Larry Kraemer said, with councillor and Emergency Services chair Mike Leggett absent, they should hold off voting, as the issues "deserves the scrutiny of all council".
The issue will be addressed at tonight's council meeting (Jan. 16).

Vote on Policy No TP 3 1 Emergency Access

Taxpayer upset with Inverhuron road closure

LETTER TO THE KINCARDINE NEWS
Wednesday January 30, 2008

Dear Editor:
As I write this letter I just found out that council has passed a motion (on a recorded vote) to close the Inverhuron emergency route to local residents.
Could this road not be used from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by the locals for whatever reason?
A lot of tax money has gone into this road plus, my guess is, Bruce Power money, although this is not confirmed in our local papers.
I hardly think the OPP have the resources to sit at either end and check for Bruce Power stickers. They are short staffed as it is thanks to our McGuinty government.
Now my tax dollars are paying for a street light I don’t have and a road I can’t use.
John Dahmer
Municipality of Kincardine

Emergency access put to use

TROY PATTERSON
Kincardine News Staff
Wednesday February 13, 2008
The first test of the much-disputed Kincardine-Inverhuron emergency access route proved successful over the weekend.
Aside from high winds and blowing snow forcing school cancellations on Monday and roads closed across southwestern Ontario on Sunday, shifts of the essential nuclear operating staff at Bruce Power were able to get to and from work, via bus.
Bruce Power spokesperson Steve Cannon said the emergency route was used on Sunday at 7 p.m. to carry staff from Kincardine to the site. Buses again transported another shift to and from the site at 7 a.m. on Monday.
“We emphasized to our employees that it wasn’t a car route, but was for buses only,” Cannon said. “Everyone was extremely helpful and understanding with the situation. It all went quite smoothly.”
Bruce Power security worked with Municipality of Kincardine Public Works staff to ensure the gated entrance, between Upper Lorne Beach Road and Inverhuron’s Victoria Street, was opened and accessible, Cannon said.
While some Kincardine workers were able to get to and from work, many others from Port Elgin and other points inland were storm-stayed for the evening.
“Many people would have preferred to get home, but it’s safer to stay at the site,” said Cannon, who was also forced to roll out a sleeping bag over the weekend.
The company has food and sleeping bags on hand to handle unexpected events like this, he said.
By Monday afternoon, most roads were open for workers to get to and from the site.

Amendment to Policy TP.3.1 Emergency Access to the Bruce Nuclear

The following motion was submitted by Councillor Gord Campbell for consideration by
Council. Please note that Policy TP.3.1 relating to the Upper Lorne Beach Road
emergency access gate is scheduled to be discussed at the January 25, 2010 meeting
of Public Works.)
Amendment to Policy TP.3.1 Emergency Access to the Bruce Nuclear Power Development
THAT "Policy TP.3.1 Emergency Access to the Bruce Nuclear Power
Development" and other applicable policies/documents be amended to allow for
the Upper Lorne Beach Road emergency access gate to be opened for all
passenger vehicles in situations where Highway 21 is closed due to winter storm
conditions.

Stakeholders to be invited to emerg access gate talks

TROY PATTERSON
Kincardine News Staff
Wednesday January 20,2010
A group of Kincardine and Inverhuron residents have formally challenged the fairness of the Lorne Beach Rd.-Victoria Street emergency access between Kincardine and Inverhuron.
The route, divided by a locked gate was funded by both the Municipality of Kincardine and Bruce Power in 2007.
Residents Darlene Stevens and Ted Little both gave delegations outlining their concerns surrounding the use of Bruce Road 23 during winter storms, when Highway 21 is closed.
Stevens made a recommendation that the gate remain open from Dec. 1 to March 31, as an alternative route for those who want to avoid the two main routes.
She then presented 61 letters of support for her recommendation to the clerk.
Little said anyone who's experienced the " terror of travelling from the north in bad weather" often feel like they're " risking their lives" travelling the route as a way home or way to work.
Little recalled seeing 12 vehicles in the ditch on Bruce Rd 23 after an evening of whiteout conditions, so an alternative should be available to the general public.
Many councillors supported opening the gate, but on a trial basis to see how motorists behave.
Others suggested it only be open when Highway 21 was closed, but said the logistics on who would open and close it make it more complicated.
Currently only Bruce Power busses and emergency vehicles have access through the gate in the event that both routes are closed.
Counc. Randy Roppel said it's not fair that only a limited number of people have access to the route, but said safety issues are a concern.
Walkers, small shoulders and the condition of Victoria Street are all elements of concern shared by Inverhuron residents who are adamant the route stay closed and open for emergencies only.
Mayor Larry Kraemer said he's open to the concept on a trial basis, but only after the police, stakeholders from the Inverhuron area and Public Works discuss the matter to see if it's an viable option.
The delegation was concerned that if action isn't taken someone could be injured beforehand or the process may continue until the end of winter.
In a recorded vote of 5-4, council agreed to defer the decision until Jan. 27 council, to give stakeholders an opportunity to comment.

