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Public Report

To: Development Services Committee

From: Thomas B. Hodgins, BES, MA, RPP, MCIP, Commissioner, Development Services

Report Number: DS-14-160

Date of Report: July 10, 2014

Date of Meeting: July 16, 2014

Subject: Drainage Problems, Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood Neighbourhood

File: E-6700-0006

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this report is to overview the results of an investigation into drainage issues in the Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood neighbourhood and to recommend a go forward plan.

On February 14, 2014 Council referred to staff for a report a request from Mr. Robert Simpson for funding to address the drainage issue.

Attachment 1 is a copy of Mr. Simpson’s correspondence.

Attachment 2 is a map illustrating staff’s understanding of the portion of subject neighborhood that is frequently subject to drainage issues and standing water.

Attachment 3 is an illustration of the preferred engineering/technical solution for addressing the drainage/standing water issue.

2.0 Recommendation

That the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:

1. That, pursuant to Report DS-14-160 dated July 10, 2014, the following be undertaken to advance a possible solution to the drainage/standing water issue in the Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood neighbourhood:

(a) The preferred engineering/technical solution as set out in said report be approved as the basis for further refinement;

(b) Development Services staff confirm the availability of easements from the property owners as required by the preferred engineering/technical solution;

(c) Development Services staff prepare a detailed engineering design; (d) Development Services staff provide the design to 2 or 3 reputable contactors for a

reliable, current cost estimate;

Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-14-160 Meeting Date: July 16, 2014

(e) Development Services staff meet the neighbourhood to discuss the cost estimate received and possible cost sharing; and

(f) Development Services staff report back through the Development Services Committee to Council for direction on any implementation and funding.

2. That copies of the Council resolution and related Report DS-14-160 dated July 10, 2014, be forwarded to Mr. Simpson and the effected property owners in the Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood neighborhood.

3.0 Executive Summary

On February 14, 2014, as part of a budget meeting, Council referred to staff for a report a request from Mr. Roger Simpson (see Attachment 1) for assistance with a chronic drainage problem in the Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood neighborhood.

Staff have now confirmed the extent and cause of the problem and have assessed a range of options to solve the problem.

Staff have also confirmed that the City is not directly responsible for the drainage issues. Notwithstanding, the City is in a position to assist in a variety of ways as directed by Council.

This report recommends a preferred engineering/technical solution that involves work on both the Hortop Street public road allowance and on private property. The preliminary estimated cost of the preferred solution is ±$150,000 ($100,000 for works within the road allowance and $50,000 for works within the private properties).

The actual cost, however, cannot be confirmed and could be lower.

To advance this matter, this report recommends a preferred engineering/technical solution and a go forward plan that will finalize the engineering design, confirm the availability of the required easements and produce a reliable cost estimate.

Once done, staff will report back to Committee and Council for direction on the implementation of any solution including any City funding and any cost sharing with property owners.

4.0 Input From Other Sources

4.1 Other Departments

The following have been consulted:

Finance Services Community Services Legal Services


4.2 Neighbourhood Input

In October 2013 City staff conducted a topographic survey in the Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood neighborhood. At that time, Mr. Simpson of 1036 Hortop Street and some of the affected property owners were contacted to discuss their concerns and to obtain information on the drainage issue.

In February 2014 Mr. Simpson contacted Council and submitted the correspondence which appears as Attachment 1. Council referred the correspondence to staff for a report.

In preparing to report to Council, staff conducted an engineering analysis.

On May 26, 2014 City staff held a meeting at City Hall for property owners in the neighborhood.

The intent of the meeting was to overview the engineering analysis including potential options to solve the problem.

Thirteen of the sixteen property owners invited were represented at the meeting.

The property owners who attended the meeting and City staff generally agree on the most appropriate engineering/technical solution (Option B-1).

At the meeting, the homeowners were advised that the City had agreed to investigate the issue and potential solution but had not approved a solution or any funding to implement the solution. Property owners were also advised that any City funding could be conditional on a contribution from the property owners.

In response, most property owners indicated a preference for the City to fund the entire solution with no contribution from the private properties.

The property owners also indicated that any solution should be implemented as soon as possible and preferably by the end of 2014.

5.0 Analysis

5.1 Key Findings

In response to the February 2014 Council referral, staff conducted an engineering analysis of the drainage issue.

Key findings from the engineering analysis are as follows:

The Hortop/Pontiac/Sherwood neighbourhood was built in the early 1950’s at a time when the City was not involved in regulating lot grading.

Given its age, no Master Lot Grading Plan was ever prepared, approved by the City, implemented or maintained for this area.

