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1. BRITANNIA VILLAGE – OTTAWA RIVER FLOOD
PROTECTIONREVISED PETITION VILLAGE DE BRITANNIA –
PÉTITION MODIFIÉE CONCERNANT LA LUTTE CONTRE LES INONDATIONS DE LA RIVIÈRE
DES OUTAOUAIS |
Committee recommendation
That
Council approve
the implementation of the proposed Ottawa River 100-year flood protection
measures in Britannia Village, as identified in the June 2006 report
ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005, based on the revised petition of interest having received
support from at least 50%+ 1 of the owners of non-City properties within the
flood plain limits defined by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.
Recommandation du Comité
Que le Conseil municipal approuve
la réalisation des mesures proposées de lutte contre les crues centenaires de
la rivière des Outaouais dans le Village de Britannia, telles qu’elles ont été
déterminées dans le rapport ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005 de juin 2006, selon la
pétition d’intérêt modifiée ayant reçu le soutien de 50 % plus un des
propriétaires de biens-fonds n’appartenant pas à la Ville dans les limites de
la plaine inondable définies par l’Office de protection de la nature de la
vallée de la rivière Rideau.
Documentation
1.
Deputy
City Manager's report Public
Works and Services
dated 13 June 2007 (ACS2007-PWS-INF-0007).
2.
Extract
of Draft Minutes, 11 September 2007.
Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and
Environment Committee
Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement
13 June 2007 / le 13 juin 2007
Submitted by/Soumis par: R.G. Hewitt,
Deputy City Manager/ Directeur
municipal adjoint,
Public Works and Services/Services
et Travaux Publics
Contact
Person/Personne ressource :
W.R. Newell, P.Eng., Director/Directeur
Infrastructure Services/Services d'infrastructure
613-580-2424 x16002, Wayne.Newell@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
Britannia
Village – Ottawa river flood protection Revised
Petition |
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OBJET : |
VILLAGE
DE BRITANNIA – PÉTITION MODIFIÉE CONCERNANT LA LUTTE CONTRE LES INONDATIONS
DE LA RIVIÈRE DES OUTAOUAIS |
REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
That Planning and Environment Committee
recommend Council approve the implementation of the proposed Ottawa River
100-year flood protection measures in Britannia Village, as identified in the
June 2006 report ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005, based on the revised petition of
interest having received support from at least 50%+ 1 of the owners of non-City
properties within the flood plain limits defined by the Rideau Valley
Conservation Authority.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme
et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil d’approuver la réalisation des
mesures proposées de lutte contre les crues centenaires de la rivière des
Outaouais dans le Village de Britannia, telles qu’elles ont été déterminées
dans le rapport ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005 de juin 2006, selon la pétition d’intérêt
modifiée ayant reçu le soutien de 50 % plus un des propriétaires de biens-fonds
n’appartenant pas à la Ville dans les limites de la plaine inondable définies
par l’Office de protection de la nature de la vallée de la rivière Rideau.
BACKGROUND
Portions of Britannia Village have been constructed within the 1:100 year flood plain limits of the Ottawa River, as defined by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) (Attachment 1). Some individual owners within the affected area have undertaken independent protection along the shoreline in the past. These measures are limited, vary in approach and level of protection, and are discontinuous over the flood plain area. They provide limited protection to the broader flood-prone community. In the early 1990’s, the RVCA examined the cost effectiveness of flood protection measures for the Britannia Village community. The study concluded that a continuous engineered berm along the shoreline could enhance flood protection at a reasonable cost and the investment was economically viable (Attachment 2). The project did not proceed any further at that time.
In 2004, the community expressed renewed interest in the broader flood protection measures to the RVCA. The Department has been working with the RVCA and the community on implementation details. In July 2006, Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and Council approved a recommended course of action that could enable the project to proceed (Report ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005). The approval was based on the City covering 50% of the project cost with the 50% non-city portion being recovered through a Special Service Area charge against benefiting properties through Municipal Act provisions. The implementation of the project was subject to a survey of interest receiving support from at least 67% of the property owners within the flood plain limits defined by the RVCA.
The initial polling of the community closed at the end of July 2006. The documents received by staff showed that the community support did not meet the requirements of the 67% sufficiency criteria. In October 2006, the Britannia Village Community Association (BVCA) and Ward Councillor enquired if the sufficiency criteria could be changed from 67% to 50%+1. Staff communicated the earlier Council recommendations were specific to the 67% criteria and changing to a 50%+1 criteria would require reconsideration by Committee and Council to confirm acceptance of the revised criteria and re-affirm support for funding and cost sharing as originally approved.
