HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-025-15 Clarington
Planning services
Report
If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Municipal
Clerk at 905-623-3379 ext. 2102.
Report To: General Purpose and Administration Committee
Date of Meeting: May 4, 2015
Report Number: PSD-025-15 Resolution Number:
File Number: PLN 39.5 By-law Number:
Report Subject: Priority Green Clarington Update No. 3
Recommendations: r
1. That Report PSD-025-15 be received;
2. That all interested parties listed in Report PSD-025-15 and any delegations be advised of
Council's decision.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 2
Report Overview
This is the third update report of Priority Green Clarington initiatives and accomplishments. It
provides:
• Notice of additional funding support received for an extension the Priority Green Clarington
Green Demonstration Project monitoring period, from four to twelve months;
• Preliminary monitoring results based on the initial four month period, showing water,
energy and cost savings for all six demonstration homes;
• The results of a review of municipal best practices for the establishment of green
development standards, guidelines and incentives;
• An overview of the feedback received from staff, agencies and industry during recent
workshops focused on the topic of Green Development Standards for Clarington; and
• An introduction to the strengthened policy framework that is included in the recent release
of the proposed Official Plan to support sustainable development and climate change
mitigation and adaptation action.
Complete project reports for the preliminary Green Demonstration Project analysis and the
Green Development Standards, Guidelines and Incentives best practices review will be
available at www.prioritygreenclariDglgn.com.
1 . Background
1.1 Priority Green Clarington aims to set a new standard for residential development that
prioritizes sustainability, promotes innovation and continues to improve the community's
quality of life. To achieve this vision, the Municipality, in collaboration with the Region of
Durham, the private sector, and the community, is establishing a Green Development
Framework (see Figure 1, page 3). "Green development" refers to using practices that
will reduce the environmental impacts of residential development and create healthier
places to live. It considers the ways in which both homes and neighbourhoods are
designed and built.
1.2 Priority Green Clarington is an initiative driven by Council's Strategic Plan 2011 — 2014
and Clarington's Green Community Strategy(2010). It is being carried out in
collaboration with the Region of Durham and with funding support from the Government
of Ontario through the Showcasing Water Innovation program, and the Green Municipal
Fund, a fund financed by the Government of Canada and administered by the Federation
of Canadian Municipalities, in addition to municipal funding.
1.3 This is the third update report of Priority Green Clarington initiatives and
accomplishments. Refer to PSD-061-13 or PSD-053-14 for prior project information.
M
U) �.
v,
0
-'
� n
U �
Demonstration Municipal Policy Green Development Implementation& 0
Incentive Mechanism(s) -n :3
&Pilot Projects Framework Guide Monitoring Strategy (3,
- C
(D
Green Demonstration Proposed amendments Green development Incentive options to A system(s)to G7
Project(In partnership to existing Official Plan standards/criteria encourage green implement green m
with local builders) policies to support the development that goes development standards �
establishment of a beyond minimum and guidelines through o
Process for evaluating standards the various development m
P
Future opportunities for green development the green development o
framework approval processes -a
examining and features of applications E.g. Expedited 3
CD
demonstrating application rocess.
Opportunities for process, Monitoring strategy to
alternative practices OPP
development fee measure progress and
and innovation integration into Explanatory guidelines reduction,public
engineering standards p ensure continuous m
and development recognition improvement o
guidelines
Collaboration with the Community,Council,Staff/Agencies,and the land development and building sector
ca
cD
w
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 4
2. Work Program Update Component I - Green Demonstration
Project
2.1 To date, the partnership formed with Brookfield Residential, Halminen Homes and Jeffery
Homes for the Green Demonstration Project component of Priority Green Clarington has
led to the following:
• Construction of six demonstration homes (two per builder) that have installed
enhanced water and energy efficient equipment, appliances, fixtures and faucets
(collectively referred to as "green practices") which exceed Building Code
requirements;
• Commitment from the six families owning the demonstration homes to participate in
a post-occupancy water and energy performance monitoring program, which
commenced on October 15, 2014;
• Set up of a comprehensive performance monitoring network in each home,
including 54 water sub-meters and 36 electrical sub-meters (total for all six homes,
combined), in addition to whole home water, electricity and gas consumption
monitoring;
• On-going collaboration and support from Durham Region Home Builders'
Association, our three partner builders including their tradespersons, green building
industry associations, product manufacturers, and Municipal and Regional Staff;
and
• Continuous communication, promotion and knowledge sharing, including
information booths at community events, and articles and presentations at industry
sessions and to other municipalities.
