Erin truck bypass would cost more than $11 million

An updated estimate on the cost of a possible bypass to divert trucks north of Erin village was discouraging news for members of town council – and now they want an estimate on a bypass to the south.

A report from County Engineer Don Kudo said a recent review of the 17 Sideroad – Trafalgar Road route projects the cost at $10.7 million – a huge increase from the initial estimate of $2.6 million when the initial study was done in 1999 by Dillon Consulting.

Truck traffic in downtown Erin has been a problem for decades.

Because Trafalgar near 17 SR is on an incline, a bypass would have to include climbing lanes, through lanes and turning lanes. A new intersection would be needed on County Road 124 at the north end of Erin village, along with reconstruction and widening of 17 Sideroad.

The $10.7 million estimate does not include property acquisition, utility relocations, culvert replacement, a new bridge or design/engineering costs.

 “It looks like this has been created, to be blunt, so that it’s a no-brainer to say No,” said Councillor Matt Sammut, at council’s Jan. 16 meeting.

“Trafalgar is an acceptable road. I do understand the corner would have to be adjusted, and I understand that the corner of 124 would have to be changed. But nearly 11 million dollars, plus HST? I shake my head when I read this. 17 Sideroad probably would require some work.”

Mayor Al Alls said it would be “major” work, and a “struggle” because of the disruption to residents of 17 Sideroad. He speculated that once a cross-walk is installed this spring, truckers might be looking for alternate routes.

Councillor Jeff Duncan said he heard one merchant say he would be willing to hire someone at minimum wage to press the cross-walk button all day long. “That’s a lot cheaper than $10 million,” he said.

Sammut said the lack of a truck bypass is causing serious harm to the town.

“It’s this council and future councils’ job to create the best environment for businesses to grow. My guess is that if I asked a lot of shoppers, they’d say they don’t like darting in front of trucks. It absolutely impacts tourism. It’s not an enjoyable experience to walk downtown and every third vehicle is a tractor-trailer.”

The estimate for the northern bypass includes alignment shifts due to property conflicts and disturbance of environmentally sensitive areas.

 “I don’t think the figures are exaggerated,” said Als, predicting a bridge on 17 Sideroad would also have to be reconstructed.

Als said if the bypass route became a county road, the Town of Erin would have to take responsibility (and pay the costs) for Road 124 (Main Street) through Erin village.

The original cost estimate for a northern bypass was revised to $3.9 million in 2000. After that, when it became clear that a bypass would not be built in the near future, the county proceeded with reconstruction of Main Street downtown.

Alls said it would be less expensive to have a bypass to the south of the village. Trucks travelling west on Road 124 could turn south on Winston Churchill, then use Road 52 (Bush Street) to reconnect with 124 at the south end of the village.

Council agreed to request a cost estimate from the county for that route. Sammut immediately voiced concern. He lives in that area, where many residents oppose the proposed expansion of a nearby gravel pit.

“That’s a key cog for commuter traffic, and how much truck traffic is there from the pits – a significant amount,” he said.

“And now we’re thinking of adding further truck traffic? You’ve got four streets coming into the main road. You would have to adjust totally Bush Street coming up Main Street, because cars are flying around that corner. There’s no way it could work without significant adjustment.

“You want an uprising? You are risking an uprising at the south end of town already.”

LOOKING BACK – High attendance for Women's Institute

From the Advocate – 100 years ago (1918)

High attendance for Women’s Institute

The Women’s Institute held their monthly meeting at the home of Mrs. W. Delaney, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 3rd. There were 105 present. The Secretary gave a report of the Red Cross work done in 1917, which showed that 2001 articles had been made, valued at $1036.00. The cash receipts were $1001.59.

The institute shipped to the Red Cross Society the following list of articles for January: 18 pairs of sox $16.20, 60 housewives $75.00, 10 trench caps $5.00, 372 handkerchiefs $11.16, 36 towels $13.13, 12 suits pyjamas $22.80, 72 face cloths $3.60, 12 pillow cases $3.60, 6 sheets $6.25, 33 stretcher caps $11.55, total $168.79. E.A. Burrows, Sec.