The neighborhood has a drainage area of about 1.3 hectares (3.2 ac.).


The topography of the neighbourhood generally slopes from west to east towards Hortop Street with very little gradient.

There is no storm sewer on Hortop Street.

There is an existing storm sewer on Pontiac Avenue, which drains north to Beatrice Street, but it is not designed to take any flow from the subject neighborhood.

There is an existing storm sewer on Sherwood Avenue, which drains south to Sunset Drive, and it was designed to accommodate flow from the subject neighborhood.

There is no physical drainage outfall for the Hortop Street neighborhood.

The neighbourhood has a frequent problem with standing water. The extent of the area impacted by standing water is illustrated in Attachment 2.

There are some isolated low points within the rear yards of the properties fronting onto Pontiac Avenue and Sherwood Avenue but the two lowest elevations are located at 1018 and 1030 Hortop Avenue.

There are grading deficiencies in most of the backyards in this area and water ponding depths vary from one property to another. Water ponding within this neighborhood can vary in depth from 10 centimetres to 15 centimetres (4 to 6 in.) depending on location.

In general, drainage coming from the westerly uphill portion of the neighborhood ponds on 1030 Hortop Street first and then spills south toward the Sherwood Avenue road allowance once the critical elevations along the back of 1012 to 1030 Hortop Street are breached (see Attachment 2).

Grading changes have taken place gradually over the last 60 to 70 years in the westerly uphill portion of the neighborhood. Grading on the downhill portion of the area remains more or less the same with the exception of the property at 1022 Hortop Street.

The homeowner at 1022 Hortop Street has installed a groundwater interceptor system to address her drainage problem. It is believed that during the process, the grading of some part of the lot somehow was altered (raised), but the rear portion of the lot has been left unchanged.

The storage capacity in the rear yards of the neighborhood has been decreasing steadily over the years through filling activities on some properties.

Every spring, Mr. Simpson of 1030 Hortop Street has assisted his neighbors by pumping the standing water from the back of the affected properties onto Hortop Street using his submersible pool pump.

5.2 Solution Options

Nine possible solutions to the drainage issue were identified and assessed.


These options involve: catch basins in the rear yards of 1018 and 1030 Hortop Street connected through other yards to a storm sewer on Pontiac Avenue; catch basins in the rear yards of 1030 Hortop Street and 71 and 79 Pontiac Avenue connected through other yards to a storm sewer on Pontiac Avenue; catch basins in the rear yards of 1030 and 1018 Hortop Street connected through other yards to a storm sewer on Sherwood Avenue; catch basins in the rear yards of 1030 and 1018 Hortop Street connected to a new storm sewer on Hortop Street.

An option identified as Option B-1 is the preferred option (see Attachment 4). It is the most technically feasible and effective way to resolve the drainage issue and the approach is consistent with today’s engineering practices.

Option B-1 involves the following:

Constructing a new storm sewer northerly on a portion of Hortop Street from Sherwood Avenue.

Constructing two rear yard catch basins in the rear yards of 1018 and 1030 Hortop Street with lateral connections between the houses that run to the new Hortop Street storm sewer.

This design requires the consent of two to possibly four property owners who would “host” the new catch basins, laterals and access/construction and maintenance easements on their lots.

A very preliminary cost estimate suggests that the cost of the new Hortop Street storm sewer is $100,000 and the cost of the catch basins and laterals on the private lots is $50,000.

The actual costs cannot be confirmed and could be lower.

5.3 Go Forward Plan

In order to continue to advance this matter to a point at which Council could consider, with reliable cost estimates, any City funding and/or cost sharing with the neighbourhood, the following go forward plan is recommended:

1. Council approve the preferred engineering/technical solution (Option B-1) for further refinement;

2. Development Services staff confirm the availability of easements from the property owners;

3. Development Services staff prepare a detailed engineering design; 4. Development Services staff provide the design to 2 or 3 reputable contactors for a

reliable, current cost estimate; 5. Development Services staff meet the neighbourhood to discuss the cost estimate and

possible cost sharing; and 6. Development Services staff report back through the Development Services Committee

and Council for direction on the implementation of any solution including City funding and cost sharing.


6.0 Financial Implications

Costs are discussed in the previous sections on solution options and go forward plan.

Any costs associated with this project are not eligible for the use of development charges.

Further, this project is not included in the current capital budget forecast 2015.

7.0 Relationship to the Oshawa Strategic Plan

The Recommendation advances the Accountable Leadership and Environmental Responsibility goals of the City’s Oshawa Strategic Plan.

