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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-121-06 Cl~iJlgton REPORT PLANNING SERVICES Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Report #: PSD-121-06 File #: PLN 14.1 ,1 ;?nl~ - ob 6(JH - '"--) --' By-law #: Date: Monday, December 11, 2006 Subject: CANADIAN URBAN ARCHETYPES PROJECT: URBAN FORM AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PSD-121-06 be received for information. Submitted by: D i Dire t . rom, MCIP, R.P.P. of Planning Services '\ Reviewed by: ~ { ~2C --:1'-.:>lc Franklin Wu, Chief Administrative Officer SQ*COS*DJC/sn November 29,2006 CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ClARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-0830 , REPORT NO.: PSD-121-06 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 Places to Grow Plan The Places To Grow Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe was enacted by the Provincial Government and came into effect on June 16, 2006. In section 2.4 A Culture of Conservation the Growth Plan directs municipalities to: "develop and implement official plan policies and other strategies in support of the following conservation objectives: b) Energy conservation, including- i. energy conservation for municipally owned facilities II. identification of opportunities for alternative energy generation and distribution iii. energy demand management to reduce energy consumption IV. land-use patterns and urban design standards that encourage and support energy-efficient buildings and opportunities for cogeneration." 1.2 Clarinoton Official Plan Energy conservation is encouraged through the sustainable development policies of Clarington's Official Plan. Along with principles such as the consideration of global environmental issues and the recognition of all parts of the ecosystem when planning and developing land, The Clarington Official Plan indicates that future development of Clarington should also contribute to the reduction of per capita energy consumption. 1.3 Green Community Strateov On September 18, 2006, Clarington Council authorized the development of a Green Community Strategy that would be lead by a Community Advisory Committee. This is a joint project between Municipal Staff and the Clarington Board of Trade. It includes a community survey. The Green Community Strategy is moving forward on five levels to develop the strategy which include a residential, commercial and industrial component. The residential component includes conservation programs and methods of subdivision and building design. The commercial component includes conservation awareness and education and green building standards such as green roofs. The industrial component includes conservation and incentives for implementing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to certify buildings with sustainable features) building standards. REPORT NO.: PSD-121-06 PAGE 3 2.0 CLARINGTON'S CURRENT INITIATIVES The Municipality is working on a number of energy and sustainability initiatives: . In recognition of the economic development prospects of the energy and environment sector, Council has designated lands for the development of the Clarington Energy Business Park. Council has adopted a 50% reduction of the development charges once the building receives a LEED certification in both the Energy Park and the Science and Technology Business Park. . The Municipality is currently analyzing the cost-benefit of making the Newcastle Library a "green building" under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. In addition, the Municipality is looking into an overall energy conservation program for its facilities. . Council also adopted the recommendation by staff to request the developer of the Foster Creek Subdivision in Newcastle ( 660 units) to submit an Energy Management Plan to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning outlining various means that the Owner will implement to support energy conservation. . Council has also approved agreements with the developers of the proposed Home Depot in the West Bowmanville Town Centre Area. The agreements call for the building to be LEED Certified. Staff is also promoting green development principles with the other developers of the West Bowmanville Town Centre in particular Wal- Mart. Staff is also working with the developers of the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference centre to develop a green roof for the conference centre. . Staff will also be meeting with the Canadian Urban Institute as part of the Green Building Alliance to consider land-use patterns and urban design standards that encourage and support energy-efficient buildings as part of the Neighbourhood Design Plans currently being prepared. The Green Community Strategy Policies will also inform the upcoming review of Clarington's Official Plan. 3.0 CANADIAN URBAN ARCHETYPES PROJECT 3.1 Planning Staff have recently responded to another important initiative known as the Canadian Urban Archetypes Project. This supports the principle of energy conservation under Clarington's Green Communities Strategy. To better understand the energy implications of different development patterns, the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC) of the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada is developing a tool of "best practices" regarding urban form and its link to energy consumption. These Best Practices will assist Council, staff, and developers in understanding the energy consumption of development. An urban archetype is a profile of an individual neighbourhood, a synthesis of its physical infrastructure, energy consumption and reported resident behaviour. REPORT NO.: PSD-121-06 PAGE 4 3.2 The premise of the Canadian Urban