County mired in cost overruns puts new ambulance stations on pause

New Tecumseth Free Press Online

Simcoe County is discovering its new property on Industrial Parkway was more amenable to farming than construction of a new paramedic station, whose costs are the only thing currently growing on site.

In his update report to County councillors included on the Nov. 10th meeting agenda, Andrew Robert, Director and Chief, Paramedic Services, lays out several reasons why an additional $794,000 will be required in the 2015 budget to complete construction of new stations in Alliston and Beeton. The overrun would not have property tax implications as “full funding of these costs are eligible through development charges and paramedic capital reserve funds.”

The bulk of unexpected costs are related to site issues connected to the 1.58 acre the County paid $625,000 to purchase from the Walton Group in November 2013. It’s located on the south side of Industrial Parkway, just west of Simcoe Parts’ warehouse.

“Following the completion of the Alliston station property acquisition, more detailed design and municipal feedback through the site plan approval process determined that a grade issue exists on the site, and that it is necessary to raise the grade. This also requires extending the footings deeper into the ground,” according to Mr. Robert’s report. “Raising of the overall grade had a domino effect, requiring additional site work, including the need for an additional storm water management pond and tie ins to existing adjacent grades, which results in the need for tree protection on adjacent properties. No exceptional site issues have been identified at the Beeton station location.”

Another factor that hiked the costs of both facilities was additional square footage added to the buildings. Initially, Alliston’s budget was costed on a 5,500 square foot building. But. “after completion of detailed design, the actual area is 5,920 square feet.  The additional 420 square feet were needed for mechanical and equipment as well as accommodating partitions thickness between rooms and the exterior walls which was not factored into the original space calculation.”

Beeton’s station, which will be built on County owned property at 9 Patterson Street was intially estimated at approximately 3,000 square feet, with two ambulance bays, but revised design added 220 sq ft to the building.

Mr. Robert’s has offered three options for County councillors to consider moving forward, the preferred route to proceed with construction of both Alliston and Beeton stations in 2015 as a single tender project, estimated to save about $75,000. There is currently $3.973 million in the 2015 budget, but $4.76 million is required.

The two other options are to build Alliston in 2015 and defer Beeton to 2016; or defer both to 2016 for the new County council to determine.

“Given the poor physical status and on ongoing maintenance costs of the currently leased building servicing the Alliston area, coupled with the undersized garage bays that enable only a very few of our oldest fleet access to park inside, the need for a new location is a significant priority,” according to Mr. Robert. “Similarly, with the lack of covered parking amenities at Simcoe Manor in Beeton where paramedics are temporarily housed in a small space in the basement of this facility, the existing location does not meet with Ministry requirements to store paramedic vehicles in a covered facility that offers climate control to protect essential equipment and medications maintained in the vehicles. To ensure proper temperature control, the vehicles must remain on when parked at this location and therefore utilize additional gas consumption and contribute to increased gas emissions into the environment.”

County did its ‘due diligence’ before buying Walton lot, CAO

New Tecumeth Free Press Online 

Simcoe County CAO Mark Aitken told Free Press Online this afternoon that issues with the Industrial Parkway property purchased to house a new paramedic station were not uncovered until the site plan approvals process got underway.

A report to Simcoe County councillors on their Nov. 10 meeting agenda highlights the need to increase the construction budget by $794,000 for both the Alliston and Beeton builds, with most of the increase related to the 1.58 acre lot purchased for $625,000 (including legal fees) from the Walton Group in November 2013.

The site needs additional fill to raise the grade, and requires extending the footings deeper into the ground. And because of the higher grade, an additional storm water management pond and tie ins to existing adjacent grades results in the need for tree protection on adjacent properties.

Asked whether the County purchased “swamp land,” Mr. Aitken said the County “followed all normal due diligence protocols” before closing the deal.

“Soil tests were performed and service connections were reviewed at the time of purchase in 2013,” explained Mr. Aitken in an emailed reply. “It is common in development however for specific details regarding various requirements for a site or an area of development to come out during the site plan approval process, following property acquisition.  These types of authority requirements can vary extensively as they are specific to the local planning needs and differ in each municipality. As such, the proposed cost adjustments being presented to Council on November 10, 2014 which you are asking about reflect additional budgeting provisions for soft costs, construction, design and some planning authority requirements related to the Alliston property not identified at an earlier stage in this process. We respect the Town’s interests in urbanizing this area to reflect their future plans.”

He said the location provides “excellent access to arterial routes and provide significant support in providing timely pre-hospital emergency medical care to the community.”

Because the additional costs can be financed by development charges and Paramedic Services capital reserve funds, it’s not expected to have an implication on the County levy.

“We are hopeful that County Council directs completion of these projects in 2015, but this as you know is their decision upon consideration of the new information.”