Deer Run Avenue Public Comments and Questions

Transcription

1 Deer Run Avenue Public Comments and Questions The following is a summary of the comments and questions received from the public before and during the Class EA study. Full comments, and the staff responses, will be included with the Project File Report. Process and Timing When will the PIC(s) be? Has a consultant been retained? When will the reports be available? How long will the EA take? What is the timeframe for design and construction? Has the town already decided what to do with the access (before completing the EA)? Is an Environmental Assessment required for Options 1A to 1E? Why did the town close the access before the EA was completed? Why are Options 2 and 3 being reviewed if staff recommended (2015) against them originally? Who can I contact about the EA? Who is involved in the process? The Do Nothing option should consider the increased traffic at the western end of Deer Run Avenue. The current situation should not be considered the Do Nothing scenario. It seems biased to consider the closure of the access as the Do Nothing scenario. The Do Nothing option should be based on having the laneway open. I missed the PIC. Could you please provide an update? Can you please let me know what the "preferred option" is that the town has identified? When will the preferred option be posted on the town s website? Public Involvement/Public Consultation Does the public s opinion matter in the selection of the preferred alternative? The town should listen to taxpayers and turn the laneway into an accessible municipal road. The town should make the decision on whether or not to reopen Deer Run Avenue to Winston Churchill Avenue based on facts and evidence, on the history of Deer Run Avenue in the community, and should take into account the opinions of the whole neighborhood. Traffic Impacts and Traffic Safety Will the access be closed until the preferred solution is constructed? Beryl Road is not a safe alternative route. We are not aware of any traffic collisions along the laneway caused by the condition of the road. Even with trucks reversing down Deer Run Avenue, it is safer than it was with more traffic. The intersection of Ford Drive and Cornwall Road has become busier and it is difficult to make a left turn onto Cornwall. Could a left turn arrow be added? Commute times have doubled as a result of the closure of the laneway. Our visitors and family are used to being able to use the laneway now they are having difficulties navigating to our home.

2 Can you please confirm if a speed study was conducted on Deer Run prior to the closure? Cabs using GPS and Google Maps are directed to use the laneway to access our neighbourhood. If the town chooses one of the road extension options, then those plans should include traffic calming measures. Even though some vehicles speed, we do not recall any accidents involving a child/person or another vehicle. We are not in favour of speed bumps they would give the area an "ugly & negative" appearance. However, frequent monitoring/ticketing of traffic offenders by police would serve to slow down traffic to an acceptable level. Consider limiting use of the access to "Local Traffic Only". There should be an all-way stop at Acacia Court and Deer Run Avenue. Financial Why was money spent to pave and light the laneway? Cost should be the main factor considered when evaluating what should be done regarding the closure of Deer Run Avenue. What amount of land is required to create a safe turnaround for snow plows and garbage trucks? Why would the Town of Oakville spend upwards of a $1 million to have an existing 75m emergency access road widened into a temporary public highway only for it to be demolished when the lands to the east are eventually developed. Option 2 is a waste of taxpayers dollars. If the town wants a connection to Winston Churchill, it should choose Option#3 because at least the Town of Oakville and taxpayers would be able to be reimbursed for its initial ~$1 million outlay by developers when the lands to the east (Cristan Farms) are eventually developed. Failure to share the true costs of this project with the community results in faulty feedback. What is the estimated land acquisition value? Why build a road twice if you don t have to do so? Council should be presented with an estimate of all potential future costs related to any individual option? Options 2 and 3 will cost approximately $750,000 more than stated due to recent house sales in the Barclay Crescent, Bonny Meadow, Aspen Forest and Deer Run area. Property Impacts Large vehicles using driveways to turn around, including garbage trucks. Potential for damage to interlocking brick on driveways due to snow plows. Vehicles turning in private driveways are leaving tire marks. If private driveways are damaged before a permanent solution is found, will the town pay for repairs? Disruption of the Cristan lands should be a last resort. Support for Opening the Laneway (a Public Road) Residents feel cut off with only one access point