From the Advocate – 35 years ago (1983)

Landfill site has one year left

Erin Township should be looking for a new landfill site, since the current facility is reaching the end of its useful life, according to a report by the engineering consulting firm Gamsby and Mannerow. Leachate from the 32-year-old site on Eighth Line near Hillsburgh is affecting some local wells with high chloride levels and getting into the West Credit River.

Several test wells were drilled for the study, which also recommends the site be supervised by a staff member when open, and that items such as tires, scrap metal, construction material, wood and brush be segregated from the solid waste. Monitoring of ground and surface water will continue after the closure.

From the Advocate – 25 years ago (1993)

Crackdown on downtown parking

Drivers who have enjoyed penalty-free parking for hours on end in downtown Erin Village are about to be reminded of the two-hour parking limit.

“Most people have been very good,” said Village Bylaw Enforcement Officer Debbie Callaghan, who expects to be handing out parking tickets by the middle of January, as soon as they are printed.

The municipality recently received word from the Ministry of the Solicitor General that its parking bylaw is OK. Last summer there were many complaints from merchants about downtown parking problems.

From the Advocate – 20 years ago (1998)

Newspaper driver killed in bus-car crash

A Hillsburgh bus driver and students from Ospringe Public School are coping with the traumatic aftermath of a fatal collision last Tuesday afternoon between their school bus and a car driven by David Glidden, 42, of Guelph. Glidden died at the scene of the accident, on County Road 124 at Sixth Line.

Bus driver Balva Fick was not injured, while three of the 35 Grade 5-7 students had minor cuts. The bus had been travelling east on the county road, while Glidden, a contractor delivering the Guelph Mercury, was northbound on Sixth Line. He stopped at the stop sign, and then attempted to cross the road. The car lost traction on a patch of ice, leaving it directly in the path of the bus. Lynn Wells, chief psychologist for the public school board, met with the students in small groups to discuss their reactions and offer help as needed.

Wastewater plan needs public input

Preferred options for a wastewater system that could cost $118 million and swell the urban population to 14,600 were presented to Erin town council on January 9.

This is the first detailed look at how sewer service could be provided to most homes in Hillsburgh and Erin village, as the town pushes to complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) that had its first public meeting in 2009.

No decisions have been made, and it will still be more than five years until sewers could be operational.

A Public Information Centre will be held on Friday, Feb. 2 in the Centre 2000 theatre, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a presentation at 7 p.m. A series of reports analyzing options for the project can be downloaded from the wastewater section of the town website.

 A view of the West Credit River facing the Tenth Line from approximately 20 m downstream. 

This would be the area closest to the proposed sewage treatment plant where effluent could be discharged. 

Because this is an important spawning area for Brook Trout, the plan is to pipe the 

effluent further east and discharge it near Winston Churchill Blvd. 

Photo - Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd.

Highlights of the recommendations include a main trunk sewer line that uses Daniel Street instead of Main Street, to reduce impact on the downtown business district.

The treatment plant would be on a 12-acre site near Tenth Line and Wellington Road 52 (Bush Street), either on Solmar-owned land on the north side, or on Halton Crushed Stone land on the south (after gravel extraction).

There would be a pipe to discharge the effluent into the West Credit River downstream at the Caledon border (Winston Churchill Boulevard), which could cost $1.2 million.

A gravity-based system is recommended for most parts of Hillsburgh and Erin village, based on a complex scoring system that covers criteria such as social/cultural, technical, environmental and economic factors.

The advantages and disadvantages of collection technologies, including alternatives such as small-bore, low pressure and vacuum systems have been researched and reported in a public technical memorandum

Gravity sewers will require large trenches during construction. Some low-lying areas will need a low-pressure system to avoid the cost of extra pumping stations. There will be pressurized forcemains in several locations, and a major forcemain recommended along the Elora Cataract Trailway to move sewage from Hillsburgh to Erin village.

All property owners receiving service will not only have to share the construction cost, but also pay a one-time charge averaging $5,100 to hook up to the system once it is available and pay a new, ongoing wastewater bill based partly on usage that could average $400 to $500 per year.

“Providing wastewater services within our community is no longer a matter of if, but when – the status quo is no longer an option,” said Mayor Al Alls in an open letter to residents, available at erin.ca.

“Our town needs to grow, and it needs to diversify. This is entirely dependent upon bringing a wastewater treatment plant into our community, which will allow us to be competitive in attracting new businesses. The opportunity is before us now, and we have but one chance to effect real and positive change.”