THE GREAT GATE DEBATE Proposal to let public use gated road

Post Date: January 20,2010,
By Kristen Shane
Kincardine Independent
Kincardine council is waiting to get more information before it decides whether to open a gated shoreline road to all passenger vehicles during bouts of bad winter weather.
The road is a stretch of Upper Lorne Beach Road at the juncture with Victoria Street that links Lorne Beach with Inverhuron.
Ever since it was established, with the laying of a lakeshore water pipeline in the early 2000s, it has been controversial.
Many residents living along the narrow road were against opening it as a public street because they feared traffic and safety problems.
But the route, sheltered from most wicked winter weather by trees and bush, is considered a safer alternative than the more exposed B-Line (Bruce County Road 23) and Highway 21.
So in 2007, with the construction of the nearby Mystic Cove subdivision, council talked with police, county officials and local residents and decided on a compromise: the road would be closed, by gate, to all traffic.
It would only open to buses heading to the Bruce nuclear power plant when Highway 21 and the B-Line were both closed.
That solution isn't working, says Ted Little, a 28-year Lorne Beach resident and Bruce Power worker.
Case in point, he says, was Dec. 10, when a winter storm blew into the Kincardine area causing whiteouts and the closure of Highway 21.
He recalls driving home from work:
"The road was horrible.
Everybody was crawling along the B-Line trying not to hit the car in front," Little told council at its regular meeting last week.
The next day on his way back to work, he said, he saw 12 cars in ditches lining the B-Line.
"I believe it's time to loosen up (the current) policy so that people travelling from the north in bad weather aren't risking their lives, like I have been," he said.
Little suggested creating a committee to review the issue and decide on a better solution. He proposed opening the lower beach road to all traffic when Highway 21 is closed because of bad weather.
"That has simple criteria.
You can understand that if the radio announced Highway 21 is closed, you'll know that the shore road would be open," he told council and about 20 concerned citizens seated in the public viewing section of council chambers.
Councillor Gordon Campbell had proposed a similar motion, on council's agenda for discussion that night.
Darlene Stevens, a Kincardine-area resident who spoke before council, suggested the route be open to all traffic annually from Dec. 1 to March 31.
"Loss of life, loss of property and what is best for the majority of the residents in the municipality must be your highest priorities," she told council, before handing the clerk a folder she said contained 61 letters in support of opening the gate.
While some residents say it's unsafe to drive the B-Line in bad weather, many living along Upper Lorne Beach Road say it's also unsafe for it to be used as an alternative.
"If (Highway) 21's closed, the B-Line is not good. Just going out in that kind of weather is putting your life on the line. And it transfers the traffic problem from the B-Line down to this road," said Bob Taylor, a year-round Lorne Beach resident, after attending the meeting.
The gated part of the road has several blind corners, a narrow bridge and no sidewalks or shoulders in the winter, he said. It's used by pedestrians year-round, he said. Although it carries a 40-kilometre speed limit, he said he's convinced drivers would go faster if the road were opened to the public.
Taylor was out knocking on his neighbours' doors Thursday morning and said he heard mixed reactions about the issue. But a lot of doors went unanswered, he said.
"Right now, it's a rotten time for any decision to be made," said Sylvia Stepnow, who lives down the street from Taylor. Many residents who might have opinions on the issue have gone south for the winter, she said.
Talking to members of all affected groups is something deputy mayor Laura Haight urged council to do before deciding on the proposed gate opening.
She said Lorne Beach residents, the county and the local police detachment had the opportunity to comment on the 2007 decision to install the emergency access gate.
"And now, to change that without notifying those same people I think would be a breach of our own processes," she said.
For its part, Bruce Power spokesperson John Peevers said the company is content with the status quo. "Our employees are free to voice their opinions…but as far as Bruce Power, we're happy with the current arrangement and we aren't asking for a change to it," Peevers said last week.
Most council members indicated they would be willing to at least take a second look at the current policy to give the public greater access to the road on stormy days. But concensus split when it came to when a decision might be made.
In a recorded vote, Haight, Mayor Larry Kraemer, councillors Marsha Leggett, Mike Leggett, and Ken Craig were in the majority in a 5-4 vote to hold off deciding on the proposal until Feb. 3, after a public works committee meeting Jan. 25 that is scheduled to discuss the issue. By that time, council expects municipal staff to have talked to more people and groups affected.
Campbell said he didn't want to wait more than a week to vote on the issue.
"I don't believe in putting it off, in case we have another storm," he said, emphasizing he only wanted to try opening the road when Highway 21 is closed on a trial basis.
"I wouldn't want to see it drag on, and someone get hurt or killed," councillor Guy Anderson said, echoing Campbell.
"If there does happen to be an occurrence, the other side of the coin is: would that occurrence happen if that person at Bruce Power was riding the bus?" said councillor Marsha Leggett.
The company offers bus service for employees at pick-up and drop-off points throughout Kincardine and Port Elgin, for a fee.
But Stevens said after the meeting that Leggett's solution wouldn't work for her husband and other Bruce Power workers because they don't live along company bus routes.
For his part, councillor Randy Roppel urged council to lobby the county and the province to make the roads they control, the B-Line and Highway 21, safer.
"It all comes back to money," said Kraemer.
Upgrades to the B-Line have been put on the backburner because county staff have estimated they could cost between $4 million and $6 million, he said.
"In some ways, it comes to money here too. If Victoria Street is going to be asked to accommodate these vehicles, then we need to put some money into Victoria Street," said Kraemer, to widen the road and improve curves, for instance.
One thing's for sure: a simple gate opening is anything but an open-and-shut issue.

