Before highlights from the Chatham-Kent Lake Erie Shoreline Study are presented to council on Monday night, municipal officials are looking for public input to help "shape a presentation".
A 181-page in-depth report was recently made available to the public. The study examined the costal vulnerability from Wheatley to the municipal boundary near Clearville.
During Monday night's council meeting, members will hear from the study's author Peter Zuzek. However, due to the volume of information laid out in the study, Zuzek will only discuss certain items.
“We have made the study available online and ask that anyone who has questions about a particular section or topic to please forward those questions to us in advance. We will then pass the questions on to Mr. Zuzek to be addressed,” said Thomas Kelly, general manager of Infrastructure and Engineering Services.
In addition to hearing Zuzek's presentation, Chatham-Kent Council will look at recommendations on how to move forward. In line with the study, a municipal report recommends that Chatham-Kent prioritize vulnerable areas and seek further assessment for areas such as Talbot Trail and Rose Beach Line. Although discussions with upper levels of government are ongoing, there is no available funding at this time. As per the shoreline study, the implementation of the recommendations could cost anywhere from $131.7 million to $217.2 million.
When looking at the future of Erie Shore Drive specifically, a recommendation in the study mentions the use of the Drainage Act, which allows residents along the stretch to initiate and sign a petition. Should the municipality receive a valid petition, municipal staff will appoint a drainage engineer to initiate a preliminary report.
"Considering the large scope and complexity of this endeavour, a preliminary report is the most logical approach because it will include high-level design concepts and cost estimates for the proposed work. Most importantly, it will provide a proposal on the distribution of costs to each benefitting landowner," as stated in the municipal report. "Regulatory and environmental concerns will also be addressed early in the process."
The report recommends that residents along Erie Shore Drive and inland owners submit a petition to the municipal clerk by July 2020. The validity of the petition would later be determined by a drainage engineer.
"Until the long term proposal is in place, Chatham-Kent will continue to maintain the short term solution currently in place, at significantly higher costs than is the norm for roads and dikes," read the municipal report.
Residents of Erie Shore Drive were turfed from their homes earlier this year after a section of the roadway was closed indefinitely on March 9 for emergency dike repairs. Those residents were allowed to access their properties at the beginning of April once the repairs were completed.
Residents can read the full Chatham-Kent Lake Erie Shoreline Study by clicking, here. Questions can be sent to ckies@chatham-kent.ca by noon on May 4.
