News clips: Springwater Township business case request

Springwater Township asking county for business case regarding organics processing facility

By Ian McInroy, Barrie Examiner March 3 2016

SPRINGWATER TWP. — Springwater Township is asking the county to complete a comprehensive business case before moving forward with its proposed organics processing and materials management facility.

The county has stated its preferred site for both facilities would be at 2976 Horseshoe Valley Rd. W., north of Barrie.

The site proposal will be brought before county council on Tuesday.

Springwater councillors were unanimous in their request for the business case that would include items such as a risk analysis, a preliminary value-for-money assessment and costs around various aspects of the project, including building and running the organics processing and materials management facility.

Township councillors also want to see the business case presented to county council, Springwater council and the public.

According to a statement released by the township on Thursday, it is also requesting the county complete a financial impact study, including an assessment of the costs estimated to be incurred by Springwater Township for the project.

Springwater councillors also want their resolution included in Tuesday’s county council agenda.

“Springwater is fully supportive of sustainable waste reduction options, but there are many questions left unanswered for our council, for our residents and for the County of Simcoe as a whole,” said Mayor Bill French. “We need to be aware of all of the potential impacts of this project and how it will affect our residents, including traffic, noise, odour and the financial repercussions.

“Moving this project forward without examining the potential consequences would be irresponsible,” he added.

Deputy Mayor Don Allen also voiced support for the business case.

“After completing research and speaking with numerous other municipalities undertaking similar projects in Canada, it is clear that a business case must be completed prior to moving forward,” Allen said. “Determining the need, viability and costs associated with a project like this are paramount to its success.”

County Warden Gerry Marshall said questions posed by the township “have already been answered or will be answered” as the approved process unfolds.

“I personally attended the 10 public consultations sessions this fall and heard many, if not all, of these questions from our residents,” said Marshall, who is also mayor of Penetanguishene. “I am confident that the comments were considered in determining the preferred site and that all questions will be addressed as we move forward.”

Marshall said council directed staff to identify a site as the first step and to then determine the appropriate technology once a site was identified. Ultimately, a business case would be provided with accurate costing once those details were determined, he said.

“This (project) is of significant importance,” he said. “With a site identified, potential technology vendors are able to provide accurate costing and will invest their time and resources into a detailed response to a request for proposal for technology. We cannot make a decision based on approximate costs or guesswork. That is why it is vital that we maintain our current direction.”

A full copy of the Springwater Township resolution can be viewed online at www.springwater.ca/opfmmf.

Slow down, Springwater Township tells the County of Simcoe

Springwater Township council wants to put the brakes on plans to build an organics processing plant and waste transfer station on a Horseshoe Valley Road West site and encourages residents to attend county meeting on Tuesday, March 8 to show their opposition

By Robin Maclennan Barrie Today March 2 2016

Springwater Township council has unanimously rejected the County of Simcoe’s plan to build an organics processing facility (OPF) and materials management facility (MMF) on a Horseshoe Valley Road site.

“We don’t know a lot of information on this,” said Councillor Sandy McConkey. “I don’t have any confidence yet.

“I’d like to stand up here and be an ambassador … and feel that I can be proud to have it, but I cannot move forward yet.”

The County of Simcoe announced Tuesday that the preferred site for two waste management facilities is 2976 Horseshoe Valley Road West, next to Nicholyn Farms in the village of Phelpston.

Springwater Township Mayor Bill French disagrees.

“It’s not automatic,” French told residents at Wednesday’s council meeting. “Just because they own the property doesn’t mean they can start immediately.”

“The population is growing faster in the south, and we would see a lot of truck coming from that part of the county,” he said. “Maybe they should look at a different site.”

About 50 people attended a Springwater Township council meeting Wednesday evening, to hear more about the County’s plan.

French assured the audience that the process to develop the site is lengthy, and many studies including a soil quality test, analysis of agricultural potential, a traffic impact study, environmental impact study, noise and odour impact studies, storm water management, functional plan, and a hazard land assessment.

Deputy Mayor Don Allen, whose request to speak about the “flawed” process at County Council failed last week, spoke for 20 minutes and presented a motion asking the County to halt the process.

His motion passed unanimously, demanding the County stop its current planning process and instead complete a comprehensive business plan that would identify potential technologies, timelines, benefit and costs for the proposed MMF and OPF.

Allen used the example of a similar project underway in Surrey B.C. In that case, the city “made some mistakes” and realized that “a business plan was required to be completed early in the process.”

Councillors say a roads analysis and environmental assessment are needed and they are concerned about potential costs for additional maintenance, policing, fire services and emergency management planning. They also voiced concern about the impact on groundwater.

Allen called the county’s cost estimate of 10 to 35 million “a wild range of numbers that is way too low based on other facilities that have been built.”

He suggested $50 million as a realistic price tag. Allen also said that waiting seven to 10 years “to do it right” would be a better approach.

The site is located in Councillor Jennifer Coughlin’s ward, just five kilometres from her house.

“It is difficult to get so many phone calls and emails and to say ‘I don’t know.’,” she said.

“Over the last 24 hours, it has been many, many phone calls and the majority of the phone calls that I have received have been about traffic.

“We travel these roads every day. We know that Horseshoe Valley Road as it is, is already dangerous,” she said.

The plant will increase traffic and the County report says HV Road “as a classified highway there will be minimal impact to current traffic volumes on HVR west.

The estimated maximum impact is 210 vehicles generaged by the facility.

“Our concern is not cars, it is truck traffic,” said Councillor Coughlin.

Springwater will request their approved motion to be added to Tuesday’s County committee of the whole meeting, but French reminded residents “there is no guarantee that it will happen.”

Councillor Perry Ritchie invited everyone in the audience to attend Tuesday’s County council meeting.

“If there is anyway you can make it, please be there,” he said. “Being in the stands makes a difference.”

After Tuesday’s committee meeting, the recommendation will need final approval from County Council on March 22.

Public information sessions on the report are scheduled for April 19 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Simoe County museum.

Known as Site C136, the location at 2976 Horseshoe Valley Road West ranked first with the following “primary advantages”:

Provides transportation efficiencies – minimal impact to current traffic volumes with an estimated maximum impact of 210 vehicles
Offers the most usable space – facility will use only five per cent of the property
Has good separation distance from nearby houses – all neighbouring houses/businesses have the potential to be more than 500 metres away
Scored high among all environmental criteria
Provides cost savings and economic benefits – an existing County asset that allows for a co-located facility enabling shared capital and operational costs
An organics processing facility will convert green bin material into compost or fertilizer.

Currently, the material collected across Simcoe County is hauled to a processing facility in Hamilton.

The plan also includes a materials management facility where waste from multiple locations will be consolidated before transport to other disposal sites.

The County currently uses a facility in Barrie.