Engineering Services

Fill Permit Application Form

The removal or placement of fill within the Town of Collingwood is regulated by By-Law 2003-103. Outside of having an executed development agreement, the placement or removal of fill within the Town of Collingwood is prohibited unless the appropriate Fill Permit has been obtained.

Drawings required for permit application depend on the complexity of the project, but at a minimum shall include grading plans and erosion and sediment control plans.  Reports required shall outline the quantity and quality of fill via a Fill Management Plan outlining the existing receiving site soil quality, the source site soil quality, trucking route, and entrance location.  A “qualified person” determines if the fill is acceptable for the intended land use. If a Record of Site Condition (RSC) has been filed for the site, then the RSC dictates what fill is acceptable to the site.

Soil quality guidelines are outlined in the “Management of Excess Soil – A Guide for Best Management Practices”, Ministry of the Environment, 2014.

If the subject site is within a Conservation Authority regulated area, a permit is required from both the Town and Conservation Authority.

Securities are to be provided for all items identified on the erosion and sediment control plan and items related to the placement of fill such as sediment ponds, rock check dams, silt fence, mud mat, etc.  Securities must also be provided to restore the site in the event fill operations unexpectedly cease mid-way through.  These amounts are typically the cost required to topsoil and seed all disturbed areas.

Fees for permits are as per the Fees and Service Charges By-Law (amended yearly).

Permits can be submitted:

• In Person: 545 Tenth Line, Collingwood, ON
• Mail: 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood ON L9Y 3Z5
• Email: engineering@collingwood.ca

Costs:

• Requiring $5,000 security or less - $350.00
• Requiring more than $5,000 security - $4,000.00
• Payment can be made in person at Town Hall or mailed to: 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3Z5

Renewal or Transfer Costs:

• $120.00
• Payment can be made in person at Town Hall or mailed to: 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3Z5

There are many developments varying in size and complexity that are proposed in the Town of Collingwood, over the next few decades. The Town retained R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited to estimate the total traffic volumes to be generated by the proposed developments and the corresponding impacts on the Town's road network over the medium-term (2031) and long-term (2041). A total of 20 primary intersections in Town were assessed. For more information please refer to the following document:

Collingwood Transportation Study 2019 (PDF)(13.2 MB)

Tenth Line and Mountain Road Environmental Study Report (PDF)(3.8 MB)

Tenth Line and Mountain Road Environmental Study Report - Appendices (PDF)(21.7 MB)

The Town of Collingwood has instituted a Traffic Calming Policy to provide a systematic procedure for the initiation, investigation and implementation of traffic calming measures on roads within the Town of Collingwood. This policy and associated procedures ensure that there is a formal process by which all traffic calming requests can be evaluated against the same screening and criteria – thus ensuring a consistent approach throughout the Town.

Taffic Calming Policy

What is Traffic Calming?
Traffic calming is the implementation of primarily physical measures that are intended to:

• reduce the negative impacts of motor vehicle use;
• alter driver behaviour; and
• improve conditions for non-motorized street users.

Town of Collingwood Measures
In consideration of the Town objectives in implementing traffic calming guidelines, and recognizing the combination of urban, semi-urban and rural roads within the Town’s road network, the following traffic calming measures have been considered:

• Police enforcement                
• Dynamic speed signs 
• Lane narrowing via road markings
• Chicanes
• Curb radius reductions 
• Curb extensions
• Traffic calming curbs
• Textured cross walks
• Speed humps
• Speed cushions
• Speed tables
• Centre median
• Traffic circles
• On-street parking

Images of Traffic Calming Measures

Traffic Calming Process
The following process will be used when proceeding with a request for traffic calming measures within the Town of Collingwood. An established and formal process for investigating roads provides consistency and equality in the determination of need and suitability of traffic calming measures.

Traffic Calming Request/ Petition
Residents with speed related concerns are instructed to submit their written request to engineering@collingwood.ca. Staff will review the request and respond with direction including a petition to be circulated by the resident.  The purpose of the petition is to establish whether there is sufficient neighbourhood/local support for traffic calming measures prior to the Town initiating an investigation into the need for such measures on the subject road.  The petition results must clearly demonstrate that a minimum of 51% of the dwelling units with direct frontage or flankage onto the candidate road or road section support the potential implementation of traffic calming measures. Each dwelling unit is represented by one signature, regardless of the number of people in the unit. 

Town Screening
Following an appropriate request for traffic calming consideration, Town staff will undertake a screening of the request and candidate road section considering road classification, traffic volumes, length, grade and actual travel speeds. 

Initial screening criteria to determine eligibility for consideration for traffic calming measures have been established.  With respect to the road or road section in question, it must: 

• be a local road assumed and maintained by the Town of Collingwood; 
• have a minimum annual average daily traffic (AADT) volume of 900 vehicles;
• have a minimum uncontrolled (i.e. no stop signs or traffic signals) length of 220 metres without being a dead-end road section or cul-de-sac;  
• have a grade that does not exceed 6%; and 
• not have been the subject of a previous speed study or traffic calming request within the past 3 years. 

If the subject road or road section does not satisfy the above criteria, it will not be considered an appropriate candidate for traffic calming. 

While the focus of traffic calming will be on local roads, Town staff may, at their discretion, review select collector roads for consideration provided that they also meet the above criteria and serve in excess of 2000 vehicles per day.

Speed Criteria
For locations meeting the initial screening criteria, a travel speed survey will be conducted to determine whether speeding is occurring through the study area.  For vehicle speeds, it is not prudent to consider the highest speed at which motorists travel.  Rather, the 85th percentile speed is typically considered, which is the speed at which 85% of the total traffic volume on a road is travelling at or below.  The 85th percentile concept is based on the theory that the large majority of drivers: 

• are reasonable and prudent; 
• do not want to be involved in a motor vehicle accident; and 
• desire to reach their destination in the shortest possible time.

Based on these assumptions, the 85th percentile speed observed under favourable conditions may be considered as the maximum safe speed for that location. The speed limit and 85th percentile speed should be relatively comparable - thus indicating that the function and physical characteristics of the road are properly communicated, understood and respected by motorists.  Ideally, the 85th percentile speed should be a minimum of 5 km/h or 10% over the posted speed limit, whichever is greater.  Where the 85th percentile speed exceeds the posted speed by 5 km/h or 10%, it is an indication that intervention is required to reduce vehicle operating speeds.  A lower tolerance may be applied in reduced speed zones and community safety zones where stricter adherence to the speed limit is desired for obvious reasons.   

In considering the need for traffic calming, the 85th percentile speed must exceed the posted speed limit by the values provided in Table 2 below.