VICTORIA STREET EXTENSION

Mystic Cove Developments
The Kincardine Independent
October 18, 2006

Despite a crowd of interested neighbours on hand to hear about a zoning amendment for the proposed Mystic Cove Developments along the lakeshore in Kincardine Township, Part of Lots 57 and 58, Concession A, the item was deleted from the planning advisory committee agenda, awaiting further information.

Chief building official Michele Barr said it is an inconvenience for the public and for council but, subject to a review of the application by the Bruce County planning department, municipal staff was told that more information is required before it can proceed.

The application, by Susan K. Pryde and Brad R. Pryde c/o GSP Group Planning Consultants, is for a draft plan of subdivision to create 24 units on 7.28 hectares of land along the lakeshore.

I would have appreciated more notice than this,” said Donald.

THE MUNICIPALITY OF KINCARDINE
Council Agenda
January 17, 2007

7.0 PRESENTATIONS AND PETITIONS
7.1 Proposed Road Extension Between Inverhuron and Lorne Beach

The attached petition has been received by the Municipality of Kincardine regarding the proposed road extension which would connect Victoria Street South in Inverhuron with Upper Lorne Beach Road.

Motion #2007 -

Moved by:

Seconded by:

THAT the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Kincardine hereby receive a 53 name petition from residents opposed to the proposed road extension connecting Victoria Street South with Upper Lorne Beach Road;

AND FURTHER that a copy of the petition be forwarded to the Planning and Building Committee for consideration and recommendation to Council.

Residents oppose Inverhuron road extension
Kincardine Independent January 24, 2007
By Kiel Edge

A petition from angry residents has threatened to stall a proposed road extension between Inverhuron and Lorne Beach.

Kincardine council was presented with a 53-name petition and several letters of protest during the Jan. 17 meeting.

The proposed extension would connect Victoria Street South, Inverhuron with Upper Lorne Beach Road. Residents are concerned it would lead to increased traffic with Bruce Power employees using the road to travel to work.

Cottage owners are afraid the new road will interfere with the enjoyment of their land, and take away from the community atmosphere they enjoy.

The municipality previously told residents the land would be used for only footpaths and bike traffic. Councillor Randy Roppel said the municipality should keep its promises.

“We said there would be no traffic, and now the municipality wants to change it,” he said. “It’s time we lived up to what we said.”

Mayor Larry Kraemer agreed. “I don’t believe it should be built. We said there would be walkways, not roads and we should stick with that.”

The issue will be more thoroughly discussed during the next planning and building meeting. Roppel said the document makes it difficult for any development to get approval.

“You can’t argue with the people and you have to respect their wishes,” Roppel said.

Mystic Cove Subdivision,
Road Extension Between Inverhuron and Lorne Beach
by Michele Barr
To: gordon barr
Cc: GORDON CAMPBELL
January 23, 2007

To the best of my knowledge notice for the planning applications for the proposed subdivision, via the rezoning and recommendation for daft approval, will be circulated to the property owners within 120m of the property as well as the people who signed the 'sign in sheet' at the October 2006 meeting at least 20 days prior to the meeting. I am not aware of a set scheduled time to date, however the applications won't be considered by Council until, at the earliest the March meeting.

Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Michele Barr, M.A.A.T.O
Building and Planning Manager
Chief Building Official
ph 519-396-3468 ext. 126
fax 519-396-1430

Road Extension Between Inverhuron and Lorne Beach
To Michele Barr, Building and Planning Manager
cc "GORDON CAMPBELL"
January 21 2007

Can you please give me an update on the proposed road extension which would connect Victoria Street South in Inverhuron with Upper Lorne Beach Road. I was reading the council agenda of January 17 , 2007 and noticed a petition has been received.

Thank you
GORDON BARR

Commentary on Municipal Planning and Development in Bruce County
by Dennis Threndyle
2007 January 26

Developers can and often do, start the development process with the County administrators in Walkerton. The paperwork is started and since Bruce is a rural area, the biggest issue at the County level seems to be the preservation of land for Cows.

At some point the developer is able to go to the local municipal with a so-called "approved" plan from the County administration.

As a result an unsuspecting ( Or use another adjective here) council might approve the approved County plan because the County had approved the fact that the development does not violate the sacred rights of grazing cows. The rights or viewpoints of taxpaying citizens might not have been fully considered or thought out by the County .

Now the developer has gained two approvals and with two approvals it becomes more difficult to stop his process.

So it is really a flawed system. but we can't fix that right now.

In the case of Mystic Cove Developments, the owner has received County approval for his development as no cows graze down on the lakerange lands.

To date council ( including the previous one) has resisted giving him the second approval.

I suggest a simple letter to each councilor stating that the road can not go through for simple reasons of safety, etc will go a long way to stopping this development.

Then we can also ask the clerk to tell us when the meeting will be held so that we as citizens can be at the council meeting in March or whenever and voice our concerns about this needless invasion of trucks, speeding cars on to what is a paved walking trail for children and senior citizens called Victoria Street.

