Wilson Avenue: North End to Fairlawn Road

The City of Kitchener will begin installing all the surface works on Wilson Avenue between the Kingsdale Community Centre and Franklin Street. Crews will start with stringline setup for concrete curb installation followed by curb placement, sidewalks, driveways, road (base asphalt) and landscaping.

This work is part of the Council-approved 2024 Capital Works Program to renew aging city roads, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, watermains, and sidewalk for current and future needs. Please see a map of the work area below. Impacts to property access is expected during surface work construction, please see below for more information.

Map of work area

What to expect during surface work construction

Work hours

Work will take place from 7 a.m.to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. Work on weekends may also be required from time to time, but is unlikely, and is pre-approved Saturday and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Driveway access during surface work

The contractor estimates that driveway access will be lost for about 3-5 weeks while concrete curb and gutter, concrete sidewalk, concrete driveway ramps and asphalt road paving is planned to occur. The duration of lost driveway access is due to several factors including:

• time required for crews to complete their work
• time required for concrete to properly cure to reach its proper strength
• subcontractor’s schedule
• other unforeseen factors such as weather

Road and sidewalk access

To complete the work safely, there will be road and sidewalk restrictions within the work zone. Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times. The contractor may construct wood planks/bridges over the newly poured concrete sidewalks at various points along the site to provide pedestrian access to properties.

Driveway access

The contractor will notify you of any temporary restrictions to your driveway access. Due to the nature of the work, driveway access may not be possible at all times.

During reconstruction, temporary parking permits will be issued to displaced residents to allow on-street parking when needed. The permits will list streets for parking options where you can park longer than 3 hours and overnight. The site inspector will hand out the permits. Typically, two permits are handed out per property. If you require additional permits, please reach out to the site inspector.

Permits are to be displayed on the dash of your vehicle. Ensure that your vehicle is parked in permitted areas only and that you do not interfere with any construction operations.

We communicate with the Bylaw Enforcement team to ensure residents displaced by construction are noted, although illegal parking and/or safety related issues will continue to be enforced.

Accessible accommodation

The City's contractor must ensure safe and accessible walkways and entryways are maintained for everyone during construction. Any temporary access disruptions will be communicated as soon as possible. If you experience a disruption, have a specific access need or related accommodation request, contact the person listed below.

Residents who require accommodation (examples: for level entry, longer notice) must contact the Project Manager to arrange for access during construction.

On-site communication

Sometimes, contractors need to communicate with homeowners about what is happening on-site. This could be about driveway access, water shut-offs, pre-construction inspections, and site restoration work (examples: landscaping, installing pavers). The contractor's staff will be identifiable by their high-visibility company branded clothing. If you need to speak with staff on the construction site, please ask for the Site Inspector.

Garbage and recycling

Please have materials placed at curbside before 7 a.m. on your collection day. If required, the contractor will move bins to an appropriate location and return them in reasonable amount of time after collection. Please ensure that you label your bins with your address.

Restoration

The construction work area will be restored with sod, concrete and/or asphalt where required. Interlocking bricks, flagstone on a granular base, or other similar features that are removed from public and private property during construction will be replaced. Further information notice regarding sod will follow once the sod is placed.

Parking

This project will affect on-street parking. Parking in the active work zone is not permitted as space is needed for construction equipment and materials. If your parked vehicle affects construction work, it will be relocated with no charge to the owner.

If you require parking enforcement, please contact 519-741-2345.

Moving in/out and deliveries

Efforts will be made to accommodate properties that have scheduled move-ins / move-outs and deliveries. Please contact the site inspector in advance to advise of any delivery access.

Site Inspector

If you have construction questions or an issue onsite, we ask that you be directed to the site inspector who represents the city onsite. The site inspector is onsite daily and can be identified by the white hardhat they wear with either the city logo or consultant company logo on it.

Aaron Bokma – 226-929-8970

If the site inspector is unavailable, please contact the Project Manager listed at the end of this notice.

Need more information?

If you have questions about the upcoming work, please contact us.

City Project Manager

Eric Costa

519-588-5106 (TTY:1-866-969-9994)

eric.costa@kitchener.ca

Engineering General inquiries

519-741-2406

Thank you for your continued patience.

The City of Kitchener has awarded Sierra Infrastructure Inc. the contract for reconstruction work on Wilson Avenue. Construction is scheduled to start on/or about April 15, 2024 with an anticipated completion on/or about November 14, 2025.

The City of Kitchener has retained an Engineering Consultant to act as Project Manager for this project and they should be your first point of contact should you have any questions, concerns or require special access to your residence during construction. Their contact information can be found in the contact list provided at the end of this letter. However the City Project Manager remains a key point of contact. Please feel free to contact the project manager, Eric Costa, at eric.costa@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2200 ext. 7414.

A Construction Inspector will be on site daily while the contractor is working. Should you have any questions or concerns while the work is in progress, the Construction Inspector can be identified by the white hardhat and can be approached at any time or contacted using the number provided in the contact list. Should you experience an after-hours emergency, please contact the 24-hour Contact Centre at 519-741-2345.

The Contractor will start the project with the setup of their temporary watermain and by completing the pre-condition inspection.

Pre-condition inspection of structures

On heavy construction projects, it is the City of Kitchener’s standard practice to offer to inspect any buildings that might be affected by construction activities before construction starts. If during or after construction residents/tenants experience any concerns with their property, the information from the pre-construction inspection will prove very helpful in quickly and accurately resolving any claims, should they arise.

The pre-condition survey will be conducted by GPM Environmental and if they haven’t already, they will be contacting you within the next few days to arrange for this inspection, which will include inspection of the interior and exterior of each property to document the existing condition prior to construction. In large high-rise apartment buildings, the ground floor area will be inspected, but the individual apartment units above will not be inspected.

