M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E |
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M E M O / N O T E D E S E R V I C E |
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To / Destinataire |
Mayor and Members of Council
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File/N° de
fichier: T13-06-MAIN |
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From /
Expéditeur |
Barry TownsendManager, Light Rail Implementation Division
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Subject / Objet |
Selection of Site for Storage and Maintenance Facility for North-South
Light Rail Transit Project
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Date: 06 February 2006 |
The Light Rail Office has received a number of enquiries related to the selection of the storage and maintenance facility for the North-South Light Rail Transit Project (N-S Light Rail Transit project). This memo summarizes the process to date and provides information on the steps to be followed in the selection of the site for the facility.
On 15 July 2005, Council approved the North-South Corridor Light Rail Transit Project Environmental Assessment Study Recommendations. That report identified three potential locations for the site of a storage and maintenance facility for the N-S Light Rail Transit project, and committed that the final site selection would be the subject of a future report to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and Council. The three sites, shown in yellow detail on the attached plan are:
1. Walkley Yard [north site]
2. Airport Parkway, also known as the Lester Site [centre site]
3. Transport Canada Lands Outside the Curve, also known as the Bowesville Site [south site]
The Environmental Assessment (EA) document for the N-S
Light Rail Transit project was subsequently submitted to the Ministry of
Environment (MOE), public comments/questions were accepted, and City responses
to them were returned to the MOE. After reviewing the City’s responses, the MOE
published a “Notice of Completion” of the Ministry Review of the environmental
assessment review on 30 December 2005.
The MOE Review concluded that “the City undertook a complete EA”,
complied with the approved Terms of Reference and addressed all information
requirements outlined in Section 6.1(2) of the provincial EA Act - i.e. the
EA was prepared in accordance with the Act - and that sufficient information
has been provided to enable the Minister to render a decision. The following
are two of the draft conditions of approval contained within the Review to address
issues raised during the public comment period:
Furthermore, the MOE indicated the steps for the City to follow in the selection of the preferred site for the storage and maintenance facility as follows:
The first step in the MOE’s process, the “Set
up of a Public Working Group”, is now underway. It is being coordinated by Marshall Macklin Monaghan, the
engineering consultants to the City of Ottawa for the procurement phase of the
Project. Delegates will include folks
who represent community interests, and the concerns of agencies and
businesses. The Working Group will meet
under the guidance of an independent facilitator, and report to the Manager,
Light Rail Implementation Division. This
Working Group will develop criteria, consider the relative importance of those
criteria, and evaluate each site based on the criteria. That information will then be available at a
Public Information Centre meeting.
Notice of that meeting will be distributed by flyer throughout
neighbourhoods in proximity to the sites, in daily newspapers and by direct
notice to folks who have registered an interest in this aspect of the project
with the Light Rail Office.
In order to ensure we obtain direct input
from residents and communities who have indicated an interest in the selection
of a storage and maintenance facility, the technical evaluation done to date by
staff and consultants has been set aside. The intent is that the Working Group
will develop the evaluation criteria rather than critique an existing
evaluation. Various experts will attend
the Working Group sessions to act as resource people to assist the Working
Group in their endeavour.
Subsequently, the preferred option will be
presented to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee (tentatively
a joint meeting with Transportation Committee), who may then provide a
recommendation to City Council.
Concurrent with
this environmental evaluation process, the procurement process is proceeding in
order to select a proponent to design, build and maintain the N-S Light Rail
Transit project for 15 years. For the
purposes of normalizing the proponent submissions to facilitate the fair
evaluation of all proponents, the proponents are preparing their bid assuming
that the storage and maintenance facility is located at the Lester site. Many residents from the Emerald Woods
community have voiced their concern because they assume that the decision on
the selection of the site for the storage and maintenance facility is complete
and has been made without their input. This is absolutely not the case. The selection process as described above in
this memo is being followed. Ultimately,
the selected site as approved by Council will be incorporated into the contract
for the N-S Light Rail Transit project.
This will be communicated to Emerald Woods residents through the Public
Information Centre meeting and in direct correspondence with anyone contacting
the Light Rail Office on this issue.
The Light Rail Office remains committed to a
consultative process that results in the best possible site for the new light
rail maintenance yards.
Original signed by:
cc: Kent Kirkpatrick, City Manager
Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management
Richard Hewitt, Deputy City Manager, Public Works and Services
Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective Services
Greg Geddes, Chief Corporate Services Officer
Réjean Chartrand, Director, Economic Development and Strategic Projects