The EA process is scheduled to be complete by this June, and the results could be appealed to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. After that, even if it is financially viable, the project would still need an estimated 18 months for final design, one year for government approval and two years for tendering and construction.

Consultant Joe Mullan, President of Ainley Group that was contracted complete Phases 3-5 of the EA, told council that the estimated cost to service existing urban residents (about 4,500 people) and businesses would be in the range of $50 million to $60 million.

There would be an additional cost of $58 million to $68 million to service future growth – which does not include the cost of sewers within the subdivisions. If the cost for existing residents is at the low end of its range, the cost for future growth will be at the high end of its range, and vice versa.

The town is primarily concerned with financing the service to existing urban properties, since developers and future landowners will pay for the growth portion. The share of the cost for each connected household is estimated at $20,000 to $25,000, but the actual amount is expected to be much lower.

The town does not have the borrowing capacity to finance a $50 million project, so it will be seeking major funding from the federal and provincial governments, pre-payment of development charges and extra contributions from developers. The town could delay servicing for some areas to limit initial costs, and could also enter into a partnership to bring in private sector investment or management.

“All funding options remain on the table – we will make the most fiscally responsible decision possible for our future,” said Alls.

It was five years ago, during Phase 2 of the EA (the Servicing and Settlement Master Plan – SSMP) that consultant Matt Pearson of B.M. Ross gave a rough estimate of $60 million to build an Erin sewer system. That was based on limited information, but it accounted for the urban population growing to 9,000-12,000. That was later scaled back to 6,000, and then more recently bumped up to 14,600, with growth over 20-30 years.

“This larger serviced population provides the opportunity for cost sharing between the existing community and growth, and hence reduce the capital costs to the existing community,” said Mullan.

In 2014, Gary Scanlon of Watson & Associates Economists said if the Town could get two-thirds (66.6%) of a $58.5 million system covered by government grants, it would leave the Town some flexibility for other borrowing, and reduce the capital cost per household to about $9,300. Such costs are normally repaid over many years, like a loan, through the property tax bill.

Some neighbourhoods with large lots and newer septic systems are to be excluded from sewer service, meaning that they will not have to contribute directly to the costs. These are: the Upper Canada Drive subdivision in Hillsburgh, the Credit River Road – Pine Ridge Road area near the Tenth Line, and the Delarmbro Drive – Patrick Drive – Erinwood Drive area near Eighth Line and Country Road 124.

Some of those homes could be brought into the system later if other nearby lands were being developed.

The system is tentatively sized and designed for a water usage rate of 380 litres of water per person per day, including a 90-litre allowance for possible “infiltration” – the water that often leaks into traditional gravity sewers, increasing the volume that a treatment plant must handle.

The 380 L rating has been criticized as too high, but Mullan defended building extra capacity, saying it would add “robustness” and give the town flexibility – especially as the system inevitably deteriorates in the latter part of its approximately 50-100 year lifespan.

At the urging of Councillor Jeff Duncan, Ainley will analyze the impact of reducing the rating. This could reduce the cost of the treatment plant, or permit an even higher level of population growth.

Heritage and safety key elements in Erin pond debate

An effort to recognize Erin’s eight major ponds as sites of heritage interest is a new twist in the ongoing debate over dam safety, the cost of maintenance and the impact of allowing the West Credit River to return to a meandering stream.

Only two of the dams for those ponds are publicly owned. A question mark still hangs over the Hillsburgh millpond, now jointly owned by the county and the town. An environmental assessment recommending its preservation has been appealed to the Minister of the Environment, but no decision has been announced.

More attention is turning to Hull’s Dam, which creates the upper pond near Church Boulevard in Erin village. Its concrete has been crumbling for decades, and now Credit Valley Conservation is urging the town to order an engineering assessment.

If the hazard potential is high, there could be a Dam Safety Review (DSR). The initial cost could be from $50,000 to $150,000, possibly offset by government funding. A DSR could lead to major upgrades, with a plan for inspection, maintenance and emergency response.

West Credit River and Lower Pond,
south of Hull's Dam 

Or the town could decide to decommission the dam, which would require yet another environmental assessment. CVC generally favours decommissioning since it improves fish habitat and reduces flood risk, but it also can remove a cultural landmark and drastically alter the local eco-system.