Archetypes project is that urban form, lifestyle patterns and energy consumption are inextricably linked. Urban planning decisions such as density, the mix of uses, and transit infrastructure playa significant role in the overall energy demand of a community. However, energy has not traditionally been a factor in decision making for Canadian communities. The energy implications of urban planning decisions are therefore often not fully realized until well after they are built out. 3.3 By creating a "best practices" of Canadian Urban Archetypes, CETC is building a reference tool that supports decision making in urban planning and infrastructure projects to reduce energy demand and that creates the opportunity for increased implementation of community energy systems. The Municipality of Clarington has been selected to participate in this project among a number of other communities across Canada. 3.4 The first phase in developing the archetypes is to identify three distinct neighbourhoods. Each urban archetype consists of approximately 300 homes or dwelling units and varies in development pattern, from single family residential to mixed-use neighbourhoods. The three neighbourhoods selected by staff are: . The Old Bowmanville Area (heritage area) . The area south of Bowmanville Mall (bounded by Simpson Avenue, Hobbs Drive and Soper Creek) . Aspen Springs 3.5 Subsequent stages of data collection include providing the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada with the locations, addresses, number of units within each archetype, and contact information for local electricity, natural gas and oil utilities. Another important step in the process is to conduct a survey of the residents of the selected neighbourhoods to determine their energy awareness and consumption patterns. The project is funded and largely undertaken by the Federal government. 4.0 CONCLUSION Involvement in the Canadian Urban Archetypes Project Urban Form and Energy Consumption project will create a tool that will assist Council and staff apply best practices in -urban form and energy conservation. Participating in the Canadian Urban Archetypes Project not only informs Clarington's Green Strategy, but also considers provincial direction with respect to the Places To Grow Plan, and reflects municipal direction in terms of the Clarington Official Plan. Attachments: Attachment 1 - Letter from Natural Resources Canada 1+1 Natural Resources Canada CANMET Energy Technology Centre 1 Haanel Drive Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1M1 Ressources nature lies Canada Attachment 1 To Report PSD-121-06 Le center de la technologie de I'energie de CANMET (CTEC) 1, chemin Haanel Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 1 M1 October 12th, 2006 Municipality of Clarington 40 Temperance Street Bowmanville, Ontario L1 C 3A6 Canada Attn: Carlos Salazar Re: Canadian Urban Archetype Project Carlos: Welcome to the Canadian Urban Archetype Project! With the help of the Municipality of Clarington we aim to develop a comprehensive library of urban archetypes that will be of use to decision-makers both within your community and in communities across Canada. As we discussed in our phone conversation yesterday, the key stages of developing the archetypes are as follows. 1. Clarington will identify three (3) or four (4) locations that each represents a different homogenous development pattern. The Municipality must have records for each of these areas. Each neighbourhood selected should be distinctive, having created an opportunity for the residents/occupants to create a lifestyle and associated energy consumption patterns that are indicative of the urban form. Each residential archetype is to be approximately 300 dwelling units (homes, apartments, etc...) in size. 2. Clarington will provide the locations, their addresses and the number of units within each archetype to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) by March 31, 2007. 3. Clarington will provide NRCan with contact information for local electricity, natural gas and oil utilities. We will follow up by contacting the local electricity utility to collect aggregate electricity, natural gas and oil consumption data for each archetype. 4. Clarington will collect data for each archetype as outlined in NRCan Report Community Benchmarking through Urban Archetypes - Report 5: Data Requirements for Municipalities by March 31, 2007. It is acknowledged that additional data collection requirements could be necessary pending the outcome of our Archetypes Mapping Pilot Project. 5. NRCan will retain a consultant to collect the survey data as described by NRCan Report Community Benchmarking through Urban Archetypes - Report 4: Data Requirements for Survey Crew. To reflect the unique circumstances of Whitehorse, this data will include a written description of each archetype location, presenting it in the context of the surrounding community. 6. NRCan will compile archetypes and circulate to Clarington for review and use by March 31, 2007. The Municipality of Clarington is one of a number of cities that are involved in this project. To maximize the benefit of the activity NRCan will keep all participants informed of the project progress, hints and ideas, etc through periodic emails and phone calls. To confirm that the stages described above are as you understand them please sign this sheet and return to me by fax (613) 947 0291. Yours truly, Jessica Webster, Community Energy Planning Analyst Sustainable Buildings & Communities CETC-Ottawa Natural Resources Canada 1 Haanel Drive Ottawa, ON K1A 1M1 T (613)992 9532, F (613) 9470291 Email: jessica.webster@nrcan.gc.ca We bs i tes: http://www.sbc.nrcan.gc.ca ('~~ Carlos Salazar, Manager of Community Planning & Design. Date: November 29, 2006