We appreciate that some tenants/residents may not want a pre-condition survey of their home and we would like to stress that you are under no obligation to do so. Should this be the case, please advise the representative when they call.

How you may be affected by construction

You will likely feel some vibrations during the routine operation of construction equipment; however, studies have shown that these vibrations are much less severe than the vibration level likely to cause structural damage. We do recommend that you remove light, fragile or delicate objects from shelves when construction activity is taking place adjacent to your property.

Should you experience any problems during construction, please contact me immediately and I’ll address or direct your concern to the contractor if needed. If immediate action is needed, such as an issue with your services and City Staff or Representatives are not immediately available, you are welcome to contact the contractor directly.

On street parking

During reconstruction, temporary parking permits will be issued to displaced residents to allow on-street parking when needed. The permits will list streets for parking options as you will be permitted to park longer than 3 hours and overnight. Permits are to be displayed on the dash of your vehicle. Ensure that your vehicle is parked in permitted areas only and that you do not interfere with any construction operations. We communicate with the Bylaw Enforcement team to ensure residents displaced by construction are noted, although illegal parking and/or safety related issues will continue to be enforced. If you require parking enforcement, please contact 519-741-2345. If you have any inquiries, please speak to the site inspector for further direction

Should situations arise during or after this construction project, the following contact information and telephone numbers are provided for your convenience.

Contacts

City of Kitchener Project Manager

Eric Costa – 519-741-2200 ext. 7414

Consultant Project Manager – Arcadis

Matt Stone – 705-801-5776

Consultant Construction Inspector – Arcadis

Isabella Biondi – 226-973-6969

Contractor – Sierra Infrastructure Inc.

Brandon Shaw – 519-755-9710

Corporate Contact Centre (24 hour)

519-741-2345

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this project.

As part of the City of Kitchener’s ongoing efforts to provide consistent and reliable service, we have scheduled road and sewer improvements in your neighbourhood on the street(s) listed above.

These improvements are scheduled to begin, around, April 8, 2024, with an estimated completion date on or around November 28, 2025. You will be notified closer to the date construction is scheduled to start on your section of the street, as well as how long access to your driveway will be affected.

Answer our questionnaire(s)

In order to help us address any specific issues or considerations, we ask that you please complete the Resident/Owner Questionnaire. If you have any plans to redevelop your property (severance, additional units, etc.), please let us know so that we can coordinate any proposed changes with the new roadwork.

For homeowners that live within the project limits and are interested in connecting private storm drains that accept sump pump discharge please also complete the Storm Service Survey.

Both surveys can also be found under the “Survey” tab on the project page.

About the improvements

The specific improvements scheduled for this street are:

• Upgrade the existing storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water mains, including additional hydrants as required.
• Replace existing sanitary and water services from the new mains to the property line.
• Curb and gutter, and sidewalks will be installed.
• Upgrade the asphalt roadway.
• Replace all driveway ramp entrances in concrete.
• Replace existing on-road cycle lanes with protected cycle tracks
• Replace existing on-road parking lanes with protected parking lanes
• Changes to on-road parking at Kingsdale Community Centre

These improvements will upgrade the existing, deteriorated underground services and above-ground surface features, in order to prevent future system failure. The project will be funded through utility user fees and will not result in a direct charge to the homeowner.

Please look at the presentation materials outlining the details of this project.

How you will be affected

In order to carry out these improvements, it will be necessary to close this street to through traffic. Prior to any road closure, signs will be posted on the approaching streets advising motorists of the date and the duration of the closure.

Pedestrian access will be maintained to all properties at all times and vehicular access to all properties within the construction area will be maintained for as long as possible. On-street parking permits, which will allow parking on adjacent side streets, will be hand-delivered to affected homes before vehicular access is cut off.

Before construction starts, an inspection of homes and businesses will be undertaken to determine the condition of buildings in the construction area. The selected consulting firm will contact you directly to arrange for a voluntary inspection of the exterior and interior of your building. This inspection is done to protect the property owner.

You can find more information on how you may be affected by a road reconstruction in the information package.

Who to contact

Throughout this project, staff and consultants will also be available to discuss details of the proposed improvements to this street and answer any questions about the project and how it may impact you.

If you or someone you know are unable to access the information online, please contact Engineering at 519-741-2406. Give your name and address including postal code and both questionnaires and the information package will be mailed out along with a return envelope.

If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please feel free to contact the project manager Diana Lupsa at diana.lupsa@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2200 ext. 7815.

During the next few weeks, you may observe surveyors undertaking a detailed field survey in your neighbourhood. The survey is being completed in preparation for the reconstruction of the street listed above.

As is common with many city reconstruction projects, the service of a consulting engineering firm has been arranged to work with City of Kitchener staff. The firm of Arcadis IBI Group has been selected for this project.

In order to gather the required details, the survey will include the frontage of your property as well as the street. The purpose of this survey is to locate all existing features (trees, gardens, steps and walkways, etc.) on the plans for preliminary study and final design.

The surveyors should not interfere with your regular activities but will identify themselves if you have any questions.

The reconstruction is being done to replace the older, deteriorated underground services.

The following is a brief list of specific improvements being considered:

Upgrade the existing storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water mains as required.

• Replace existing sanitary and water services from the new mains to the property line.
• Curb and gutter, and sidewalks will be installed.
• Upgrade the asphalt roadway.
• Addition of active transportation infrastructure.

More information about the project will be made available for all members of the public including owners and residents that will be directly affected by the proposed improvements.

It is anticipated that construction will occur in the spring of 2024.

If you have any questions and/or concerns about this project, please feel free to contact the project manager, Diana Lupsa, by phone at 519-741-2200 ext. 7815 or by email at diana.lupsa@kitchener.ca.