Staff Report – Funding Opportunities: Bear Mountain Ultimate Construction (Engineering)

Background

In April 2018 the City of Langford opened the final sections of the Bear Mountain Parkway connecting the Leigh Road Interchange and McCallum frontage road to South Skirt Mountain and Bear Mountain development areas. The road was constructed to its ultimate configuration in the lower reaches below Flint Avenue and in the upper reaches just south or downhill from Pebble Drive on Bear Mountain. The ultimate configuration of the Parkway included full landscaping, streetlights, sidewalk, and turnlanes as required.

The longer middle section, covering several kilometers, was constructed to an interim standard which just included driving lanes (one in each direction) and a wider gravel shoulder as well as the minimum streetlighting needed to open the road.

All of the current newly opened Bear Mountain Parkway construction was funded by developers.

The purpose of this report is to seek Council direction with respect to options to complete the remaining interim road standard to its ultimate completion.

Commentary

Prior to constructing the current Bear Mountain Parkway extension the City approved both an interim and an ultimate road cross section in a Design Brief Dated March 3, 2016 by McElhanney consulting. The ultimate road cross section approved at that time was:

Since March of 2016 the project has evolved with the major changes being a desire to underground hydro feeder lines and to make a wider multi-use path away from the road edge in the more rural style areas of the road as opposed to a sidewalk all the way down. Sidewalk would still be located in front of any new developed subdivisions with higher density (e.g. the ultimate configuration built out at present below Flint Avenue and above Pebble Drive).

With the desire to underground the hydro feeder lines on this road, the cost to construct the ultimate road configuration increases significantly.

Typically development is responsible for all frontage improvements as their development proceeds. Staff are suggesting that if it is Council’s desire to underground the overhead feeder lines on this major road that Council might wish to pursue alternate funding opportunities such as grants to enable the construction of the ultimate road cross section as opposed to the developers paying for both the ultimate road cross sections and also the undergrounding of the hydro feeder lines.

Financial Implications

Should the City decide to pursue grant opportunities to construct the ultimate road cross sections for the new Bear Mountain Parkway staff are suggesting that any matching funds for the grant still be sourced from developers through agreements with the developers.

The estimated cost to complete the remainder of the new Bear Mountain Parkway to its ultimate configuration is $3M.

Legal Implications

None noted.

Options

That Council:

1. Direct staff to pursue infrastructure grant opportunities to complete the ultimate Bear Mountain Road configuration and bring those opportunities to Council for consideration;

OR

2. Do nothing at this time to pursue infrastructure grant opportunities to complete the ultimate Bear Mountain Road configuration

Respectfully submitted,

Submitted by:
Michelle Mahovlich, P.Eng, P.Geo, Director of Engineering

Concurrence:
Matthew Baldwin, MCIP, RPP Director of Planning

Concurrence:
Chris Aubrey, Fire Chief

Concurrence:
Cory Manton, Manager of Parks and Recreation

Concurrence:
George Henshall, Deputy Director of Engineering and Public Works

Concurrence:
Michael Dillabaugh, CPA, CA, Director of Finance

Concurrence:
Braden Hutchins, Director of Corporate Services

Concurrence:
Darren Kiedyk, Chief Administrative Officer

:mm