I know that Councilor Hewitt was not in favour of the extension, and I suspect that others will resist once they understand our concerns and other issues.

Dennis
PS - I have nothing against agriculture in Bruce County as my family owns several hundred acres of farm land in Brant Township.

Concerns Regarding Lorne Beach Road Proposal
by Gordon Barr
January 27 2007

Several reasons for NOT opening the road between Lorne and Inverhuron beach.

1. Victoria Street has no sidewalk and the road is used as a pedestrian walk for children, middle aged folk and senior citizens and bicyclers. Increased traffic will increase the likelihood of auto/pedestrian accidents.

2. Victoria Street has a number of blind curves, driveways and side street entrances that might well require 4 way stop signs if traffic were to increase.

3. Albert Rd will see increased traffic going to the plant this is currently a problem with traffic volume and speed.

4. I recall that when the water pipeline went in, the creek that separates Inverhuron from Lorne Beach was deemed to be a fish spawning habitat. Will not this issue be raised again?

5. Previous Council told us that a road extension would not occur, that is one of the reasons why many citizens supported Larry's water pipe in the first place.

Mystic Cove Subdivision Between Inverhuron and Lorne Beach
From: mbarr@kincardine.net
To: gordon barr
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 12:13 PM

Gordon

This email is a follow up of our discussion this morning.

Please find attached a copy of the Public Notice and map for the Proposed Mystic Cove Subdivision. The notice has all the dated and times.

Lake street is in the design stages as I indicated and the EA process has started. Public Works hopes to have the project completed by July 1, 2007.

Michele Barr, M.A.A.T.O
Building and Planning Manager
Chief Building Official
ph 519-396-3468 ext. 126
fax 519-396-1430

Public Notice 2007 Feb 20 Mystic Cove

Gated, emergency link proposed
Troy Patterson
Kincardine News Staff
Wednesday March 21, 2007

An emergency gated connection between Kincardine’s Lorne Beach Road and Inverhuron’s Victoria Street was the compromise reached last week for a new planned subdivision.

The Municipality of Kincardine’s Planning and Building Committee was confronted by about 60 area residents at the March 14 meeting, when they came out to speak their minds about the road connection planned as part of Mystic Cove Development’s 24-lot subdivision at the north end of Lorne Beach Road.

Responding to the concern from residents, Mystic Cove representatives GSP Group Planning Consultants came prepared with an alternative to the connection, as a way to demonstrate their understanding for resident’s concerns. The emergency connection between the two streets would provide an alternative route north for emergency vehicles and those with vital careers, in the case of the worst possible driving conditions. “We came forward with a subdivision plan and responded to the neighbour’s concerns by changing it,” said GSP Group consultant Bill Green. “We came to a compromise and it was adopted, using a cul de sac and an emergency gate.” The gatekeeper would be Jim O’Rourke, public works director, and the decision to open and close it would be made by him and the area road crews. Who shares the cost of the engineering and construction of the gated link will be negotiated at a later date by the municipality, Bruce Power and Mystic Cove Developments, who have all shown interest in the decision. Green said they couldn’t comment on the cost-sharing, but said it would be approached as part of a team. “At the end of the day we reached a good compromise that would not disrupt the lifestyle of the community,” said Bruce Power president and CEO Duncan Hawthorne.

What Hawthorne suggested and many more supported, was for residents to lobby for improvements to the whiteout-prone Bruce Rd. 23 (B-Line) and Highway 21. He said the company would show its support for improvements to the roads, to help keep them usable for the community year-round. “I’m hoping (the emergency gate) is never opened because we’ll have put so much pressure on the government to make improvements to these roads,” Hawthorne said. “It’s an opportunity to unite the community and not separate it.” He said the route is like having an extension cord a bit too short for the outlet. If, like the snowstorms over the last six weeks, workers are unable to get home for days on end they could be forced to shut down the plant until roads reopened. “That’s a situation that’s extreme and it’s not something we’d want to do,” he said. Mayor Larry Kraemer also spoke of a “team approach” to the issue of cost, in hopes of “solving the problem in an equitable way”. The route was promised never to be an opened road by a previous council, which Kraemer was a part of, and he said that word would be honoured. “The only way it could be opened as a permanent road, would be if residents petitioned council to do it,” he said. Earlier, councillor Ken Craig’s comment that a connection would “inevitably” be made between the streets, was met with jeers and profanity. “Keep it to yourself,” one resident yelled from the audience. Counc. Guy Anderson said he hoped it would only be an alternative for emergencys, while Counc. Mike Leggett said as an emergency responder it would give them a through connection in a worst-case scenario.

Counc. Ron Hewitt said it would be wrong if they didn’t consider an emergency route. Counc. Randy Roppel said Hwy. 21 is often “useless” in winter, so they should be after the province to make improvements to Highways 21 and 23 to make them more driveable. Deputy Mayor Laura Haight said she understands Bruce Power’s perspective for the need to get workers to the site, but said the resident’s preference for no road should be voted on as an option. It was later defeated. Planning chair, councillor Gordon Campbell, said the recommendation for a gated emergency link supports health and safety responsibilities in the community.

