Status Report on Humber Bay Shores Area Infrastructure Program

and Dedication of Waterfront Drive

The Etobicoke Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (June 23, 1999) from the Director of Engineering Services, Districts 1 and 2:

Purpose:

To obtain authorization to dedicate Waterfront Drive as a public highway, to assume the road for maintenance and to provide an update on the status of the Humber Bay Shores development area.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)Waterfront Drive be dedicated as a Public Highway;

(2)the City assume the road for maintenance purposes; and

(3)the appropriate City Officials be authorized to take whatever action is necessary to give effect to the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any bills that may be required.

Background:

The former Motel Strip area which is now known as Humber Bay Shores covers approximately 20 hectares and is bounded by Lake Shore Boulevard West, Park Lawn Road, Palace Pier Court and Lake Ontario. The area has been the subject of a number of development plans over the past 25 years. In 1992, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) approved the Secondary Plan for the area which provided for the creation of a public link between the Humber Bay Parks and the mouth of the Humber River.

A Development Plan, to be implemented jointly by the former MTRCA, Etobicoke and Metropolitan Toronto, divided the development of the area into 2 phases. Phase I of the Plan included the assembly of the necessary properties for the park and Waterfront Drive (this land would then be dedicated to the municipality), provision of shoreline protection and lake filling, landscaping the area, and construction of a portion of the waterfront trail between the Humber Bay Parks and the mouth of the Humber River. Phase II of the Development Plan included the implementation of a new Master Plan for the Amenity Area, including the possible construction of recreational facilities or additional landscaping.

As work for Phase I of the Development Plan got underway, the Canada/Ontario Infrastructure Works (COIW) program was announced and the City was able to include upgrades to the area=s infrastructure with the contribution of $6.26 million from the Provincial and Federal Governments. The municipal contribution of $5.39 million in combination with the COIW funds allowed for the implementation of an Infrastructure Program to provide essential servicing to the area. This report requests authority to dedicate Waterfront Drive as public highway and provides the details of the work which has now been completed.

Details of the Work to Date:

The Infrastructure Program developed to satisfy the preservicing requirements of the Humber Bay Shores development area is shown below with the construction schedule and budgeted amounts for each component of the program. Each component of the program is explained in detail below the table.

Infrastructure Program for the Humber Bay Shores Development Area

The Queensway Pumping Station:

The existing sanitary lift station on The Queensway was expanded and upgraded due to the age of the existing facility and the increase in capacity requirements expected by the redevelopment of the Humber Bay Shores area.

Lake Filling:

The lake filling component of Phase I of the Development Plan began in September, 1996 and needed to be complete before the watermain and storm and sanitary sewers could be installed. This is shown on Attachment No. 1.

Watermains:

A new 300 mm diameter watermain was installed on Lake Shore Boulevard West from Park Lawn Road to Palace Pier Court to upgrade service to the existing properties and expected development in the Humber Bay  Shores area, and to form part of a looped system through the Humber Bay Shores area. In addition another section of watermain was installed along Waterfront Drive from Palace Pier Court to Park Lawn Road to provide servicing for all future developments in the Humber Bay Shores area and to complete the looped water distribution system for the area as well.

Sanitary Sewer:

A sanitary sewer on Lake Shore Boulevard West and on Waterfront Drive was installed to provide for ready access and servicing of all future developments in the Humber Bay Shores area.

Storm Water Management:

The storm sewer installed along Waterfront Drive from Palace Pier Court to Park Lawn Road is the minor system being used to collect and transport storm water runoff from a two year design storm. The storm sewer collects water from the 20 hectares of the Humber Bay Shores area and outlets into the Etobicoke Storm Water Management Facility which is described below. A Master Grading Plan was developed for the whole area that would allow water from storms greater than the 2 year storm event to be directed to flow overland through a depressed area in the waterfront parkland into Lake Ontario.

The Etobicoke Storm Water Management Facility (ESWMF) has been designed to treat the 2 year storm event. It is a pilot project and will be monitored to determine its effectiveness in treating storm water. It is shown in Attachment No. 2. The facility consists of a connection to the newly constructed storm sewer incorporating a junction chamber maintenance hole with an adjustable sluice gate. In this chamber, floatable materials, large debris and all accidental oil spills are captured allowing for their easy removal. The outlet of this connection into the ESWMF is submerged to avoid disturbing the view of the naturalized and landscaped shores.

