Design stage virtual public information session

The City of Waterloo and our engineering consultant, Walterfedy, are pleased to present the first of two Public Information Centre’s (PIC). This update provides the most up-to-date design drawings (PDF) [NOTE: the preliminary design drawings have now been replaced by the final construction drawings] for the reconstruction of Herbert Street from George Street to Union Street East. (Please note that the technical design drawings document is not accessible. If you require this information in an alternate format, please contact our project team.)

Typically PIC’s are held in person, but right now the city is still not holding in-person events. We hope that the information presented here helps answer most of your questions about this project so far. If you have any additional questions or concerns as you review the drawings and information, please submit them to us using the Questions tab and we will provide responses as soon as possible. Feedback must be submitted by December 17, 2021 in order to potentially influence the design.

What is the scope and schedule of the work?

This work is tentatively scheduled from approximately mid-April 2022 to November 2022, once all technical and financial approvals are received.

The specific improvements planned for Herbert Street between Allen Street East and Union Street East include:

Replace the existing sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and watermain to meet current capacity requirements and design standards.
Replace the existing sanitary and water service laterals to each home from the new mains to the property line.
Replace the existing curb and gutter, asphalt, and concrete sidewalk. Sidewalks will be replaced with new 1.50 metre wide sidewalks meeting the minimum width required by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Replace all existing driveway ramp entrances within the municipal right-of-way to conform to current city standards.
Disturbed grassed areas will be restored with topsoil and sod. Hardscape surface features intended for access such as asphalt and concrete walkways and driveways will be restored to pre-construction condition or better. Areas of custom landscaping and associated hardscaping will not be restored by the city (as outlined further in the section on landscape features within city property).

The improvements planned for Herbert Street between George Street and Allen Street East include:

Replace the existing storm sewer and a portion of the sanitary sewer to meet current capacity requirements and design standards.
Replace the existing sanitary and water service laterals where necessary for the installation of the storm and sanitary sewers.
Replace the existing curb and gutter, asphalt, and concrete sidewalk where required for the installation of new storm and sanitary sewers. Sidewalk will be replaced on the west side of the road with new 1.50-metre-wide sidewalk meeting the minimum requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Replace all existing driveway ramp entrances on the west side of the road required due to installation of storm sewer, within the municipal right-of-way to conform to current city standards.
Disturbed grassed areas will be restored with topsoil and sod. Hardscape surface features intended for access such as asphalt and concrete walkways and driveways will be restored to pre-construction condition or better. Areas of custom landscaping and associated hardscaping will not be restored by the city (as outlined further in the section on landscape features within city property).

Before this construction, Enbridge Gas will be upgrading most of the gas main along Herbert Street. Most of the gas work will be done using ‘trenchless’ installation; but some digging will be required in boulevard areas.

Are there any changes proposed to the existing streetscape?

The streetscape will not change a lot, although it will be brought up to new standards. The road will be narrowed so that the new sidewalks can be the required width of 1.5 metres. Some trees have been identified for removal by the city’s Forestry department. These trees include one in decline that could pose a safety hazard, and three ash trees that are likely infected with the emerald ash borer. These trees are marked on the drawings.

One possible change we would like your feedback on concerns the boulevard space between the curb and sidewalk. The drawings currently show this space as being finished in concrete, since our experience has been that maintaining attractive natural landscaping in narrow boulevards can be difficult. However, this change is not mandatory and we would like to know whether residents would prefer concrete, or for it to remain as a space for grass or other landscaping (in accordance with city by-laws).

Who will be doing the work?

A private contractor selected through the city’s public tender process will do the work. Representatives from the selected contractor will be available at a second public information centre to be held before construction begins in the spring of 2022.

Can residents upgrade their existing sanitary sewer and water services?

Between Allen Street and Union Street, all water service laterals for single-detached homes within the municipal right-of-way will be replaced with 25-mm-diameter polyethylene pipe from the watermain to the property line, and all sanitary service laterals within the municipal right-of-way will be replaced with 100-mm-diameter PVC pipe from the sewer main to the property line. There may be some exceptions to this rule such where mature trees are on top of service laterals, in which case the replacement of the lateral may stop short of the property line in order to preserve the tree.

Should the property owner wish to further increase the size of their water or sanitary service lateral within the municipal right-of-way, the city will cover the base cost for the above-noted service lateral sizes and the remaining cost will be borne by the property owner. Please contact the city’s Project Manager to discuss details specific to your property.

Can residents have the contractor complete additional work on their private property (such as up-size water or sewer service laterals, repave driveway, install new concrete patio, etc.)?

No. The city’s standard contracts prohibit contractors from completing work for residents on private property under the terms of the contract. Most heavy construction contractors that have performed work for the city in the past have not agreed to doing private work for residents when asked.

Access and parking

In order to carry out this work, we will need to close Herbert Street to non-local traffic. During road reconstruction, vehicle access to private property may be possible, but it will be considered to be at your own risk as you will be traveling through a construction zone.

Although not always possible during every phase of construction, you will typically have vehicle access to your property in the evening and on weekends. Please note that there will be times when driveway access with a vehicle will not be possible, such as when concrete work is being completed in front of your property. Some of these instances, like the pouring of new concrete curbs and sidewalks, will be known in advance and we can provide notice for them. Other instances unfortunately may occur with little notice due to unforeseen site conditions. These times will be minimized as much as possible, however we encourage you to contact the city in advance if access is required at a specific time, in order to confirm access will be available. Please contact the city’s Project Manager as soon as possible if you have any mobility or health issues that require accommodation during construction.