3 Closure of the access is very inconvenient. It takes a long time to travel by alternate routes. There has never been an indication before 2015 that the access was over private property. The road has never been labelled as a laneway or emergency access. Connecting Deer Run Avenue to Winston Churchill Boulevard will not make Deer Run Avenue any less safe than other roads in Oakville. Residents on Deer Run Avenue bought their homes knowing the road connected to Winston Churchill Boulevard. Forcing trucks to drive in reverse on Deer Run Avenue is dangerous and a cause for concern for the small children in the area. Traffic calming can be put in place if there is a speeding problem. Concerns about speeding vehicles and safety can be handled with speed bumps. Closing the laneway forces more traffic onto other streets where children also live and play. It is comforting to hear that keeping the laneway open has not been ruled out at this time (prior to PIC #1). The access has become a public thoroughfare and that status should not be rescinded. Longer routes as a result of the closure will result in more air pollution due to longer times spent driving. I am in full support for the outcome, as preferred Option 2. Reopening Deer Run Avenue benefits the safety of our neighbourhood and improves traffic flow, supports commuting and public transit, and is environmentally beneficial by reducing pollution. Residents could be stranded in the case of an emergency if there is only one access point. It is not acceptable to expect vehicles to turn around in someone's driveway. Support for Closing the Laneway (Cul-de-sac Options and Do Nothing Option) The closure of the laneway was inconvenient at first, but now I find that my drive isn t that much longer than before the closure. Most of are learning to live with that section to Winston Churchill closed. The Town of Oakville should not waste any more time with this item. The decision about what to do with the laneway should not be made based on adding 3 minutes to someone s commute time. The safety concerns residents on Deer Run Avenue were facing (before the barricades were installed) should take precedence over having to leave a few minutes earlier. People used Deer Run Avenue and the laneway because it is deemed to be quicker. Drivers showed a lack of respect for Deer Run Avenue. Being in the front yard with children after school or work did not feel safe (before the barricades were installed). The blind curve coming off of Acacia Court where children cross to go to the park was dangerous before the closure. Many drivers used the laneway as a route to and from the GO station (Clarkson) and these drivers were always in a rush to either make sure they didn t miss their train or to get home from work at night. This caused packs of speeding cars in the morning and evenings, based on the train schedule. In the summer of 2015, there was an increase in crime on Deer Run Avenue; majority of the break-ins occurred at the far east end of the road. The east side of Oakville is

4 favourable to criminals because of the quick and easy escape route to Winston Churchill and the highways. According to the Halton Police s Crime Reports site as of this evening, there has not been one criminal incident in our neighbourhood since the road closure. I have never seen any emergency vehicles enter our street heading westbound. The closest fire station is at Ford/Cornwall; Fire response would come from the west. Under extreme circumstances those trucks are designed to blow through the barricades. The positive changes we have felt here on Deer Run have been immediate and dramatic. Our street has changed in the most positive ways and I couldn t be happier with the closure. I fully support the cul-de-sac in whatever manner it needs to be accomplished. Deer Run is a much safer street for children now that cars are not speeding along the street as a short cut to get to the Clarkson GO Station. I can let my young children play outside in the front yard without worrying about them being hit by a car. I am strongly in favour of keeping the road closed to all vehicles except Emergency vehicles. I think the barricades that are currently up are perfect and should remain up permanently. The added commute time is not a real issue when we compare it to what we have gained. We find our area is now a more livable space with less worries about the safety of children or pets, as well as no longer seeing the extension being used as a dumping ground by individuals to get rid of trash. We cannot believe how quiet the street has become now that the extension is closed. Our preferred option would be to do nothing, but that seems to be causing issues for large vehicles such as garbage trucks or moving vans so the development of a cul-desac of some sort may make the best sense. Of the cul-de-sac options our preference would be 1D. The designated hospital to transport patients to for all residences West of Winston Churchill Blvd is Oakville Trafalgar (the New OTMH). If Deer Run Avenue is eventually going to be extended through the Cristan Lands, then create a cul-de-sac to start the process (option 3), and further extend the road at a later date. Operational Impacts Emergency service vehicles have to stop and remove the chains, delaying response time. Snow removal on the emergency access will be more challenging with the barriers in place. Can a better solution be found to help truck drivers turn around in the interim, such as giving them keys to the chains or installing an automated gate so that they can turn around at Winston Churchill Boulevard? Snow removal on the laneway has been better than on my local street. Will the response time for emergency vehicles be the same with the barricades in place as it was when the laneway was open? Fire trucks will not fit between the concrete blocks. Now that the hospital has moved, will EMS take patients from the Deer Run area to the new OTMH location or to Credit Valley? What will snow removal on Deer Run Avenue be like with the barricades in place?

