Controversial plan to extend road in wetland deferred

A controversial proposal to extend a Kitchener road through part of a sensitive wetland won’t return to council until at least the end of the year.

Councillors voted Monday night to defer a vote on accepting an environmental assessment report on the plan to extend Biehn Drive and a sanitary sewer in south Kitchener until further studies and public consultation are done.

That process isn’t expected to be completed until late 2023 or early 2024.

If council approves the environmental assessment report, it would go to the provincial Environment Ministry for a 30day public review period before the long-discussed project could proceed.

Residents who have expressed concerns are worried a road extension would damage the wetland in the Brigadoon Woods and Strasburg Creek area.

“Thank you for listening to our concerns and recognizing this is a complex set of issues,” area resident Kelli Kuzyk told councillors.

Three councillors — Jason Deneault, Debbie Chapman and Ayo Owodunni — recently joined residents for tours of the wetland area, and Kuzyk said they hope to offer tours again later this year.

“May this offer be an inspiration to steward our green space well.”

City staff maintain the sewer extension is needed to accommodate future development, while the road should be extended to redistribute traffic in the area; councillors have also heard that some future developments may be contingent on Biehn Drive being extended.

Residents and some councillors have asked whether only the sewer work could be done, with a less-invasive construction method.

The pending studies would typically be done after the environmental assessment is filed with the province but will be moved up due to the concerns that have been raised, a city report said.

The work will include environmental, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations, as well as an updated Doon South area traffic study.

The previous traffic study dates from 2016 and assumed Biehn Drive would be extended; a revised version will look at future traffic projections with and without the extension, staff said.

Another public consultation session will take place once the studies are complete later this year or early next year.

“I think there were a lot of valid concerns raised from the general community, and having a sober second look … would solidify whatever the ultimate staff recommendation would be,” said Coun. Paul Singh.

Thank you for listening to our concerns and recognizing this is a complex set of issues.

KELLI KUZYK AREA RESIDENT