Take Two. But not exactly. A second public meeting concerning a proposed draft plan of subdivision will take place on Thursday, June 25 at 6 p.m.

A public meeting already took place on May 21, but at the last minute, the connection of the Zoom meeting to Youtube for livestreaming did not work, and so only those who had pre-registered for the meeting were present. The meeting did proceed, was recorded and was posted shortly thereafter on Youtube.

But the United Counties of Prescott and Russell Planning and Forestry Department has decided to hold a second meeting. A link to the live event will be published before the meeting on the Champlain Township web page: https://www.champlain.ca/en/township-servies/update-to-public-meeting-procedures-covid-19.aspx

Comments from the first public meeting have been registered and those who participated in the first meeting do not have to do so again, unless they have something new to add.

In normal times, a public meeting for a proposed subdivision or zoning by-law amendments would have taken place in municipal council chambers, allowing people to attend in person and express their views on changes. But due to the COVID-19 situation, this type of in-person public meeting is not possible. This public meeting was already re-scheduled from April 2020 due to COVID-19.

This draft plan of subdvision includes a total of 272 lots (213 single detached dwelling units and 118 semi-detached dwelling units). All residential units will be served by the municipality’s water and sewer services. The property is located on currently vacant land to the east of Stanley Street; Higginson Street would be extended and subdivision access points would include Stanley Street, Higginson Street, Farmers Avenue and Home Avenue. Higginson Street and Farmers Avenue are currently dead-end streets.

For the public: how to express your support or opposition

Any person may view this public meeting online (on Champlain Township’s Youtube channel) and/or make written or verbal representations either in support or opposition of the proposed development. All written representations either in support or opposition of the proposed development have to be forwarded to the Planning and Forestry Department, United Counties of Prescott and Russell, 59 Court Street, P. O. Box 304, L’Orignal, Ontario, K0B 1K0. You can call 613-675-4661, extension 7104, or email: [email protected].

To make a verbal presentation at the electronic public meeting, you have to register by contacting the Clerk of Champlain Township by calling 613-678-3003 at extension 229 before 4 p.m. on June 23, 2020.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, if one is held, or make written submissions to the United Counties of Prescott and Russell in respect of the proposed plan of subdivision before the approval authority gives or refuses to give approval to the draft plan of subdivision, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, if one is held, or make written submissions to the United Counties of Prescott and Russell in respect of the proposed plan of subdivision before the approval authority gives or refuses to give approval to the draft plan of subdivision, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

The entire application (Project 050-S-20-001) can be found on the United Counties of Prescott and Russell website here.

Minimal environmental impacts are expected.

A traffic impact study examined the four main access points. Two accesses would be onto Main Street at Stanley Avenue and Farmers Avenue, and two accesses onto Highway 34: at Higginson Street and at Perreault Street. An analysis was conducted using 2019 traffic counts and at the year 2035, when the completion of the subdivision is expected, and at the year 2040, which represents five years beyond completion. Peak morning and afternoon hours were studied.

All intersections should operate at an acceptable level of service for the expected traffic at year 2040. But the study, prepared by D. J. Halpenny & Associates, does recommend examining the possibility of an exclusive left turn lane or shared back-to-back left turn lane at the Highway 34/Perreault Street intersection due to the increase in development within the community and along Highway 34. The left turn lane warrant analysis for a southbound left turn lane determined that a left turn lane is warranted at the 2040 peak morning and afternoon hours. The left turn lane warrant would be triggered by a safety issue of a southbound left turning movement and high volume of through-traffic in the southbound left/through/right lane.  The trip generation analysis determined that the subdivision would generate 46 vehicles entering and 138 vehicles exiting the site during the weekday peak morning hour for a total of 184 vehicle trips and 154 vehicles entering and 91 vehicles exiting during the peak afternoon hour for a total of 245 vehicle trips.

Noise and vibration

The noise and vibration assessment does point out possible sound issues, related to specific lots in the proposed subdivision, due to proximity to a nearby rail line. The report states that the critical outdoor living area would include the backyard of the residential lots located closest to the railway, in particular lot 255. For lots 245 to 257, predicted noise levels do not meet the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) guidelines for indoor living areas. This applies only to the lots identified as they would act as a barrier for the subsequent row of houses located across the proposed street.

The report, prepared by Lascelles Engineering and Associations Limited, is suggesting that a warning clause be provided to any purchasers of the affected lots and or homes, indicating that, “This dwelling unit has been designed with the provision for adding central air conditioning at the occupant’s discretion. Installation of central air conditioning by the occupant in low and medium density developments will allow windows and exterior doors to remain closed, thereby ensuring that the indoor sound levels are within the sound level limits of the Municipality and the Ministry of the Environment.”

The report goes on to suggest that good workmanship, especially with regard to the building envelope and the installation of windows and doors, can reduce and attenuate noise levels inside the building.

Read a report on the first electronic meeting here.