Staff Report: Hallowell Road Weight Restrictions

Hallowell Road Weight Restrictions

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT this report be received for information;

AND THAT Council amend ‘Schedule A’ of Bylaw No. 456, 2002 to designate Hallowell Road as a Truck Route, subject to entering into an agreement with Esquimalt Nation;

AND FURTHER THAT the Director of Engineering be authorized to work with the CRD to implement changes to Hallowell Road as shown in the concept plans (2015-2935-00).

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER'S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To report back to Council on public engagement and make a recommendation to designate Hallowell Road as a truck route under Bylaw No. 456, 2002.

TIME CRITICAL:

Yes.

BACKGROUND:

The use of Hallowell Road by trucks over 20,000 kg was a contentious issue about 10 years ago. The trucks were originating from businesses who were tenants of the Esquimalt Nation. At that time, Council responded by designating truck routes within the municipality. Truck traffic over 20,000 kg gross weight was not allowed on any Town Roads with the exception of designated truck routes.

Since that time, the lands at Thetis Cove have been rezoned for higher density use and other sites along Hallowell have expanded (such as Reliable Controls). The Admirals Walk Plaza continues to be a busy commercial site serving the needs of a broad community. All of the residential sites on Hallowell Road and Aldersmith Place are built out with the exception of Thetis Cove.

The Admirals Road corridor experiences high volumes of commuter traffic and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Road improvements are being planned for this corridor, however the available right of way is restricted. In addition to the ongoing land use changes in this area, the CRD is working to build another cycling and pedestrian route mostly within the E&N right of way to provide additional transportation choices. The trail currently ends at Hallowell Road and starts again at Maplebank Road. It is not possible for the trail to bisect the Esquimalt Nation lands. Concurrently, the Esquimalt Nation is focusing on economic development opportunities and has entered into a partnership with Ralmax and Trio to lease reserve lands.

PROJECT INFORMATION:

A possibility exists to use the edges of the Esquimalt Nation reserve to accommodate the trail adjacent to both Hallowell Road and Admirals Road. This option is contingent upon the truck restrictions being removed from Hallowell Road to enable access to the Reserve.

The development and construction phases of the E&N Rail Trail project included a public consultation program that targeted the cycling community and property owners adjacent to the trail. Consultation by the CRD on issues related to Hallowell Road was in addition to the earlier consultation work.

Since May 2015 two open houses have been held for the residents of Hallowell Road and Aldersmith Place. The first was hosted by CRD immediately adjacent to the trail. The second was held at Town Hall. Both events were well attended and many residents expressed their concerns and opposition to any changes to Hallowell Road. Both events were targeted to consult with the most immediately impacted residents and the meetings were not broadly advertised to other groups who may have an interest such as the cycling community.

In addition, staff has been doing outreach with impacted businesses on Hallowell Road and at Admirals Walk shopping center.

The primary concerns raised to date have been related to traffic, dust, noise, loss of property values and parking.

Concurrently with this process, Council had received a request from residents about parking on Hallowell Road and sightlines. On street parking has recently been reduced.

BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:

It is understood that the Town will not incur any costs relating to this project.

POLICY IMPLICATIONS:

The Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) strongly support the development of infrastructure that provides increased travel choices. The provision of additional and improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians is a key component of both documents. Reduction of road congestion is a significant objective of the TMP. Development of infrastructure that supports cyclist commuters is one way that this objective can be met.

The OCP includes the following objectives that are relevant to the decision before Council:

1. Recognize walking, cycling and transit as priority modes of transportation in View Royal. Support the expansion of these transportation networks as a means for reducing dependency on car travel and associated greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting a healthy, walkable community.
2. Plan transportation infrastructure to support a more compact and sustainable settlement pattern. Ensure neighbourhood centers, community corridors, neighbourhoods, parks and public facilities, and the future town center site are well connected through pedestrian, bike and transit networks.
3. Ensure that transportation in and through View Royal is safe, comfortable and efficient, and that negative impacts on local residents and businesses are minimized.

Staff acknowledges that removing the vehicle weight restriction on Hallowell Road will have some impact on the immediate neighbours on Hallowell Road. CRD staff have attempted to mitigate some of those concerns through the design of a barrier that would screen the houses on Hallowell Road and a road design that will continue to provide some off street parking for these residents. I also note that many of the concerns that have been expressed would exist even if the truck restriction is not lifted.

If Council chooses to allow trucks on Hallowell Road, it will be important to try to mitigate the impacts of this traffic on adjacent residents and businesses. While the Town is currently working on a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines broader objectives around consultation and relationship building between the Town and the Esquimalt Nation, a more specific agreement relating to identified issues would be a more appropriate mechanism to address specific issues. To that end, staff recommends that the Town and the Esquimalt Nation enter into an agreement prior to the weight restrictions being lifted. The agreement will address the following concerns:

• Screening and or buffering
• Noise
• Dust
• Odor
• Road re-alignment and ultimate cross-section
• Parking
• Capital cost allocation funding
• Road maintenance cost sharing

The full implementation of the E&N Rail Trail as a cyclist and pedestrian route was not fully discussed at the open houses. The benefit of separated bike and pedestrian infrastructure is well understood as a general concept. What is not fully known at this juncture is the long term traffic impacts through mode shifts by commuters. Traffic congestion is a significant issue in many other neighbourhoods in View Royal—specifically on Island Highway, Helmcken Road and Admirals Road. It is expected that the development of this cycling infrastructure will have a positive impact on other areas of the Town as commuters are presented new and possibly better options for getting to and from work. What the mode shift will be remains to be seen, but a reduction in GHG emissions, traffic volumes and wait times at various intersections are anticipated with a complete trail.

Beyond the policy considerations associated with transportation, there are other impacts that should be considered. The Town is working towards improved relations with the Esquimalt Nation to facilitate consultation in relation to future development on both Town lands and Esquimalt Nation lands. To formalize this Council is interested in pursuing a memorandum of understanding with the Esquimalt Nation to ensure that all parties interests are met and to open up avenues for ongoing consultation and communication.

ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

Should Council not wish to change the current restrictions on Hallowell Road, an appropriate resolution would be:

THAT this report be received for information.

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT this report be received for information;

AND THAT Council amend ‘Schedule A’ of Bylaw No. 456, 2002 to designate Hallowell Road as a Truck Route, subject to entering into an agreement with Esquimalt Nation;

AND FURTHER THAT the Director of Engineering be authorized to work with the CRD to implement changes to Hallowell Road as shown in the concept plans (2015-2935-00).

SUBMITTED BY: Lindsay Chase, Director of Development Services John Rosenberg, Director of Engineering

REVIEWED BY: Kim Anema, Chief Administrative Officer

Attachments

1. Feedback forms from June 16, 2015 open house
2. Received email correspondence
3. Concept Plan for trail, visual barrier and parking on Hallowell Road