Craigleith residents were given a chance to ask questions, make comments and indicate concerns about drainage upgrades being proposed in Craigleith.
The developers of three large residential projects in Craigleith (Parkbridge Craigleith, McPherson Homefarm and Eden Oak Trailhead) held an open house at the Craigleith Community Centre on March 21 to give members of the public the opportunity to get more information about the drainage work being proposed. The developers were prompted to hold the open house after concerns were raised by members of the community and The Blue Mountains council about the Drainage Act process initiated in the area.
“There is a lot of uncertainty in the community about what’s going on. We came to the staff of the Town of The Blue Mountains and said let’s have an open house and bring our engineers and let people ask questions,” said MacPherson Builders Limited President Russell Higgins.
The meeting featured slides set up around the room outlining the existing drainage issues in the area and the solution the three developers are proposing to improve both the overall drainage situation in the area and the drainage needs of their three projects, which total 620 residential units.
Jessie Elder, of Crozier and Associates Consulting Engineers, said the Drainage Act process was initiated because the three developers are proposing upgrades and changes to three municipal drains (water courses 7, 8 and 9) in Craigleith to solve the drainage issues. Elder said when complete, the project will fix drainage issues in the area that have been an issue for decades.
“The capacity we’re proposing will convey all of the storm events to Georgian Bay safely,” she said.
Elder said the proposed solution would see exceeding flows from watercourses 7 and 9 conveyed to watercourse 8. The plan was developed in consultation with the town, Grey Sauble Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Transportation.
The proposal includes:
Upgrading conveyance structures in watercourse 8 including:
- A new culvert under Lakeshore Road
- Upsizing the culvert under the Georgian Trail
- Upsizing the culture under Highway 26
Grading channels including:
- Watercourses 7 and 8 diversion: upstream of Lakeshore Road through lands owned by Parkbridge and within the Lakeshore Road municipal right-of-way
- Watercourse 9 to 8 diversion: within the Lakeshore Road municipal right-of-way.
- Watercourse 8 outlet: improve watercourse 8 outlet channel through town-owned lands.
The three developers will pay for all of the work proposed, which is expected to cost just over $1.2 million.
“We said we’ll pay for the whole thing,” said Higgins. “The three of us will do it because we have the economic interest to do so. There is no cost to the taxpayers.”
The open house attracted a number of local residents including members of council.
Coun. Paula Hope said she was pleased to see that members of the public had the opportunity to meet directly with the proponents to express their concerns and questions.
“It was heartening to see so many members of the community who came out to learn more about the drainage initiatives generated by the three developers in Craigleith,” said Hope. “There were many healthy and helpful conversations and kudos to the developers for organizing the meeting.”
The next step in the Drainage Act process will see the town given notice for a court of revision. The Blue Mountains council recently voted to have its committee of the whole act as the court of revision in this matter.
The court of revision hears appeals on the proposed drainage works. However, the appeals are limited to what each involved property owner (in this case: the three developers, the town, the Ministry of Transportation and two households) has been “assessed” in terms of financial responsibility for the drainage work. In this case, the three developers have already agreed to pay the costs of all the work.
