Report to: Development Services Committee Date Report Authored: June 22, 2010

SUBJECT: Main Street Markham Municipal Class Environmental Assessment

PREPARED BY: Dale MacKenzie, Senior Capital Works Engineer (4055)

Alick Wong, Manager Capital Works and Infrastructure (3120)

RECOMMENDATION:

1) That the report entitled “Main Street Markham Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA)”, be received;

2) And that the preferred alternative for the reconstruction of Main Street Markham from Highway 407 northward to the intersection with the future Donald Cousens Parkway located north of Major MacKenzie Drive as outlined in this report be endorsed;

3) And that the Engineering Department Staff be authorized to file the Environmental Study Report in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment Act;

4) And that subject to EA approval, staff be authorized to proceed with the detailed design of Main Street Markham (Highway 7 to Church Street and 16^th Avenue to the future connection with the Donald Cousens Parkway);

5) And that during the design stage, outstanding issues as noted in this report and the Environmental Study Report be addressed;

6) And that the stakeholder Advisory Group mandate be expanded to provide comments on the detailed design;

7) And that the Region of York be requested to expedite the completion of the Donald Cousens Parkway from 2015 to 2013;

8) And that staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not Applicable

1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial

5. Others (HR, Strategic, Affected Units) 6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

· The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of the preferred alternative for the reconstruction of Main Street Markham from Highway 407 north to the future intersection with the Donald Cousens Parkway and to file the EA Study;

· To expand the Terms of Reference of the Community Advisory Group to include the review and comment on the design of the roadway sections in respect to streetscape, pathways, utility street furniture and lighting.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Main Street Markham, Highway 48, or Markham Road (hereafter referred to as Main Street Markham) is a diverse roadway with three distinctive areas (functions) with a variety of adjacent land uses. The study area extends from Highway 407 northward to the future Markham Bypass intersection (Donald Cousens Parkway) located north of Major MacKenzie Drive.

The three distinct areas are as follows:

· Highway 407 to Highway 7 - This section of the Main Street Markham roadway includes the Rouge River Valley system and historical residential structures. This area is the gateway to the Village of Markham and is the southern limit of the Markham Village Heritage Conservation District;

· Highway 7 to 16^th Avenue - This section of Main Street Markham includes the historic Markham Village and is designated as Markham Village Heritage Conservation District. This area includes the Markham Village Business Area and historical residential structures.

· 16^th Avenue north to the future Donald Cousens Parkway (north of Major MacKenzie Drive) – This last section of Main Street Markham includes a small historic area towards the south (Markham Museum Area) while towards the north are existing/proposed commercial/industrial and residential developments.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Community Advisory Group:

A Community Advisory Group (AG), which includes representatives from the Main Street Markham Committee, Heritage Markham, Markham Village Business Improvement Area, Markham Museum Board, Markham Village Conservancy, as well as other ratepayer associations within the study area, was formed at the beginning of the study and also included the two local Councillors (Wards 4 and 5). The AG assisted Town staff and the Consultant by providing input to the development of the conceptual designs for the improvements on Main Street Markham.

With the help of our Engineering Consultant (McCormick Rankin), design alternatives were developed for Main Street Markham and were reviewed in great detail with members of the AG. There were seven (7) meetings with the AG to review and provide final input into the design options.

DISCUSSION:

Preferred Alternative

The recommended alternative for the three sections of roadway are shown as Attachment “B” and are noted as follows:

Highway 407 to Highway 7:

This section of the roadway is to be widened to allow for three traffic lanes (2 southbound and 1 northbound) with a multi-use pathway along the east side of the roadway. The additional southbound lane will provide additional traffic capacity to the road for the morning peak period. The 3 lane alternative achieves a balance between the cultural environment, socio-economic environment, natural environment and transportation needs.

The north end of this section includes a landscaped “Gateway Feature” to the Markham Village commercial core and the intersection with Highway 7 will be revised to help ease the traffic congestion. It is also proposed to provide an entrance to Wellington Street by allowing northbound traffic to make a left turn just south of Highway 7. This access to Wellington Street will be revisited to determine necessity, during the detailed design stage. The Highway 7 intersection will include a left turn lane, a straight thru lane and a right turn lane for the northbound traffic. The north bound lanes at the intersection will also provide significant storage of vehicles between light cycles. The main issue that was raised during the Public Information Centre #2 (PIC) was access to and from abutting driveways. This issue and all other issues that were raised during the Public Information Centre or by correspondence will be addressed during the detailed design stage.

