Tallman Drive Municipal Class Environmental Assessment

Notice of Study Completion

The Town of Lincoln has completed a Schedule ‘B’ Municipal Class Environmental Assessment to identify and evaluate alternative solutions and determine a recommended plan to address the existing erosion and slope stability and to improve roadway safety, maintenance, and access for Tallman Drive. Based on the study findings and feedback received, the study recommends a realignment of Tallman Drive.

The study was conducted in accordance with the planning process for Schedule ‘B’ projects as outlined in the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (October 2000, as amended in 2015), which is approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act.

A Project File Report (PFR) documenting the planning process undertaken, details of the study recommendations as well as potential impacts and mitigation measures, has been completed and is being made available for public review. By this Notice, the PFR is being placed on the public record for a 30-day review period starting on November 16, 2023, and ending on December 16, 2023.

Next Steps

The PFR documents all comments received throughout the MCEA process and considered as part of the decision-making process. The Town will work with the public, Indigenous Communities, and government agencies to determine the preferred means of addressing comments.

A request may be made to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks under Section 16 of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act asking the Minister to impose conditions of approval or to require an elevated level of study on the grounds that the order may prevent, mitigate, or remedy adverse impacts on constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights. Requests on other grounds will not be considered. Requests should specify what conditions, if any, the requestor is seeking or how an elevated level of study may prevent, mitigate, or remedy potential adverse impacts on Aboriginal and treaty rights, and any other information in support of the request.

For more information and specific instruction, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/class-environmental-assessments-section-16-order

If no Section 16 Order Requests are received within the public review period, or subject to the resolution of any Section 16 Order Requests, the EA study will be considered approved.

Project Background

Tallman Drive, in the Town of Lincoln (Town), is a rural roadway that extends from Victoria Road to a dead-end approximately 1.25 km easterly. The road provides local access to a small group of farms and residences along its length. The road runs adjacent to the 20 Mile Creek tributary ravine for a length of approximately 400 m. The road is currently in a poor condition and suffers from stability and erosion issues. Although there have been previous efforts to stabilize the slope and manage erosion, the problems have persisted, and a long-term solution is needed.

Project Description

The Town has retained CIMA+ to undertake a Schedule ‘B’ Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) that will consider potential solutions for Tallman Drive. The study will identify and evaluate alternative solutions and determine a recommended plan to address the existing erosion and slope stability and to improve roadway safety, maintenance, and access.

This study will follow the MCEA for a Schedule ‘B’ project in accordance with the requirements outlined in the Municipal Engineers Association MCEA manual (October 2000, as amended in 2015), which is an approved process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. As part of this process, one public open house event will be planned to occur later in the study. Once the study is complete, a Project File will be prepared and filed for a 30-day public review period. A Notice of Completion will be published in local newspapers and sent to the project mailing list to advise the public of the Project File review period.

Solutions to be considered will include:

• Rehabilitating existing road
• Road realignment

All solutions will be evaluated from cultural heritage, natural environment, socio-economic, technical feasibility, and financial perspectives.