COMMITTEE WANTS MORE TIME TO REVIEW GATE ISSUE

Post Date: January 27,2010,
By Kristen Shane
Kincardine Independent
The Municipality of Kincardine's public works committee wants more time to come up with a recommendation to council on whether to open a gated shoreline road to all passenger vehicles on a temporary basis.
The road is a stretch of Upper Lorne Beach Road at the juncture with Victoria Street that links Lorne Beach with Inverhuron.
It is closed by a gate to all vehicle traffic except for Bruce Power buses to transport essential staff only when the B-Line (Bruce County Road 23) and Highway 21 are closed due to bad winter weather.
But a particularly wicked winter storm Dec. 10 prompted some residents and a council member to suggest opening the shoreline road temporarily, either from Dec. 1 to March 31 or only in bouts of bad winter weather.
The route, sheltered from most stormy weather by its shoreline layout, is considered by some to be a safer alternative than the more exposed B-Line and Highway 21.
Council tossed the gate issue back and forth at a meeting Jan. 13. It decided to send it to the committee for further review. It set a deadline for the committee to report back to council Feb. 3. Several council members expressed concern that if they left the issue too long, someone may be killed driving the B-Line when they could have had access to the gated road.
"We make better decisions when we have all the information in front of us," said committee chair Laura Haight Monday, summing up most committee members' opinions.
The committee talked about the issue for two hours Monday morning, during which time it heard from many of the 30 members of the public, councillors and emergency services personnel in attendance.
"There's a lot of new opinions here that I never heard before," said councillor Ron Hewitt. "Maybe we need to take a little bit more time."
Committee members were generally against opening the road from Dec. 1 to March 31. Several said they would consider voting to open it when Highway 21 was closed or during winter storms. But when they considered the nitty-gritty of when and how the road could be opened, they ran into a series of roadblocks.
For instance, Ward 1 public works foreman Don Huston indicated that staff would be unable to plow the narrow shoreline road if it were open to two lanes of regular traffic.
Councillor Gordon Campbell said he didn't want to defer a recommendation to council. But the majority of the other members said they did.
Haight directed public works manager Jim O'Rourke to report to council Feb. 3 that the committee wants more time to speak with people who could be affected by the change and sort out unresolved questions. The committee also told O'Rourke to further lobby provincial and county governments on behalf of the municipality to make Highway 21 and the B-Line safer for winter drivers.

