The Town of Innisfil’s engineering department has proposed moving forward with a municipal class environmental assessment (EA) and design for the urbanization of Killarney Beach Road from 20 Sideroad to Ewart Street in Lefroy.
The project was initially classified as “medium priority” in the town’s transportation master plan and was to begin sometime between 2022 and 2031, but with rapid residential growth in the Lefroy area and InnServices already scheduling water and wastewater servicing upgrades for 2020-22, it made sense to town officials to co-ordinate the projects.
The Class EA and design are expected to cost just shy of $1.24 million, with $1.13 million to come from development charges collected for roads, and the other $123,684 from the alternative revenue source (ARS) reserve fund, which is money received from the OLG Gateway Casino at Innisfil Beach Road and Highway 400.
The project will include road reconstruction, drainage and stormwater management improvements, new curbs and gutters, and new sidewalks.
Coun. Bill Van Berkel wanted to know why bike lanes weren't included in the proposal. He acknowledged that the cost of transforming a road shoulder into a bike lane could be high, but suggested that because there's a school in the area — Killarney Beach Public School — and the high rate of residential growth, bike lanes should be considered.
“When they do the actual design of the road… I would almost think they would include some kind of bike lane in there,” Van Berkel said.
“We are planning to look at bike lanes as part of the design,” said Jessica Jenkins, the town's lead capital engineer. “We will definitely look at providing that connection in that area.”
She noted the hope is to keep all improvements within the existing road right-of-way, with no plans for any land acquisition.
The engineering report estimated the total cost of the urbanization project at approximately $12 million, the remainder of which will come from the 2021-22 budget. The report also acknowledged that construction will result in “temporary disruption" for Lefroy residents and businesses.
However, the report noted, aligning the work with InnServices “will reduce this disruption.”
Council supported moving forward with the Class EA in 2020. The assessment, which will include public consultation, is expected to take 18 months to complete.