During times when you do not have vehicle access to your property, or if you do not wish to travel through the construction zone, you will be able to park on neighbouring streets. An on-street parking permit will be provided by the city. This permit allows for unlimited parking during the day and overnight parking; however, residents must still follow other usual parking restrictions, such as no parking in front of fire hydrants, or in no parking zones. Residents will be provided two parking passes prior to the start of construction. If additional passes are required, please contact the city’s Project Manager.

Sidewalks and pedestrian access

We will maintain pedestrian access to all properties as much as possible, although some disruptions will occur. During construction, we will leave as much of the old sidewalk in place for as long as possible. Sections of sidewalk will need to be removed as construction progresses in order to replace water and sanitary service laterals, but these disruptions should be short term. When a portion of sidewalk needs to be removed, the contractor will provide a level, gravel walking surface for pedestrians. Near the end of the project the remaining sidewalk panels will be removed and the new sidewalk installed. Pedestrians will not be able to travel on the new sidewalk for at least 24 hours. Please contact the city’s project manager as soon as possible if you have any mobility or health issues that require accommodation during construction.

Will sanitary sewer and water services be interrupted?

To maintain water service during construction, we will construct a temporary watermain along the surface. A plastic pipe will be run in front of your property with a flexible hose attached to the water service lateral behind the existing curb stop valve in front of your property. It will look strange, but your water service should continue as usual.

Sewer and water service will be maintained throughout the construction. However, short interruptions can be expected, particularly when installing or dismantling the temporary watermain, or when sanitary services are transferred from the existing sewer to the new sewer. In the majority of cases, interruptions will be limited to a few hours and will occur during normal working hours. We will provide advance notice before any planned service interruption.

How will disruptions be minimized?

It is important to the City of Waterloo that we complete construction with a little interruption to the neighbourhood as possible. By nature, road reconstruction and sewer replacement is disruptive, and at times will create noise, vibration, and the potential for dust. To mitigate dust during construction, water and calcium chloride are periodically used. Construction activities are typically limited to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Surface landscape features existing on city property

During road reconstruction projects, the city occasionally finds that residents have landscaped the city’s boulevard in some fashion. The boulevard is defined as the space between the edge of a roadway and the property line. Along Herbert Street, the property line is located 2 to 3 metres behind the back edge of the existing sidewalk, depending on the location.

The city’s By-Law to Regulate Work on Highways and Boulevards allows for residents to alter the boulevard by planting herbaceous (i.e., non-woody) plants in the boulevard, provided they are maintained at a height of less than 45 centimetres. However, the city notes that it is not responsible for the cost of reinstating these landscaped areas if they are disturbed as a result of infrastructure maintenance activities such as road, sidewalk, sewer, and service lateral rehabilitation. The city’s standard for boulevard reinstatement is topsoil and sod only. Residents wishing to maintain any plantings will need to remove any plants they wish to keep prior to construction, and notify the city’s Project Manager of plans for reinstatement.

All non-herbaceous plants will be removed and reinstatement will be prohibited. Any landscape features that interfere with sightlines will also be removed and not reinstated. Irrigation systems are specifically prohibited; the city will not reimburse homeowners for damage to any irrigation system in the boulevard. Certain landscape features such as private retaining walls are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Homeowners whose properties include these features either within or abutting the boulevard should contact the city’s Project Manager.

Will blue box, green box, and garbage collection be affected?

Blue box, green box, and garbage collection will continue throughout the construction process. When street access is restricted by construction operations, residents should still put their waste out in front of their homes as usual by 7:00 a.m. on their designated waste pickup day. The construction crew will move all containers to a location accessible by the waste collection service on collection days. Blue boxes and green bins will then be put back in front each residence at the end of the day. To facilitate this, please ensure that all waste is in a proper container (yard waste in paper bags, household garbage in plastic bags) and please ensure that your address is clearly marked on all containers (blue boxes and green bins).

This standard service does not apply to properties that have private waste management companies collect their waste (e.g. apartments and commercial properties). If you receive private waste collection, please contact the city’s Project Manager to discuss options.

Packages and deliveries

During construction, parcel delivery is usually still possible, as the delivery service will have access to the sidewalk and/or boulevard during construction. However, not all parcel or delivery companies will deliver under all circumstances. For some parcel delivery companies, the decision of whether or not to deliver rests solely with the delivery person, based on safety considerations at the time of delivery. This can result in certain packages on the street being delivered and others not delivered on the same day, due to different safety perceptions by the employees of the delivery companies. Residents are advised to consider these factors when ordering packages for delivery.

Residents are urged to avoid delivery of larger items (such as furniture or appliances) that would generally require access to the street and driveway, if at all possible. If residents are to receive delivery of larger items, please contact the city’s project manager in advance to confirm requirements for delivery, and whether or not access is expected to be available at that time.

All residents who receive deliveries of critical medical supplies are asked to communicate any specific delivery needs to the city’s project manager in advance, and the field inspectors in order to coordinate the safe and efficient delivery of these supplies.

Working from home and internet access

Those who require internet access while working from home are advised to inform their employer of the construction, and prepare contingency plans in the event that internet access is interrupted during construction. Interruptions to internet access are rare and typically result from strikes of non-located services, meaning they typically affect only one home at a time.

If there is an interruption to internet service please contact your internet service provider first, prior to informing the construction foreman or the engineering consultants inspector. The contractor will notify the telecom utility of the service interruption as well, however previous experience indicates that the response is faster when the customer contacts the utility directly.