In November 2006, the community association requested staff prepare a revised survey of interest petition form for circulation based on the 50%+1 criteria. Staff revised the petition documenting the proposed change and clearly outlined BVCA’s intent to propose amending the community support requirement for the works to proceed as a Special Service Area charge from a minimum of 67% to a minimum of “50%+1” and the survey of interest was being circulated on the basis of the aforesaid amendment. The revised petition form (Attachment 3) stated that should it receive signatures representing at least 50%+1 of the property owners, a report would be brought forward to Committee and Council requesting approval of the amendment of the community support to 50% +1 to proceed with the works as a Special Service Area charge.
The purpose of this report is to address the latest BVCA survey of interest and recommend Committee and Council approve the project, as outlined in report ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005, based on a revised sufficiency criteria of 50% +1 of the benefiting property owners.
DISCUSSION
In May 2006, Council approved the Local Improvement Policy report. As part of the report (ACS2006-PWS-INF-0001), the Department identified its intent to manage requests for hard infrastructure by either applying the “local improvement” provisions to typical physical infrastructure (i.e. watermains, sewers, sound barriers, etc) or applying the “special service” provisions to services that are unique, area specific, outside the context of the Local Improvement regulations, or better suited to an area charge application. The Britannia Village Ottawa River flood protection project fits the requirements of the “special service” provisions.
While the regulations for the “local improvement” provisions are prescriptive in terms of defining minimum petition sufficiency levels (i.e. minimum support from 67% of affected owners representing a minimum 50% of the assessment value), the “special services” provisions are not. As part of the approval of the Local Improvement Policy report (ACS2006-PWS-INF-0001), Committee directed staff to report back on setting an appropriate level of support for benefiting properties for projects undertaken under the “special service” provisions. The Department will be bringing forward a report to Committee and Council in the coming months to address this request. In the meantime this does not preclude Committee from considering the Britannia request.
The Department recognizes that each intended application of the “special service” provisions should consider an appropriate level of sufficiency on a project-by-project basis. The initial survey of interest undertaken in 2006 by the community was undertaken on the basis of 67% support of the affected owners of non-City property, which is consistent with the report approved by Committee and Council in advance of the petitioning process. This does not preclude deviating from the sufficiency requirement of 67%, but requires Committee and Council endorsement of the change.
The Britannia Village Ottawa River flood protection project is a community-driven request which predates the 1990’s that has gone through significant recent discussion and community awareness efforts led by the BVCA and the Ward Councillor. The request to change the sufficiency criteria from the original 67% to 50%+1 was decided through community representation and subsequently communicated to the broader stakeholder group by both the BVCA and the Ward Councillor in the fall of 2006. The Department has received the revised petition from the community. The revised petition has signatures representing 59% of the owners in the affected area.
While this meets the 50%+1 criteria, it represents a deviation from the original 67% criteria. The Department is recommending approval on the basis of the long history of discussion at the community level and the fact the City has agreed to cost share 50% of the project costs. This cost sharing recognizes the broader benefits to the City and the community. Under these circumstances, the 50%+1 criteria is considered reasonable.
CONSULTATION
Discussions with the community regarding the concept of a berm along the shoreline have been ongoing since the pre 1990’s. Recent public information meetings were held in November 2004, July 2005 and May 2006. Initial petitioning was completed over the course of the summer of 2006. The BVCA and Ward Councillor communicated their intent to re-petition on the basis of 50%+1 at the community association’s annual general meeting and through local newspapers in the Fall of 2006.
Bay Ward Councillor Alex Cullen is supportive of the proposal to proceed with flood proofing measures in Britannia Village.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The financial implications have not changed from those approved by Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee in July 2006 (ACS2006-PWS-INF-0005. The total cost to implement the proposed base regulatory flood protection measures is estimated at $390,000. The City’s share of the project is $195,000 (50% of $390,000). The remaining funds ($195,000) will be recovered from the benefiting property owners. Should project costs exceed $390,000, the City would be responsible for the incremental costs to be covered from exiting capital accounts.
Funding for the works was approved in 2006 and is provided as part of capital project 904470.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – Britannia Village Flood Plain Area
Document 2 – Berm Concept
Document 3 – Revised Petition for Special Area Charge
DISPOSITION
The Public Works and Services Department will coordinate the implementation of the flood protection measures with the RVCA.
The City will be responsible to administer the project under the Municipal Act, including recovery of private property owners’ share.
Britannia Village Flood Plain Area DOCUMENT
1
The drawing below is an excerpt from a report entitled: “Lac Deschenes Flood Damage Reduction Investigation” (Novatech Engineering Consultants Ltd. for RVCA, Dec. 1992).
The 100-year flood line shown here was originally delineated in a study entitled: “Ottawa River Flood Plain Mapping (MacLaren Plansearch for MVCA, RVCA and RMOC, Dec. 1984), and has been reviewed and confirmed in subsequent hydrologic analyses.
Berm Concept DOCUMENT
2
Revised Petition for Special Area Charge DOCUMENT
3
