Sheppard Subway Status of Permits and Approvals

The North York Community Council recommends that the Toronto Transit Commission be requested to:

(1)stop construction on the Sheppard Subway until such time as the necessary approvals and permits have been received from the appropriate City of Toronto departments and that the Executive Director of Building Services be instructed to issue stop work orders;

(2)obtain site plan approval prior to tendering contracts and that if the Toronto Transit Commission does not have the appropriate approvals in place stop work orders be issued by City staff;

(3)direct its staff to work with the local Councillors on the site plan applications in the project areas and on the emergency exits immediately.

The North York Community Council submits the following communication (June 19, 1998) from Mr. Vincent Rodo, General Secretary, Toronto Transit Commission:

At its meeting On Wednesday, June 17, 1998, the Commission considered the attached report entitled, "Sheppard Subway Status of Permits and Approvals."

The Commission received the foregoing report and requested that a copy be forwarded to the North York Community Council for information.

(Copy of Toronto Transit Commission Report No. 30 dated June 17, 1998)

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Commission receive this report for information.

Funding

Funds for this Sheppard Subway project expenditure are included in the TTC 1998-2002 Capital Program (as set out on pages 695-705 - Sheppard Subway Category) as approved by City of Toronto Council on April 29, 1998. The project is currently forecast to over-run the project budget.

Background

At its meeting on May 20, 1998 the Commission received for information the report entitled "Sheppard Subway Status of Permits and Approvals." That report indicated that TTC requires site plan approval, foundation permits and building permits for each Sheppard Subway construction contract. The aim is to have site plan approval and building permits within six to eight weeks after award of each construction contract. To date, the schedule for approval of the necessary permits has not been achieved due, in large part, to the introduction of site plan conditions that are not within the scope of the project budget. Site plan approval is normally required prior to the issuance of foundation and/or building permits.

The Commission then approved that "staff report on the critical path for completion of the Sheppard Subway including tenders, site plan approvals, building permits, design work, tunnelling work and any other appropriate deadlines associated with the project." The report herein is staff's response to that approval.

Discussion

Exhibit 1 provides an overview of the project critical path, and Exhibit 2 tabulates the current status of the necessary permits and approvals for the Sheppard Subway station contracts. If any of the activities in the critical path sequence is delayed, the end date of the sequence will also be delayed by the same amount. It is therefore essential that the major permits and approvals required for each station construction contract are received in a timely manner. To date, in the absence of such permits, staff have reluctantly been proceeding with construction to avoid construction delays, schedule slippage and contractor claims. However, staff should not be put in the position of having to do this to mitigate potential impact on the project budget and schedule.

The critical path diagram shows a sequence of summary activities for the tunnels and stations. Those on the project critical path are black, meaning there is little or no "float" in each of them, i.e. a delay in any one will produce a like delay in project completion. The critical path diagram shows the dates on which we currently expect to receive these permits. Generally, site plan approval is assumed to be required six weeks after contract award, and building permit approval two weeks later. Of particular note:

(a)the building permit for the Twin Tunnels Emergency Exit Buildings (EEB's), submitted for approval in February, 1997, has not yet been approved;

(b)permits for Leslie and Don Mills Stations are overdue, as construction is well underway at both sites (foundation permits have been received); and

(c)permits for Yonge, Bayview and Bessarion Stations are all on the project critical path.

The critical permits and approvals that are still to be received (all except those for Bayview Station have been submitted for approval), and the dates by which they are required are as follows:

Yonge Station

(a)Site Plan Approval required by 16-Sep-98

(b)Building Permit required by 30-Sep-98

Bayview Station

(a)Tree Cutting Permit required immediately

(b)Site Plan Approval required 18-Nov-98

(c)Building Permit required 02-Dec-98

Bessarion Station

(a)Site Plan Approval required 26-Aug-98

(b)Building Permit required 09-Sep-98

Leslie Station

(a)Building Permit required immediately (construction is underway)

Don Mills Station

(a)Site Plan Approval required immediately (construction is underway)

(b)Building Permit required immediately (partial permit issued)

Twin Tunnels

(a)Building Permit for EEB's required immediately (construction is underway)

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The North York Community Council reports, for the information of City Council, also having had before it during the consideration of the foregoing matter a copy of a report (June 22, 1998) addressed to Councillor Shiner from the Acting Commissioner of Planning providing a chronology of events and status reports in connection with the Sheppard Subway Stations.

(A copy of the Exhibits referred to above was distributed with the agenda for the North York Community Council meeting held July 22, 1998 and is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)

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A recorded vote on the adoption of the foregoing recommendations were as follows:

Recommendation No. 1 moved by Councillor Shiner:

FOR:Councillors Mammoliti, Sgro, Li Preti, Augimeri, Feldman, Berger, Flint, Gardner, Filion, Minnan-Wong, Shiner, King

AGAINST:Councillor Chong

ABSENT:Councillor Moscoe

Carried

Recommendation No. 2 moved by Councillor Shiner:

FOR:Councillors Mammoliti, Feldman, Berger, Flint, Filion, Minnan-Wong, Shiner

AGAINST:Councillors Sgro, Li Preti, Gardner, Chong, King

ABSENT:Councillors Moscoe, Augimeri

Carried

Recommendation No. 3 moved by Councillor King:

FOR:Councillors Mammoliti, Sgro, Li Preti, Feldman, Berger, Flint, Gardner, Chong, Filion, Minnan-Wong, Shiner, King

AGAINST:NIL

ABSENT:Councillors Moscoe, Augimeri

Carried