5 Our local EMS told my friend that EMS will now be taking anyone in our neighbourhood who needs emergency care to Credit Valley as opposed to the new Oakville hospital, because Credit Valley is closer and faster to get to from our neighborhood. Attention needs to be given to how access to this route is to be maintained and would recommend you look at some of the options used in Alberta which include electric gates for emergency vehicles or the use of a ditch which only larger vehicles (Fire Trucks) could get by. What amount of land is required to create a safe turnaround for snow plows and garbage trucks? Can you confirm if the cu de sac option which does not require land acquisition meets safety requirements for truck turnaround? What type of road is Deer Run west of Acacia is classified as? Is it possible that only 1/2 of our road would be plowed? Supplying all emergency vehicles with bolt cutters does not make sense. Comments Related to Specific Options Option 1A: We are not supportive of this option because of its lack of functionality, and safetyrelated issues. This option is substandard for turning movements and cannot accommodate medium and large-sized vehicles. Option 1A will not reduce the number of vehicles using private driveways to turn around. This option has already been tried before without success. Large vehicles would have to reverse past more than 30 homes. Option 1B: We are not supportive of this option due to additional maintenance requirements and costs for the homeowners. Option 1C: We are supportive of this option considering that it is more consistent with the town standard roadway. Option 1D: We are not supportive of this option due to additional maintenance requirements and costs for the homeowners. This option is substandard for turning movements and cannot accommodate medium and large-sized vehicles. Option 1E: Option 1E is our second choice after 1C, as it is more consistent with the town standard roadway. What are the implications of having a pinch point at the end of the last driveway? Does the location of the road meet proper road standards for a residential neighbourhood? We are concerned about illegal dumping as a result of the cul-de-sac not being in plain sight.

6 Option 2: We are not supportive of this option due to safety: o Pinch point at the end of the last driveway (not have enough of a safety buffer/setback to the end of the driveway) o Progressively higher traffic volumes and at greater speeds. o Concerns regarding impact on neighbourhood dynamics i.e. auto and truck traffic volumes, noise, safety in residential area, and neighbourhood character or community fabric, in light of the planned function of existing and planned employment lands to the north. We strongly urge the Town to proceed with Option #2. This option represents the most cost effective and timely approach to restoring access to Winston Churchill. As a resident of Deer Run Ave I am concerned with the "preferred solution" to turn the laneway into a municipal road due to: o Many cars speeding along a quiet street with many young children trying to get to the Clarkson GO train station. o Safety threat to the children of this street. o Cornwall/Beryl/Royal Windsor would be preferred route for them to take. We select Option 2 as our preferred choice for the following reasons: o Option 2 appears to be the best solution for efficient connectivity to Winston Churchill Blvd o It will restore the direct, timely driving route via Deer Run laneway to Clarkson GO Station and other key destinations o It appears to be a less invasive alternative to existing nearby properties and utilizes the current access roadway without encroaching on neighbouring private farmland or incurring significant costs to build a totally new extension road. o Option 2 will meet our family s objective of re-opening access to Deer Run laneway and Winston Churchill Blvd in the most expedient manner to resume daily use as quickly as possible. o Option 2 will allow emergency vehicles to have timely, direct access to Deer Run Ave residences and address local residents health and safety concerns/issues. o Having two points of egress from Deer Run would facilitate the smooth and expeditious evacuation of the residents on the street east of Claremont. Option 3: We are not supportive of this option until we get greater clarity on future development plans for these proposed lands. Concerns regarding impact on neighbourhood dynamics i.e. auto and truck traffic volumes, noise, safety in residential area, and neighbourhood character or community fabric, in light of the planned function of existing and planned employment lands to the north. Impacts to Cristan Farms - ensuring the continued viability of this operation should be paramount in the deliberations. Option 4 - Do Nothing: It will not reduce the number of vehicles using private driveways to turn around. This option has already been tried before without success. Large vehicles would have to reverse past more than 30 homes Evaluation Matrix There are inconsistencies with the evaluation matrix:

7 o Total scores are incorrect. o Clarkson GO criteria are double counted. Access to Clarkson Go is already incorporated with the evaluation parameter Connectivity. o Air quality measurement scores are invalid/measurement is flawed. o Scores are incorrect for Impacts to Terrestrial and Aquatic Species. o Future traffic volumes analysis should have been incorporated into the scoring matrix. The matrix scoring system created by Town staff is flawed and deficient in several areas: o Option 2 is approximately 625% more than Option 1A. o The scoring still does not include the land purchase price, or expropriation proceedings and anticipated associated costs. o Air Quality and Extra Commute Time - these sections on the matrix both deal with time spent in vehicles and really are the same thing. o Has Town staff researched where the persons providing /letter objections to the Deer Run Avenue closure actually live? o Were any of the objections to the continued closure of Deer Run Avenue ever plotted on a map to see where the objections where coming from? If not, why not? o In regard to Option 2, shouldn t the assessment matrix note that in the future there will be a requirement to spend further tax dollars when Deer Run Avenue is eventually extended across the Cristan Lands, as noted in Option 3 and the Town s Master Plan? Other Where will the air quality monitoring station staff park? How do they access the site? Not everyone on Deer Run Avenue supports the cul-de-sac options. How was the location of the posts for the barricades chosen? Why has the property issue not been resolved before now? Access for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles should be allowed along the access. The town should take action to acquire the land so that the access can be made a permanent road. Is it a legal requirement for a neighbourhood to have two access points? Are there any statistics to show that Deer Run Avenue is less safe than other streets in Oakville? Please provide details about the demands being made by Heusel Construction and the position of the Town of Oakville with respect to those demands. Please provide details of any meetings held between the Town Staff, Councilors or the Mayor and Heusel Construction in the last five years and the nature of those conversations. Why has the town not conducted an impact survey on the many households who will be negatively impacted by a permanent closure of the road that connects Deer Run to Winston Churchill? I appreciate your work at PIC #1. I feel that there was a great amount of transparency surrounding this issue. The opinions of those who are not residents of Deer Run Avenue are strictly based upon convenience and lack any representation in this decision.

8 I lost a great deal of respect for others this evening due to the greed of those financially involved and the lack of community from those who simply need to save a few minutes of their ever so busy lives. If the owner of the land is completely unreasonable about a selling price, then leave the access closed. There is no benefit to additional spending and legal costs. It is not the end of the world if the access remains closed. Why wasn t a permanent solution to this problem not sought by the Town of Oakville long ago? The Town of Oakville should treat this matter as a priority with the goal of finding a good and representative solution to the existing problem in the shortest possible time, i.e. not one measured in years. It is very important that the views of all impacted households in the area are sought and taken into consideration; a survey would be the best way to do this to find out how often they are now using Ford Drive to access Royal Windsor Drive. The increased traffic on Ford Drive is certain to be considerable as a result of the recent closure of Deer Run Avenue. it is imperative that the be permanent and not temporary and that this solution be achieved in as short a timeframe as is possible Every minute shaved off the travel time does have a beneficial impact for busy Oakvillians. My family and I have lost considerable confidence in the Town of Oakville s leadership over the apparent mishandling of this situation. We are frustrated and disappointed in the Town of Oakville for allowing this long-time access road situation of 30+ years to remain unresolved until now. The closure of the road after so many years of satisfactory and uneventful use was a needless intrusion on our lives and established routines that was frankly unnecessary. The issue of speeding is not relevant to the question at hand. Other measures can be deployed to calm traffic if in fact it is an issue. There is no mention of the original Town staff report noting that Options 2 & 3 were not considered viable last year. Why the change in stance by Town staff? There was little discussion of the main problem that closed Deer Run in the first place the problem of private land underneath a public town thoroughfare. The first thing the Town of Oakville needs to do is resolve the land issue, as how the Town resolves this issue directly impacts on the choices being made on which redevelopment plan is chosen. A plan to to permanently resolve this property conflict should be presented at the next meeting. Town staff should be transparent about why the laneway has been closed.