Opening Bruce Power Emerg Access to seasonal traffic a 'bad idea,' Kraemer

By TROY PATTERSON ,
KINCARDINE NEWS STAFF
The majority of Municipality of Kincardine councillors aren't eager to reopen the debate as to whether the Bruce Power Emergency Access Gate should be open throughout the winter.
Last week Public Works manager Jim O'Rourke asked for more time to contact stakeholders, area residents and legal counsel to "better understand all the issues" surrounding the issue.
While some councillors said the issue should be looked into further, others maintained that the condition of Inverhuron's narrow, winding Victoria Street and is reason enough to keep the route for emergencies only.
"The whole thing's a bad idea," said Mayor Larry Kraemer. "Emergency Access is in the name and I don't want that to change and it was never intended to carry high volumes of traffic."
Kraemer said council committed to the residents of the area that it wouldn't be an open road unless they formally requested it be opened.
Councillor Mike Leggett said unless they straighten and upgrade the road, it would never be able to handle 2,000 vehicles a day if it became a snow storm alternative to the major arterial roads.
"Considering the driving hazards, I don't think it's worth going there," said Deputy Mayor Laura Haight.
She said with the possibilities of trucks using the route that many feel is unsuitable for any higher traffic volumes, the issue could be an accident waiting to happen.
"I'm happy to have public works look through the options, but personally I don't think this is a good idea in any respect," said Haight.
Kraemer said road staff and "anyone involved with keeping the roads open think it's a bad idea." The issue could be examined, but he believes the recommendation will come back overwhelmingly negative.
Dozens of members of the public petitioned council to open the gate to travel north, as an alternative Bruce Rd 23 and Hwy 21 on Jan. 13.
Staff were instructed to take a further look into the issue.

