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Town told they can expand existing fire hall on Dawson Rd.

August 21, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Baker

While Orangeville Council learned this week that renovating and expanding the existing fire station on Dawson Road isn’t entirely out of the question, it’s an option that comes with a considerable cost according to Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) staff. 

Tim Mereu, Director of Watershed Management at CVC, informed Council on Monday (Aug. 10) that the local authority was willing to budge on its previous stance that no construction would be permitted to take place at the site, but only if the Town was willing to sanction $3.3 million worth of flood prevention work and upgrades in the area. 

The station, constructed in 1981, is no longer fit to house the Orangeville Fire Department according to Chief Ron Morden. He has spent years lobbying two sets of elected officials to build a new fire hall in town. After the previous Council dragged their feet over the project, our current members included $3 million in the 2020 capital budget for a potential new fire hall project, with much of that money set aside to fund design work and the purchase of any land that becomes available that could serve as a home for the new building. 

There has been a long held belief by some members of the current Orangeville Council, and indeed the previous Council too, that the Town would be better served renovating the existing fire hall, rather than going to the $10 million expense to build a brand new one. The problem with that is the Dawson Road facility is located on a floodplain, and all indications previously have been that the CVC would not entertain the idea of allowing the municipality to develop the facility.

As Mr. Mereu explained on Monday, “There are five policies that apply here (that would prevent the Town from expanding the building). First, is there must be safe access and egress for emergency vehicles – that’s a provincial regulation. They recommend that flooding on a road where emergency vehicles have to pass be no more than 0.3 metres (approximately 1ft). The current level at Dawson Road is 0.6 metres (approximately 2 ft when it floods). The theory is if there’s more flooding than 0.3 metres, there is an increased danger for vehicles to access the agress.”

He went on to explain two further obstacles, the first being that the current CVC zoning policy in place at the Dawson Road site prohibits development of any kind in that particular area. The second, while sounding more serious, can be overcome if the Town and CVC came to an arrangement. 

“This is another provincial rule, but it essentially says that development of emergency services in a floodplain is basically prohibited. Now, as I understand it, this is down to the local conservation authority to police and apply,” Mr. Mereu said. “From our standpoint, we’re comfortable that, with what is being proposed, coupled with the fact there is already a fire station existing in the floodplain, it would be safe (to expand the facility).”

The CVC proposal would see the Town cover the costs to increase the culvert capacity under Dawson Road, and regrade the road itself, so as to make it flatter. The third and final request, would be to dry-proof the fire hall, essentially raising its level slightly to ensure that, if the area floods, the inside of the fire hall wouldn’t be affected. 

“Preliminary costs for these projects is $3.3 million, so fairly expensive,” Mr. Mereu said. “We wanted to give you an idea of what it would take if you wanted to progress with this particular site. Completion of these works will enable the fire station expansion from the perspective of CVC policies.”

During his presentation, Mr. Mereu included an image capturing the front of the local fire hall and a section of Dawson Road. It was taken immediately after what has been described as the “100-year storm” that hit the area in June 2017. It showed that much of Dawson Road, right in front of the facility, was under more than 1 ft. of water. 

Deputy Mayor Andy Macintosh took exception to the use of that photo, feeling it was being used more for dramatic effect than to paint a true picture of what things are truly like in the area. 

“I was physically there and both culverts were completely blocked that day, which makes the photos look extra dramatic,” Mr. Macintosh said. 

Coun. Todd Taylor was worried about the Town potentially losing a valuable asset if they did not move forward with carrying out CVC’s recommended $3.3 million project. 

“If Council decides not to spend to make the amendments suggested, what happens to that property? In the future, is that just a worthless piece of land in (CVC’s) mind? If we move the fire hall to a different location because we decide not to do this work, will we have just written off that asset?” Coun. Taylor wondered.

Mr. Mereu said he expected that, should the Town decide not to carry out the work and expand the fire station, the building itself could still be used for other purposes. It has previously been suggested the site would serve as an ideal home for a future Orangeville bus station. 

“I don’t know the full answer, but part of the answer is the building would have uses it could continue to have,” Mr. Mereu said. 

In a separate presentation to Council, Mr. Mereu indicated the Town could carry out work to both Monora Creek and Mill Creek to alleviate the effects of flooding across town during inclement weather. 

During that 100-year storm, a large section of First Street and Townline found itself under water due to the sheer amount of rain that fell in such a short time (four inches in eight hours). 

The results of that downpour was that both creeks burst their banks, and the Town’s sewer system completely backed up. The water was so deep along parts of Townline, that one resident was pictured in the water with a kayak. 

In the area of the lower Monora Creek, around First Street and Hansen Boulevard, Mr. Mereu told Council they could increase both the culvert and channel capacity in the area, while installing a berm on land behind the plaza that houses Popeye’s Chicken and Halibut House. In total, the project would come at a cost of $2.2 million and bring big benefits.

“In terms of the lower Monora Creek, proposed works can significantly reduce the frequency of flooding. Even if we saw another 100-year event, this work would minimize water spillage in the area,” Mr. Mereu said. 

Over at Mill Creek however, a solution is not so straight forward, and will certainly be more costly. Mr. Mereu says the only way to solve the flooding problem in the area would be to install two lengthy culverts either side of the Town’s water treatment facility on Townline. He didn’t have an estimate for the project, but indicated it likely would cost more than the $3.3 million earmarked for the Dawson Road upgrades. 

Now that the Town has the necessary information from CVC, they would be eligible to apply for funding through the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, to help pay for the projects. John Lackey, the Town’s Manager of Transportation and Development, said staff would analyze the results of the CVC report and develop a flood mitigation plan for consideration at a future meeting of Council. 

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