A proposed quarry southeast of Rockwood could cause traffic congestion as well as significant structural damage to heritage buildings and a mushroom farm on the 6th Line, Guelph-Eramosa council heard at its meeting Feb. 3.
The News was delivered by the Concerned Residents Coalition (CRC), whose members attended the meeting to outline findings of its latest impact study.
Discussion was primarily focused on the 6th Line, which is expected to serve as the entryway for the James Dick Construction quarry. Utilizing the rural road in such a way will be problematic for a variety of reasons, said CRC spokesman Perry Groskopf.
Since removal of the Canadian National Railway bridge on the 6th Line in 2004, school buses and emergency vehicles have to make U-turns at the north end of the road. Groskopf says he is concerned about quarry trucks trying to maneuver around residents, farm machinery, emergency vehicles and school buses.
“The bus carrier has had to provide a smaller-sized bus to accommodate the U-turn,” he said. “First responder vehicles have only one access to the 6th Line, on which many of the residents are seniors … and heavy farm machinery services fields on the 6th Line from April through November and can only enter or exit via Highway 7.”
The intersection at Highway 7 is also viewed as a potential safety hazard, particularly given the number of trucks expected to be entering and exiting the quarry site each day. Groskopf says there could be at least 26 trucks awaiting entry at a time and he is concerned about these vehicles entering onto a commuter highway where cars are travelling at accelerated speeds.
“The average driver travelling Highway 7 reaches speeds up to 100 kilometres per hour despite the posted 80 kilometre [limit]. Slow moving gravel trucks entering or leaving the 6th Line Eramosa will increase traffic hazards,” he said.
“It takes a while for a truck to accelerate to the required speed and drivers on Highway 7 are very impatient.”
The CRC is suggesting a traffic light be installed at the intersection, and that the 6th Line be aligned with the 5th Line Nassagaweya, all at the cost of the proponent. However, Groskopf said ideally the quarry entrance would be on Highway 7 with an accommodating turning lane.
“We figure every three minutes a truck will leave the quarry once they’re loaded first thing in the morning. Depending on traffic congestion that could mean there are three to five trucks waiting to get on Highway 7 at all times. This is an impediment to residents,” he said.
“Queuing should take place on the quarry lands only and not on the 6th line or Highway 7.”
The 6th Line is also home to three 19th century farmsteads, making it a cultural heritage landscape, the CRC report states.
“Four residences are within the blasting range of 165 to 450 metres and there are six unassessed heritage structures on the Ball farm within 800 metres,” Groskopf said.
Another CRC concern is W&T Mushroom Ltd., a concrete block structure located approximately 425 metres from the proposed quarry.
Groskopf said this type of building is not designed to withstand airborne shock and underground vibration, especially at regular intervals with anywhere from 15 to 30 blasts a year for 17 years.
“Since I come from the West Indies, I know that the first buildings to fall in an earthquake are the concrete structures because they vibrate so well,” he said.
He also noted the mushroom farm utilizes a meticulous water cooling system to maintain an ideal 90 degree temperature in the building – which could be compromised by changes in the ground water.
“Quarry operation could change the ground water temperature and the cooling system would have to be replaced,” Groskopf emphasized.
“They also use electrical equipment that I suspect has a one-year calibration cycle. Once you get vibrations, it could result in these businesses having to recalibrate on a greater frequency, at a cost to the business.”
Groskopf concluded that the CRC is recommending rejection of the rezoning application due to possible impacts on 6th Line residents; however, if the quarry is constructed they stated access should come from Highway 7 and the entrance be controlled by traffic lights.
Council received the report for information.