Highway 7 to 16^th Avenue:

Based on recommendations from previous studies:

Main Street Markham Streetscape and Traffic Management Study, dated May 2003 by Harington and Hoyle Ltd.;
Main Street Markham a Vision for the Millenium, dated1999 by Main Street Markham Committee;
Urban Design Study, dated 2005, by Brook Mcllroy Planning;
Markham Transportation Planning Study, dated 2002, by Poulos and Chung Limited;

as well as input collected, the preferred alternative for this section of the roadway is to maintain the travelled portion of the roadway with two thru lanes (one northbound and one southbound) and to eliminate the possibility of using the on-street parking area as traffic lanes. To accomplish this, the existing curb lanes will be modified by installing designated parking areas to limit movement along the parking areas and to provide a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere. Streetscape features and additional boulevard areas will enhance the area and will promote a safe and friendly environment. The proposed landscaping will support businesses in Markham Village and enhances the heritage / community character. The roadway north of the railway tracks has parking on one side only and includes a larger boulevard.

The issues that were raised at the Public Information Centre included: pedestrian safety, speeding of vehicles and to ensure that the number of parking spaces are not reduced. These streetscape issues will be addressed during the design and no net loss of parking is expected.

16^th Avenue to future Donald Cousens Parkway:

The future developments in this area include both residential and commercial intensification. To accommodate the projected increase in traffic, there is a need to have a 4-lane cross-section with a centre turning lane area. The centre area will include a 6m wide landscaped island (where practical) and will include turning lanes at intersections and other designated locations.

The comments received for this area were generally in agreement with the proposal and several of the residents requested that the schedule for the roadway works be expedited, that signs be installed to direct traffic to the Donald Cousens Parkway (DCP) and that the Region of York be requested to expedite the completion of the DCP.

Markham Museum

The Markham Museum is currently undergoing a significant expansion. Meetings were held to address all issues related to the museum interface with the future Main Street Markham and solutions were found. A summary of these points are listed below:

· The alignment of an east/west access road with the new proposed signalized intersection at the north end of the property will be provided;

· A new fence is to be located approximately 3m west of the existing fence line which will demarcate the new property line;

· Road widening of approximately 5m along the property line that abuts Main Street Markham;

· As a result of the new property line, the west side of Main Street Markham will include a 3m multi-use pathway and a 3m boulevard;

· It was agreed to provide (from Capital Engineering accounts) for any additional consultant/ construction fees that were the result of any redesign due to the Main Street Markham EA;

· Coordination of expected finished boulevard elevations;

· The abandoned drinking fountain to be removed by the museum contractor;

· If the hydro pole which services the museum is required to be relocated for the road works, the costs shall be part of the Engineering Department Capital Works budget.

Public Information Centres:

The first Public Information Centre (PIC) was held on November 26, 2008. The purpose of PIC #1 was to introduce the study, present the study process, existing conditions, alternative solutions, preliminary alternatives and to list the next steps in the study. The main comments received at PIC #1 were:

· Roadway cross-section comments, 2 lanes vs. 4 lanes, pedestrian friendly, protect heritage characteristic of Main Street Markham and streetscaping;

· Expedite construction on Donald Cousens Parkway, and additional signage to direct drivers to use Donald Cousens Parkway;

Following PIC #1, the Project Team developed the alternatives for Main Street Markham in further detail, taking into consideration comments received at PIC #1.

The alternatives were analyzed and evaluated using the following factors: socio-economic environment, cultural environment, natural environment, transportation and construction costs. Findings of the analyses were reviewed with members of the AG, and the preferred alternative for each section of roadway was identified.

At the General Committee Meeting dated April 26^th, 2010, a power point presentation of the recommended cross-sections was provided to Council. Council approved the holding of the second PIC, however two suggestions were raised by Council:

· The first suggestion was to revisit the possible use of a reversible lane for the section of roadway from Highway 407 to Highway 7. This suggestion was reviewed by the consultant, engineering staff and the Community Advisory Group and was not supported for the following reasons:

1. A reversible lane will impact negatively the historical, environmental and cultural Vinegar Dip area as there will be a need for overhead wires and poles to direct traffic.

2. The land requirement will likely require additional tree removal.

3. The reversible lane would only be approximately 500m in length, therefore not providing significant traffic congestion relief.