John Sinnige, Senior Manager, Water Resources and Flood Risk, at Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), told council last month that the town has an obligation of “due diligence” for the dams it owns.

“This means safe operation, maintenance and monitoring,” he said. “The Church Street [Hull’s] and Charles Street dams are probably some of the biggest concerns right now. If the Town of Erin is concerned about a privately-owned dam, they should contact the MNRF (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry).”

Ainsworth Pond, south of Station Street.

Public and private owners are liable if a dam failure causes damage. Sinnige said CVC tries to warn owners in the watershed of the risks and to offer advice.

“There are some of the major dam owners who, believe it or not, don’t like the CVC and just don’t want to deal with us at all. They just say, ‘Keep out of my business’, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

The MNRF has primary responsibility for dam safety, but do not get involved unless there is a serious problem. Normally, neither the MNRF nor CVC can force a dam owner to upgrade to modern standards.

Hillsburgh Millpond at dusk

Erin’s Heritage Committee recently passed a motion urging council to list all the major ponds on its Heritage Registry, a list normally used for older buildings. This comes after the privately-owned Rudd pond south of Hillsburgh was decommissioned, with no requirement to notify council or the public.

“We should ask the County of Wellington planning staff to provide us with a report on what the options are and the implications,” said Coun. Jeff Duncan at the December council meeting.

“The West Branch of the Credit River probably has one of the highest concentrations of existing and historic mill ponds, in the five kilometres from Erin to Hillsburgh.”

In addition to Station Street and Hull’s Dam, there are dams for the Ainsworth Pond, Thomson Lake (Olesovsky) and Roman Lake (an off-line pond with two dams) south of Hillsburgh. In Erin village there are private dams for two off-line ponds in Stanley Park, plus the privately-owned Charles Street dam, which creates the lower pond near the downtown core.

Adding a building (or pond) to the Heritage Registry does not stop an owner from getting rid of it, but it would require a 60-day public notice period. During that time, the town could investigate options for preservation and could take the unusual action of a Heritage Designation, which would prohibit demolition.

Duncan said the Heritage Committee has a mandate to deal not only with buildings but landscape features of cultural interest. He said heritage is studied when removal of a public pond is considered, and that there should be a process that recognizes both the heritage aspect of a private pond and the effect on other landowners.

Mayor Al Alls said the town had a complaint about fish being killed by the release of silt, and the town didn’t even know it was happening. “There’s got to be a better process,” he said. CVC CAO Deborah Martin-Downs agreed that better communication would help “make the air clearer”.

Alls also said he “kind of supports” the request to put ponds on the Heritage Registry. “I just worry that we are trampling on private rights,” he said. Council made no decision on listing the ponds, but did agree to request a county report.

The CVC presentation to council came after Coun. Matt Sammut previously raised the question of what the Town of Erin could do to reduce the risk of a dam failure, which would endanger life and damage property.

Hillsburgh Millpond after sunset

Sinnige said Erin has nine major dams and 118 minor ones, based on a survey done in 2005. He said that in 2011, after a section of roadway over the Station Street dam became unstable, CVC did a confidential, preliminary study of what could happen if the dam collapsed.

“There was a possibility that all ponds in Hillsburgh and Erin could be breached due to a cascading effect,” he said. “There was limited information available to conduct calculations. Assumptions were made due to timeline and property access issues.”

That report was never made public, but it did reinforce the MNRF’s demands that Erin come up with a solution for Station Street.

“We don’t like to make it public because of the assumptions and limitations of the study,” he said. “We don’t want it to be interpreted incorrectly.”

Emergency work was done at Station Street to stabilize the dam. The CVC report went to the county, and in 2015, Community Emergency Management Coordinator Linda Dickson finally made a public report to Erin council.

The county review estimated that a Station Street failure would break down the Hillsburgh dams, but only overflow the Erin village dams. Sections of Trafalgar Road and Eighth Line, along with residential lots in Stanley Park, downtown business properties next to the pond and areas downstream of Charles Street, would be under several feet of water.

That report does not put a dollar value on potential damage, but says such an event would be rated as a one-in-50 year flood, slightly less than the current flood lines on Town planning documents.