Great Gate Debate Has Been Much Ado Aout Nothing

From the Kincardine Times The great gate debate has been much ado about nothing because Kincardine council has decided to leave the policy alone regarding an emergency access gate in Inverhuron.
The policy was put in place two years ago, allowing the gate to be opened in emergency situations, such as the need to get essential Bruce Power workers to and from the nuclear plant by bus.
A delegation came to council Jan. 13, asking for the gate to be open for all motorists during the winter months when both Highway 21 and the B-line (Bruce County Road 23) were closed due to severe snowstorms.
The stakeholders, including the municipality, Bruce Power, the OPP, and the Bruce County highways department, met Feb. 19 and decided that the policy has worked well and should remain as is.
However, the public works committee met Feb. 26 and recommended council amend the policy, allowing the gate to be opened for the motoring public between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. when Highway 21 and the B-line are closed by the OPP.
Several residents who live on Upper Lorne Beach Road and Victoria Street, where the gate is located, argued that the roadway is not fit for high volumes of traffic and that there was a commitment by council that the roadway would not be open to the public.
Robert Taylor said a proposal to bring more traffic to that roadway is "perilous" and "dangerous."
"With larger volumes of traffic on the road, emergency requirements of the local residents could very well be jeopardized or at least limited," he said. "If a fire happened to start on a snowy, windy night, it could easily get out of control if firetruck access was limited due to lines of vehicles using the road."
He said by opening the gate, council would be reducing the risk on the B-line but transferring it to Victoria Street and Upper Lorne Beach Road. "The risk of damages or death is not reduced but now put in your laps as you are knowingly routing excess traffic on a substandard road. Do you seriously think there will be no lawsuits resulting from automobile or property damage accidents? This new policy could be a very costly decision at a time when Kincardine does not have that kind of money."
Taylor said the stakeholders and the large majority of local residents are happy with the current policy, and no extra money has to be spent. "Why change it? The people who are on the roads in poor weather are making poor choices. You shouldn't be part of helping them make that poor choice."
Peggy Griffin and Herb Paetzold live on Upper Lorne Beach Road and urged council to leave the policy alone.
Griffin said drivers should be using common sense as to when to be on the roads and how to drive according to weather conditions.
Roberta Trelford, community emergency management co-ordinator for Kincardine, said if the road were opened during specified hours under severe winter conditions, there are bound to be accidents. That would defeat the purpose of having the gate open which is to get essential Bruce Power workers to and from the site, and allow emergency vehicles through.
She said the road is not built to a standard to handle increased traffic. Plus, the municipality could be facing liability issues if it allows the public to use that road, knowing full well it is not built to handle the higher volume and two-way traffic.
Trelford agreed with OPP constable Paul Bradley who said when the weather is bad and roads are closed, people should just stay home.
Deputy mayor Laura Haight, chairperson of the public works committee, said she did not support the committee's recommendation and would not support it at the council meeting.
Councillor Mike Leggett quoted councillor Kenneth Craig from a previous meeting that the road will be opened someday, but not until it has been upgraded to handle the traffic.
"All the stakeholders are telling us to leave the policy as is," he said, "so leave it alone."
Councillor Marsha Leggett pointed out that the decision was to go to council for final approval at the April 21 meeting. "I say we make the decision tonight," she said. "We have all the cards on the table, make the decision and put this behind us."
Haight said the municipality should not be responsible for commuter traffic of this volume. "We should push the province to make the improvements to Highway 21 so it isn't closed all the time in the winter. That's the real solution, not sending thousands of vehicles through a residential subdivision."
Later in council session, in a recorded vote, council agreed to leave the policy alone, and the gate closed except in case of emergency. Mayor Larry Kraemer, deputy mayor Laura Haight, and councillors Mike Leggett, Guy Anderson, Kenneth Craig and Marsha Leggett were in favour, while councillors Ron Hewitt and Gordon Campbell were opposed. Councillor Randy Roppel was absent.

Emergency Access Policy Stays Same

From Kincardine News By TROY PATTERSON
Date March 23,2010
The policy on the Bruce Power Emergency Access Gate will not change between Upper Lorne Beach Road and Victoria Street in Inverhuron.
Council decided to leave the agreement as is, based on the safety issued raised by police, public works and numerous residents who felt the condition and width of the road would create a traffic hazard, regardless if an alternative snow route was made available to the general public.
Many other stakeholders, including Bruce Power, felt the existing agreement was satisfactory.
Currently Bruce Power buses carrying essential workers to the nuclear site and emergency workers are the only vehicles allowed to pass through the route, in the event both Hwy 21 and Bruce Rd 23 are closed due to white outs or poor road conditions.
Last week, council heard Lorne Beach resident Peggy Griffin and Bob Taylor outline the safety issues that already exist in the area and how they would be made worse if thousands of cars were allowed open access through the subdivision during road closures.
The issue was raised again this past winter when a number of residents petitioned council to open the route to the public on a seasonal basis, or when other routes north are closed due to snow.
Deputy Mayor Laura Haight said instead of this issue being in council hands, the public should be lobbying the province to upgrade and improve the drifting conditions along Hwy 21.
Counc. Gord Campbell said Bruce Power should revisit its policy that only allows staff members to be bussed into the site.
Currently other companies and contractors are not allowed to take the bus into the site.
In a recorded vote, councilors Ron Hewitt and Gord Campbell voted against leaving the policy as is.
Hewitt said he would have liked to see the policy changed on a trial basis, to see if there would be any benefit to it.

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revised 2010 Mar 23