STAFF REPORT

December 8, 1999

To: Works Committee

From: Barry H. Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

Subject: Request for Opening in Landscaped Centre Median

Andrews Motel, No. 2245 Kingston Road

Scarborough Bluffs

Purpose:

To report on information gathered through consultation with Councillor Brian Ashton, property owners and members of the public regarding a request for an opening in the landscaped centre median at No. 2245 Kingston Road.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The estimated cost to construct the proposed opening in the landscaped centre median at No. 2245 Kingston Road is approximately $55,000.00 including utility relocation, tree replacement, removal and maintenance for two years. All costs would be borne by the Andrews Motel.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that this report be received and forwarded to Council for its information.

Background:

In July 1997, the Andrews Motel submitted a letter to former Metro Transportation informing them that they were undertaking upgrades to their restaurant and requested that an opening be made in the median strip to attract business. The Andrews Motel claimed that there had been a decrease in business since the median was constructed [many years ago] and they would like to reverse that trend.

In order to address the Andrews Motel request, Councillor Brian Ashton accepted the staff suggestion to prepare a standard road modification report for the appropriate committee of Council. In November 1997, staff prepared a preliminary design and cost estimate and responded to the Andrews Motel indicating what was required to process their request for a break in the median. The Andrews Motel would have to commit to paying the full cost of construction, tree removal and replacement, landscaping and any additional requirements that may arise through the public consultation process.

In April 1998, the Andrews Motel submitted a letter of credit to the City of Toronto for the construction costs. Works and Emergency Services staff finalized the design and submitted a report to the Urban Environment and Development Committee on June 15, 1998 seeking authority to construct various development-related road modifications. The report also included the Andrews Motel request for the Kingston Road median opening.

The report (May 25, 1998) from the Interim Functional Lead, Transportation, presented the Andrews Motel request as a positive recommendation, as follows:

"(3) (a) approval be given to proceed with the reconstruction of the concrete centre median on Kingston Road, south of Cliffside Drive, to provide for a southbound left-turn lane at the southerly entrance at 2235-2245 Kingston Road (Andrews Motel); and

(3) (b) in conjunction with Recommendation No. (3)(a), approval be given to remove or transplant those trees in the centre median which would be affected by the reconstruction of the concrete centre median on Kingston Road, in the vicinity of 2235-2245 Kingston Road."

The Committee also had before it a communication (June 11, 1998) from Councillor Brian Ashton, Scarborough Bluffs, advising of his opposition with respect to the proposed removal of a portion of the median on Kingston Road to allow the creation of a left-turn lane; that the portion in question currently contains a number of trees and stating that it is his belief that their removal would be detrimental to the streetscape. On motion by Councillor Moscoe, the Committee referred Recommendation No. (3) to the General Manager, Transportation Services, with a request that Councillor Brian Ashton be consulted with respect thereto.

Since June 1998, several meetings have been held with representatives from the Ward Councillors offices, Works and Emergency Services, Urban Planning and Development Services and the Andrews Motel. Earlier this year, the Andrews Motel retained V.A. Soloman Planning and Development to review the planning issues related to their request and BA Group to review the appropriateness of the access from a traffic operations and design perspective.

In August 1999, a permit application for commercial access requesting a similar opening in the centre median was submitted to Works and Emergency Services by the owners of the Licks Restaurant at No. 2331 Kingston Road, on a section of Kingston Road to the east of the Andrews Motel site. The permit application was not approved. Staff indicated that they did not support providing an opening in the median for individual properties or businesses and that since the subject property was only 95 metres from the traffic control signals at Kingston Road and Ridgemoor Avenue, westbound motorists were able gain access to the site with minimal inconvenience.

In September 1999, Councillors Ashton and Altobello issued a public notice in the Bluffs Monitor newspaper requesting input from members of the community regarding both the Andrews Motel and the Licks Restaurant requests for a median opening. The Councillors received nine responses in total. Eight responses were in favour and one was opposed to the proposed median openings. One of the eight responses in favour was sent by Dan Newman, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough Southwest. Business owners located in the area submitted the remaining responses.

Comments:

1. Existing Characteristics

Kingston Road in this vicinity is a major six-lane arterial roadway with a landscaped centre median, a posted speed limit of 60 km/h and a two-way 24-hour traffic volume of approximately 38,000 vehicles. The Andrews Motel is on the south side of Kingston Road. Two driveways onto eastbound Kingston Road, which are separated by approximately 45 metres, provide right-in/right-out access to the site. The westerly driveway is approximately 120 metres east of the traffic control signals at Cliffside Drive and approximately 175 metres west of the traffic control signals at Ridgemoor Avenue. Full movement access to the site is provided from East Haven Drive approximately 80 metres south of Kingston Road. Access to the site from the east is made by making a left-turn movement from westbound Kingston Road at either Ridgemoor Avenue or Cliffside Drive, travelling south to East Haven Drive and then proceeding to the site along East Haven Drive.

In the vicinity of the Andrews Motel, parking is prohibited on the north side of Kingston Road from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, and on the south side from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. One-hour parking is allowed from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday on both sides of the road. The land use along Kingston Road in this vicinity is primarily commercial where as land use along East Haven Drive and the community to the south is primarily low density residential. The Cliffside Elementary School at No. 27 East Haven Drive is directly south of the Andrews Motel site.

