Transportation planners conducting an environmental assessment of the King Street West bridge over Spencer Creek have apparently changed the preferred alternative and are expected to recommend the bridge be rebuilt in its current location, instead of through Fisher's Mill Park.
At a public information centre on Feb. 1, staff released details of four alternatives, including its preferred option of building a brand new bridge south of the current structure, and realigning King Street West through Fisher's Mill Park.
Dundas taxpayers finished paying for a loan to buy the property from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board this year.
More than half of the 21 people who commented on the proposals questioned aspects of the preferred alternative that would see the road and bridge rebuilt through the park. Five specifically supported the option of building a new bridge in its current location.
Dundas Coun. Arlene VanderBeek told her community advisory council recently that transportation management staff and consultant WSP Canada Inc. have listened to the community feedback.
"It's not going to be moved over to take up any of the park," she said. "Staff are not planning to take any of the park."
Project manager Janelle Trant said a second public information meeting is not expected to be held, despite the change of preferred alternative.
"A report regarding this project is planned to go to the public works committee and council early in the new year," Trant said. "(City councillors) will consider the report and, if approved, the timing and budget will follow."
VanderBeek, who also questioned realigning the road and building a new bridge to the south, said the bridge in its current location is a landmark in the west end of Dundas, and its current alignment helps slow traffic coming down the Greensville hill or travelling along the straight section of King Street approaching the bridge.
She said staff is looking at maintaining a public walkway during construction that can accommodate pedestrians and cyclists along the closed route.
The anticipated recommendation appears to pre-empt a recommended Stage 3 archeological assessment of Fisher's Mill Park. A Stage 2 assessment discovered 1,203 19th-century Euro-Canadian artifacts and Aboriginal stone tools in the park, indicating significant further archeological resources were present underground. The third assessment was to check for "undisturbed buried surfaces, remnants of former building foundations and associated cultural features."
The City of Hamilton's 2017 capital budget includes $2.8 million for the bridge reconstruction in 2018, along with $250,000 for planning in 2017.
The bridge is approximately 90 years old.
Hamilton Community News
Transportation planners conducting an environmental assessment of the King Street West bridge over Spencer Creek have apparently changed the preferred alternative and are expected to recommend the bridge be rebuilt in its current location, instead of through Fisher's Mill Park.
At a public information centre on Feb. 1, staff released details of four alternatives, including its preferred option of building a brand new bridge south of the current structure, and realigning King Street West through Fisher's Mill Park.
Dundas taxpayers finished paying for a loan to buy the property from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board this year.
More than half of the 21 people who commented on the proposals questioned aspects of the preferred alternative that would see the road and bridge rebuilt through the park. Five specifically supported the option of building a new bridge in its current location.
Dundas Coun. Arlene VanderBeek told her community advisory council recently that transportation management staff and consultant WSP Canada Inc. have listened to the community feedback.
"It's not going to be moved over to take up any of the park," she said. "Staff are not planning to take any of the park."
Project manager Janelle Trant said a second public information meeting is not expected to be held, despite the change of preferred alternative.
"A report regarding this project is planned to go to the public works committee and council early in the new year," Trant said. "(City councillors) will consider the report and, if approved, the timing and budget will follow."
VanderBeek, who also questioned realigning the road and building a new bridge to the south, said the bridge in its current location is a landmark in the west end of Dundas, and its current alignment helps slow traffic coming down the Greensville hill or travelling along the straight section of King Street approaching the bridge.
She said staff is looking at maintaining a public walkway during construction that can accommodate pedestrians and cyclists along the closed route.
The anticipated recommendation appears to pre-empt a recommended Stage 3 archeological assessment of Fisher's Mill Park. A Stage 2 assessment discovered 1,203 19th-century Euro-Canadian artifacts and Aboriginal stone tools in the park, indicating significant further archeological resources were present underground. The third assessment was to check for "undisturbed buried surfaces, remnants of former building foundations and associated cultural features."
The City of Hamilton's 2017 capital budget includes $2.8 million for the bridge reconstruction in 2018, along with $250,000 for planning in 2017.
The bridge is approximately 90 years old.
Hamilton Community News
Transportation planners conducting an environmental assessment of the King Street West bridge over Spencer Creek have apparently changed the preferred alternative and are expected to recommend the bridge be rebuilt in its current location, instead of through Fisher's Mill Park.
At a public information centre on Feb. 1, staff released details of four alternatives, including its preferred option of building a brand new bridge south of the current structure, and realigning King Street West through Fisher's Mill Park.
Dundas taxpayers finished paying for a loan to buy the property from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board this year.
More than half of the 21 people who commented on the proposals questioned aspects of the preferred alternative that would see the road and bridge rebuilt through the park. Five specifically supported the option of building a new bridge in its current location.
Dundas Coun. Arlene VanderBeek told her community advisory council recently that transportation management staff and consultant WSP Canada Inc. have listened to the community feedback.
"It's not going to be moved over to take up any of the park," she said. "Staff are not planning to take any of the park."
Project manager Janelle Trant said a second public information meeting is not expected to be held, despite the change of preferred alternative.
"A report regarding this project is planned to go to the public works committee and council early in the new year," Trant said. "(City councillors) will consider the report and, if approved, the timing and budget will follow."
VanderBeek, who also questioned realigning the road and building a new bridge to the south, said the bridge in its current location is a landmark in the west end of Dundas, and its current alignment helps slow traffic coming down the Greensville hill or travelling along the straight section of King Street approaching the bridge.
She said staff is looking at maintaining a public walkway during construction that can accommodate pedestrians and cyclists along the closed route.
The anticipated recommendation appears to pre-empt a recommended Stage 3 archeological assessment of Fisher's Mill Park. A Stage 2 assessment discovered 1,203 19th-century Euro-Canadian artifacts and Aboriginal stone tools in the park, indicating significant further archeological resources were present underground. The third assessment was to check for "undisturbed buried surfaces, remnants of former building foundations and associated cultural features."
The City of Hamilton's 2017 capital budget includes $2.8 million for the bridge reconstruction in 2018, along with $250,000 for planning in 2017.
The bridge is approximately 90 years old.
Hamilton Community News