4. Intersection improvements at Highway #7 (left turn, right turn and thru lanes) will provide a reasonable level of service for the PM peak hour traffic.

· The second suggestion was for the section of roadway from 16^th Avenue to Major MacKenzie Drive. Staff was requested to investigate the possibility of reducing the centre median to allow for a designated bicycle route on the roadway instead of a multi-use pathway on the boulevard. Again this suggestion was reviewed by the consultant, engineering staff and the Community Advisory Group. Several possible cross-sections showing where the bicycle lane could be located were reviewed but were not accepted by the review group. In summary, the separate bicycle lane adjacent to the travelled portion of the right-of-way was not supported for the following reasons:

1. If a separate bicycle lane was provided the pavement structure would be in excess of 19m in width at certain locations;

2. Consensus was in favour of maintaining a 6m wide landscape strip where possible;

3. There will be a 3m wide multi-use pathway in both side boulevards of the roadway.

On May 18, 2010, a memo was sent to Council explaining why these two suggestions were not recommended to be put forward for discussion at the second PIC and that the preferred alternatives were not being changed.

On May 19, 2010 the second PIC meeting was held and the preferred alternative was reviewed with members of the public. Comments were generally in favour of the preferred alternatives and other issues were discussed. Some of the comments received are provided below:

· “It is vitally important for the viability and sustainability for the Markham Main Street Village, between Highway #7 and 16^th Avenue to be one lane each way. Two lanes each way would destroy the businesses”;

· “Please help to get this project moving forward as it is long overdue.”

· Several comments related to problems gaining access to driveways for residents in the Highway 407 to Highway 7 area were also received;

Similar to PIC#1, a request to expedite the Donald Cousens Parkway extension to Markham Road and to provide signage to assist motorists was raised. All of these issues will be addressed during the detailed design stage.

Stakeholders Endorsement:

The Community Advisory Group, the Markham Business Improvement Area, Heritage Markham, Markham Conservancy, Main Street Markham Committee, the Old Markham Ratepayers Inc. as well as the Vinegar Hill Ratepayers Association have all endorsed the preferred alternative for each of the roadway sections.

Urban Design and Streetscape Input

One of the documents used as a basis for this Class EA was the “Main Street Markham Streetscape and Traffic Management Study” dated May 2003. This document outlines guidelines to be followed for the redevelopment of Main Street Markham from Highway 7 to 16^th Avenue. For the section north of 16^th Avenue, the Class EA also used the “Highway 48: 16 Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive Urban Design Study” dated October 2005 as the basis when developing the alternatives. It should be noted that a detailed landscaping plan will be developed during detailed design stage.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Project Schedule and Costs

The following table presents preliminary schedule and costs (May 27, 2010) to construct each of the Main Street Markham road sections. The construction schedule will be finalized subject to EA approval, capital funding and Council approval.

Road Section

Design Year

(Subject to funding)

Fees

Construction

Costs/Schedule

Highway 407 to Highway 7

Highway 7 to 16th Avenue

(Hwy 7 to Church St.)

(Church Street to 16^th Avenue)

16th Avenue to Major MacKenzie Drive

Major MacKenzie Drive to Donald Cousens Parkway

NEXT STEPS:

Subject to Council approval, the Environmental Assessment Study Report will be filed this summer and following the successful completion of a minimum 30 day appeal period, the 2010 design projects may proceed.

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS

“Not applicable”

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

The Main Street Markham Class EA Report presents a consensus on redevelopment of the Main Street Markham roadway from Highway 407 to the future connection with the Donald Cousens Parkway. The local residents and merchants were provided an opportunity to review and discuss the design options. Many of the comments received were for the protection of the cultural and environmental heritage of the area, as well as requesting improvements for pedestrians and allowing for improved landscaping features.

This Municipal Class Environmental Assessment is in line with the Town of Markham’s strategic focus relating to Growth Management, Transportation/Transit, Safety, the Environment and Municipal Services.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

This report was reviewed by the Planning and Urban Design as well as Community Services.

RECOMMENDED BY:

________________________ ______________________________

Alan Brown, C.E.T. Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.

Director of Engineering Commissioner, Development Services

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment “A” – Site Study Area

Attachment “B” – Preferred Alternatives

Attachment “C” – Highway 7 to 16^th Avenue, Photo and Cross-sections

Attachment “D” – 16^th Avenue to Major Mackenzie, Photo and Cross-sections

Attachment “E” – Highway 407 to Highway 7, Photos and Cross-sections