Gary P. Carroll, B.ASc., M. Eng., P. Eng., Director, Engineering Branch

Thomas B. Hodgins, BES, MA, RPP, MCIP, Commissioner, Development Services

DS-14-160Attachment 1'January 6, 2014

City of Oshawa Attn: Mayor John Henry 50 Centre St Oshawa, ON

Roger & Dianne Simpson

Dear Mayor Henry,

Subject: Water Issue in Backyards on Hortop. Pontiac and Sherwood Streets. Oshawa

I am writing to try and get something done about a water problem that has plagued this neighbourhood for several years.

I had originally written the attached letter on April 14, 2013, but after speaking with Terri Lynn Larocque, Chris Gardiner and Patrick Lee, I was advised to hold off doing anything until they looked into the matter.

There was meeting with City of Oshawa Engineering Department and several of the effected neighbours on October 7, 2013, on Hortop Street. Patrick Lee said that the next step would be for surveys to be completed on the properties. On October 10, 2013 Terri Lynn Larocque provided me with Preliminary Engineering Investigations letters to be delivered to each of the homes where surveys were to be completed. These surveys were completed by late fall.

On December 20, 20131 received a call from Patrick Lee advising City Planning had approved the recommendation to install a catch basin, but upper Management had squashed the proposal.

The water problem has been going on for over 30 years, when the city updated Hortop and surrounding streets. Prior to curbs being installed on Hortop Street, there were ditches, and homeowners had drainage tiles to their backyards to remove excess water. When the curbs were installed all of these drainage tiles were dug up, and the water had no way to be drained from our properties.

Now, as homeowners raise grades on their properties, the water still has no where to go, and several properties are flooding out, and they look like lakes, as you will see in the enclosed pictures.

I was advised by city staff to contact you and City Council to see if you can assist me and my neighbours to have this issue revisited, and included as part of the City Planning budget for 2014.

I would be more than glad to meetwith you to discuss our problem, as spring is on the way, and we as neighbours stand to loose a lot of money again this year.

Please advise what you can do to help resolve this issue.

Rog

cc Pa rick Lee

Enclosures: April 14, 2013 Letter Signatures/Pictures

MFIPPA S.14(1)

April 14, 2013

City of Oshawa Attn: Engineering Department 50 Centre St Oshawa, ON

Roger & Dianne Simpson

Dear Chris,

Subject: Water lssye jn Backvards on Hortop and Pontiac Street, Oshawa

I am writing to try and get something done about a water problem that has plagued this neighbourhood for several years.

Early last year, the owner(s) at 1022 Hortop Street dug out their backyard and installed two large wells at the back of their home to try and stop the water from entering their home. When they back filled they raised their property by 1O" to 12" inches. Now the water floods my back yard and surrounding neighbours.

I called the City of Oshawa Engineering Department on Wednesday, April 10 2013. I met with Chris and his supervisor, from engineering, on Friday April 13, 2013. They checked out the problem with me, and then they went to see the owner(s) at 1022 Hortop Street. Chris took several pictures of the water in my backyard and surrounding neighbours.

Chris said there needs to be a catch basin installed on one of the properties to take away the water. This would eliminate the water problem, for ever. As of now, four properties on Pontiac Street and five on Hortop Street are being affected.

Early last year when the owner(s) at 1022 Hortop Street were back filling their property, I call the City of Oshawa to complain about the grade being changed. The owner at 1012 Hortop Street, Brett Fogal, also called engineering to complain about the grade being changed. A person from engineering, Brett did not get their card, told him they would keep an eye on the issue.

I have included pictures to show the amount of water in my backyard and surrounding neighbours. Chris also took pictures when he was here on Friday.

I would like assistance to get this issue resolved. I am very concerned, if the water pooling in our backyards is not resolved, it will potentially become a health issue.

I have had a submersible pump running in my backyard since Friday to try and lower the water level, it is still running today. I am very concerned about the water issue, as I had to spend over $1500.00 last year from damage due to water problems, which I have never had previously, and I have been in my home for 30 years. I am very concerned about my pool, as I do not wish to endure this cost again this year.

I have spoken with surrounding neighbours who are also concerned with the amount of water in their backyards, and attached their names, address and signatures.

Please advise what you can do to help resolve this issue.

Thanking you in advance,

Roger and Dianne Simpson

MFIPPA S.14(1)

J 3

MFIPPA S.14(1) MFIPPA S.14(1)

DS-14-160 Attachment 2

General Location Map

DS-14-160 Attachment 3

Option B-1

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