Those opposed to the subdivision, but mainly the road connection, argued the area is environmentally sensitive, unable to handle a higher density of traffic and may be abused by drivers, turning it into a ‘shortcut’ to Bruce Power and the further north during snowstorms. Patti Boron said she was concerned the link could potentially double as an alternate route for transport trucks and others who may abuse the privilege.

Donna Irvine said she’d known of people trapped in the storm without medications and unable to get home. She said people’s safety and lives are important to consider in the decision. Brian Track said the route would be unable to handle the increased traffic, with an small, aging bridge, without sidewalks or shoulders for pedestrians to use instead of the road.

“It’s a really serious safety concern,” Track said, adding that he wanted to know who would be responsible if the decision resulted in a fatality. “When an accident happens, I want to know who to sue,” he said, followed by applause from the audience. Resident Robert Taylor said the extension and the subdivision itself would significantly cut into the marsh environment, which could hurt the local spotted salamander population with the increased traffic. “We have little to gain and a lot to lose from this,” Taylor said. Janice McKean also opposed the subdivision and connection, saying they will both negatively impact the local environment, being that the greenbelt is one of the last undeveloped areas in southern Ontario. “The greed of a few will harm us all,” McKean said.

Larry Duwyn was in support of the link, arguing the roads are poor in the winter and that expansion “would make so much sense” for the community to use as a new route. If the connection isn’t made, Inverhuron residents could end up trapped without chance of emergency access in the next bad storm. “We should do what’s in the best interest of everyone.” Duwyn said.

Dennis Threndyle of the Inverhuron and District Ratepayers Association handed out paper with survey numbers showing a good portion of its members were against the connection, but that they were “somewhat divided”. Threndyle demanded a traffic study be conducted of the area, regardless of the decision, to determine what impact the connection or any other current activities could have on increased traffic flow throughout the area. He said the 1850-style subdivision that currently exists could not handle a new rush of traffic. “If the development does go on, it should be done and organized in a manner of understanding between residents and the municipality,” Threndyle said. “I enjoy the area and I would like to stay there.”

The recommendation now goes to Bruce County council for approval and will return to council at a later date.

Kincardine Independent
Highway 21 from Kincardine to Tiverton under scrutiny
By Liz Dadson

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is studying the section of Highway 21 between Kincardine and Tiverton to consider required road improvements in anticipation of a two-year construction project from 2008-2010.

While that stretch of road was closed for a good portion of February this year due to blowing and drifting snow, that is not the reason for the study, says Randy McIntyre, project manager with the MTO’s planning and design section, southwestern region.
“This project is initiated as a result of the condition of the existing pavement,” he says. “Snow-drifting locations will also be addressed as part of the design project.”

He says the snow-drifting areas will be determined in design, which involves analysis and modelling of each of the areas. “Once the analysis has been completed, there are a number of potential treatments that can be recommended, including larger ditches, hedge plantings, raising the road, etc.”

SNC-Lavalin Engineers and Constructors Inc. is conducting the study which will determine what improvements are required, such as pavement rehabilitation/reconstruction, snow-drifting/storage treatments, structural culvert replacements/rehabilitation, non-structural culvert replacements, minor intersection improvements, drainage improvements and minor electrical work.

McIntyre says some of the proposed work involves reconstructing and widening driving lanes to 3.75 metres and road shoulders to 2.5 metres. Highway 21 will be reconstructed through Tiverton, he says, and there will be drainage improvements throughout the project, including some ditching and culvert replacements at various locations. He adds that eight snow-drifting treatment areas have been identified.

The MTO plans to maintain traffic on this section of Highway 21 throughout the project, using on-site, single-lane traffic signal-controlled detours. Local access to all properties will also be maintained during construction.

The design study is being conducted in accordance with MTO’s Class Environmental Assessment for provincial transportation facilities as a Group B project. Once it is completed, a Transportation Environmental Study Report will be prepared, identifying the environmentally-significant aspects of the planning, design, construction and operation of the project. This will be filed for a 30-day public review period.

The study also includes a public and government consultation process, with one Public Information Centre planned for the spring.

McIntyre says this information centre will be held in April or May and will be advertised in the local press. It will give people the opportunity to review the design and make comments, he says.

“Generally, comments are requested to be submitted within two to three weeks after the PIC (Public Information Centre),” says McIntyre. “However, MTO will consider comments received at any time during the study.”

Anyone wishing to make comments, or with concerns about this project, can forward them to McIntyre at 659 Exeter Road, London, Ontario, N6E 1L3, call 519-873-4547, fax 519-873-4600, or E-mail: Randy.McIntyre@mto.gov.on.ca.

Or forward comments and concerns to Bing Wong, project manager, SNC-Lavalin Engineers and Constructors Inc., 2200 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Toronto, Ontario, M8V 1A4, call 416-252-5311, fax 416-231-5356, or E-mail: bing.wong@snclavalin.com.