The facility itself consists of a series of four self containing cells and a wetland area. Impermeable nylon reinforced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) curtains are suspended from the floating pontoons to divide the cells which serve to contain the captured storm water. Strategically placed openings in the curtains will limit the movement of the water as it enters from the storm sewer to allow for the sediments and other substances to settle down to the bottom of the cells. As the water enters the wetland area, the final biological cleaning process will take place before the water flows into Lake Ontario.

The existing configuration of the bay was incorporated into the design resulting in minimal disturbance to the ground. In addition, the pontoon system for the cell curtains was constructed for pedestrian access, to allow the public a closer view of the wetlands.

Road Works and Streetscaping:

Works within the road allowance of Waterfront Drive included the construction of the roadway, median island, streetscaping details such as paving stone, pedestrian and roadway lighting, Waterfront Trail, landscaping and the installation of a duct structure for the use of utilities such as Bell, Rogers Cable TV, Hydro and the City=s underground plant.

The 450 metre section of Waterfront Drive from the >Central Place= to Palace Pier Court was constructed with concrete to distinguish this area from the rest of the road as it is intended to be closed for vehicular traffic and used by pedestrians during special occasions. This is shown in Attachment No. 3. Speed tables have been built at the existing and proposed road intersections as traffic calming measures.

Along the length of Waterfront Drive, customized light standards were developed for roadway and pedestrian lighting. Slate blue colouring was used to perpetuate the lighting scheme used along the western waterfront.

The portion of the Waterfront Trail located within the Waterfront Drive road allowance is composed of an asphalt trail for cyclists and rollerbladers, and a concrete walkway with decorative paving stones for pedestrians. There are paving stone enclaves located along the pedestrian trail for benches and bicycle racks. Limestone retaining walls were installed at the gateway, and a raised centre median with a precast coping wall was installed to accommodate plantings and trees.

Landscaping within the road allowance consists of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs, perennials, and grasses. High canopy, hardy trees were planted along both the north and south side of Waterfront Drive from Park Lawn Road to Palace Pier Court, while smaller trees and shrubs were planted within the roadway median, and in clusters framing the Humber Bay East Park entrance, surrounding the Lake Shore Boulevard West/Waterfront Drive gateway and around the >knoll=. The grasses are interspersed within the rest of the road allowance.

Attachments No. 4 and No. 5 show the project components of the infrastructure program which are now complete. Outstanding tasks include seeding of the meadow areas, final turf establishment, tree and shrub planting, beach feeding and placement of street furniture within the Waterfront Park area as well as construction of a local park just west of the Newport Development between Waterfront Drive and Lake Shore Boulevard West.

It should be noted that Waterfront Drive has not been officially named as yet. It is expected that Ballot Boxes to name the road will be set up at the June 19, 1999 official opening of Humber Bay Park and Waterfront Drive. Based on these submissions a name for the road will be submitted by staff to the Etobicoke Community Council for its recommendation to City Council.

Waterfront Drive has been constructed to satisfactory standards and is registered with the Land Registrar for the Land Titles Division of Metropolitan Toronto. It should now be assumed by the City and dedicated as public highway.

Conclusion:

Phase I of the Humber Bay Shores Development Plan has been completed. As well, the Infrastructure Program for the Humber Bay Shores development area has been completed with contributions from the Federal and Provincial Government of $6.26 million and $5.39 million from the former City of Etobicoke. The infrastructure has been designed to enhance storm water quality and to reflect the natural setting of Waterfront Park. Phase II of the Development Plan, which includes the provision of landscaping and recreational facilities, will be implemented subject to the availability of funds.

Now that the road works have been completed, and the right-of-way transferred to the City of Toronto, it is appropriate for the City to legally assume the road for maintenance purposes and dedicate it as public highway.

Contact Name:

Tom Ellerbusch, P.Eng., Manager, Design & Construction, District 2

(416) 394-8399; Fax (416) 394-8942.

(A copy of each of Attachments Nos. 1-5, referred to in the foregoing report, was forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda for the Etobicoke Community Council meeting of June 23, 1999, and a copy of each is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)