A centre median has been in place along this section of Kingston Road for at least the last 45 years. A search of the Council Reports from the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto revealed that references to a dividing boulevard date back to as early as May 1955. A report of the Metropolitan Executive Committee, adopted by Metropolitan Toronto Council on June 23, 1987 recommended that permission be granted to the City of Scarborough on behalf of the Cliffside Village Business Improvement Area, to install and maintain streetscape improvements within the untravelled road allowance of Kingston Road, between Midland Avenue and Cliffside Drive, including trees, flag poles and identification signs. The median is intended to fulfil a number of functions, which include preventing left-turn vehicular movements, separating opposing traffic flow, providing landscaping opportunities, and providing streetscape character to the area.

2. Design and Cost Estimate

The design for the median opening prepared by Works and Emergency Services staff in the Spring of 1998 allowed for westbound left-turn movements into the site by cars and trucks, and northbound left-turn movements out from the westerly site driveway. The design allowed for a westbound left-turn storage lane of 15 metres, a taper of 15 metres and a break in the median of 20 metres. The existing driveway width is approximately 12 metres and no changes to the driveway were proposed in the design.

The cost estimate to construct the median opening is $45,000.00, which includes $5,000.00 for utility relocation. A tree appraisal conducted by Parks and Recreation Staff concluded that six trees (three Norway Maples and Three Honeylocust) would have to be removed if the median opening is constructed. The appraisal value of the specific trees is approximately $1,600.00. There would be additional costs for the tree removal, relocation and maintenance. Due to the utilities under this area, tree spading is not an option for removal. Removal and relocation would be done by hand digging, balling and burlapping the trees. Four of the six trees are suitable for relocation to a neighbourhood park. Relocation would also involve establishing a two-year maintenance contract. The approximate cost for removal of two trees and the relocation and maintenance of four trees is $8,000.00.

In a report prepared by BA Group for the Andrews Motel dated September 23, 1999, BA Group proposed a modified design with a narrower 11 metre opening in the median and a reduced driveway width of 9 metres, which physically discourages northbound left-turn movements out from the site. The proposed alternative design may result in the preservation of one of the six trees identified for removal in the City's proposed design.

3. Traffic Operations

Based upon observations of the site and a review of historical traffic counts, it was determined that the afternoon peak period constituted the design condition relative to the impact of potential left-in movements from westbound Kingston Road into the site and northbound left-out movements from the site. The operation of the westerly driveway was analysed using projected site traffic volumes and is summarized in Table 1 of this report. Based on this analysis, 33 vehicles are expected to make a westbound left turn into the site during the afternoon peak hour incurring an average delay of 24 seconds per vehicle while waiting for a gap in eastbound Kingston Road traffic. During the same hour, 18 vehicles are expected to make a northbound left-turn from the site and incur an average delay of 159 seconds per vehicle. While an average delay of 24 seconds is not considered excessive, 159 seconds is just under three minutes and may cause drivers to make turns with insufficient gaps creating a potential safety hazard. The revised design submitted by BA Group, which allows left-in movements only, would mitigate this potential safety hazard.

By comparison, a capacity analysis conducted at the intersection of Kingston Road and Cliffside Drive indicates that the traffic control signals can accommodate an additional 33 vehicles during the afternoon peak hour that may choose to make a left-turn at this location in order to access the Andrews Motel from East Haven Drive. A similar analysis conducted at the intersection of Kingston Road and Ridgemoor Avenue also indicates that the additional traffic volume can be accommodated. Although these two options would add a short period to a patron's travel time they should not pose a significant inconvenience. Given the design and placement of traffic control signals, and the close-knit network of side streets in this area, vehicular access to properties is more convenient than would normally be experienced on a major arterial road with a continuous centre median between signalized intersections.

A review of collision history at five existing median breaks along Kingston Road revealed three reported left-turn collisions in total over a three-year period. Although the number of collisions is not high, simply allowing left-turn movements by means of an opening in the median creates the potential for left-turn collisions.

4. Urban Design and Streetscape

The urban design implications of opening the median in the requested location are more than just site specific. The City Planning Division, Urban Design Branch has prepared a Strategic Plan with respect to civic improvements throughout the city. Kingston Road is a signature element of that plan as well as the recently articulated Waterfront Vision.

Urban Design is strongly opposed to allowing any additional openings in existing landscaped medians, as a principle. Urban design staff are in the process of planning for additional landscaped medians throughout the city. Loss of existing medians, particularly where there is no clear and rational functional reason would be to deny this principle. The 2000 Civic Improvement budget proposals include new, landscaped medians on Kingston Road (St. Clair to Midland) in conjunction with planned road improvements.

In numerous discussions with the applicant's consultants, urban design staff have presented the aforementioned views and have not heard any compelling urban design arguments from the applicant in favour of the proposed openings.

Urban Design recommends that this application be denied.

Conclusions:

A continuous median has restricted access to right-in/right-out movements for properties along Kingston Road in the vicinity of the Andrews Motel for at least 45 years. Given that an investment has been made in recent years by providing streetscape enhancements and the benefits are now being enjoyed by the community, it is difficult to justify providing an opening in the median for individual property owners and businesses.

Contacts:

Richard A. Noehammer, Project Manager Neil Z. Melman, Program Coordinator

Transportation Systems Urban Design, East District

Works & Emergency Services Urban Planning & Development Services

Tel: 397-0506 Tel: 396-7025

Fax: 397-5011 Fax: 396-4265

E-mail: rnoeham@toronto.ca E-mail: nmelm@toronto.ca

David C. Kaufman

General Manager, Transportation Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

RAN/rn

List of Attachments:

Table 1, Traffic Operations at the Andrews Motel Westerly Driveway with a Median Opening

Location Plan

Road Modification Design Plan

Andrews Motel Site Plan

TABLE 1

Traffic Operations at the Andrews Motel Westerly Driveway

With a Median Opening