2.2 Relatively few studies have been undertaken that aim to understand how green buildings
are actually performing under operating conditions. More often, performance is predicted
or forecasted based on pre-occupancy computer generated modelling.
2.3 While the Green Demonstration Project is unique in that it assess performance based on
local families purchasing and living in the homes, a post-construction, pre-occupancy
energy modelling exercise was completed as part of the performance monitoring
program. Based on modelling results, the projected improvement in energy efficiency
than that of a new home constructed to the minimum Building Code requirements ranged
from 18% to 32%.
2.4 Forecasting methods for indoor water consumption are not readily available or commonly
used by industry, thus, pre-occupancy performance projections for water use were not
undertaken.
2.5 The Municipality's original funding Agreement and allocation for the Green Demonstration
Project provided only for a four month as-operated performance monitoring period.
Recognizing the unique value presented by the Green Demonstration Project and the
significant opportunity to enhance this value through a longer monitoring period that
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 5
captures a full year (12 months) of data, Staff considered options for extending the
project, including investigating additional grant opportunities.
2.6 Priority Green Clarington has received a funding support commitment of$10,000 from the
Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to support an extension of the duration
of the Green Demonstration Project to include 12 months, rather than four months, of
data collection and performance monitoring.
2.7 The additional funding support from IESO also includes support for a second Priority
Green Symposium, a follow up to the successful opening symposium held by the
Municipality in October 2013 marking the beginning of the Priority Green Clarington
initiative.
2.8 A preliminary report, providing a limited initial assessment of the actual operating
performance of the Green Demonstration Project homes has been prepared. The
preliminary monitoring results are for the period between October 15, 2014 and February
28, 2015. Sharing of preliminary results provides an early glimpse into the project and is
intended to keep both Council and the community informed and engaged. The
preliminary assessment report is available at www.prioritygreenclarington.com.
2.9 The preliminary report provides an evaluation of annual energy, water and cost savings
based on four months of indoor usage data from the demonstration houses extrapolated
to provide annual values. These annual values are then compared to models of
equivalent new houses designed in accordance with the minimum Ontario Building Code
standards using modelling software. Key preliminary highlights include:
• Improved performance than a comparable new home built to the minimum 2012
Ontario Building Code requirements, ranging from 9% - 12% more energy efficient
and 8% to 17% more water efficient; and
• Projected annual cost savings from reduced energy use, water use and sewage
generation ranging from $154 to $530.
2.10 Comparing the results to average water and energy use data that is available for existing
households in Durham Region and the province (i.e. includes a wide range of housing
types and ages, and household sizes) shows:
• Average daily water consumption of 119 litres per capita per day, which is well
below the current Region-wide average of 230 litres per capita day; and
• Average monthly electrical consumption of 468 kilowatt hours per month, as
compared to a typical average of 800 kilowatt hours per month for a family of four in
Ontario according to the Ontario Ministry of Energy.
2.11 A final report will be prepared at the conclusion of the extended 12 month monitoring
period. The final report will update the preliminary values, and provide additional analysis
and information. This will include adding incremental cost savings of green practices,
greenhouse gas emission reduction evaluations, municipal water avoidance, and
consumption pattern comparisons to typical neighbourhood or provincial data. Lessons
learned through the initiative and a recommended cost-effective optimum set of green
practices based on study results and industry best practices will also be examined.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 6
Further, the data will be placed in the context of Clarington's projected population growth,
to provide a high level demonstration of the potential implications of energy and water
consumption patterns on municipal infrastructure development.
3. Work Program Update Component II — Green Development
Standards, Guidelines & Incentives
3.1 A project initiation notice for the Green Development Standards, Guidelines and
Incentives Study component of Priority Green Clarington was released on March 13,
2015. This component will establish a practical implementation framework to incorporate
sustainable practices into the residential land development process.
3.2 Starting off the process, a background analysis and identification of best practices in
residential green development, standards, and incentives has been undertaken. The
Green Development Standards, Guidelines and Incentives Background Report is
available at www.prioritVgreenclarington.com. A summary of key findings are set out
below.
3.3 The legislative basis for dealing with planning and building matters is found primarily
under the Planning Act, which is implemented through polices found in the Provincial
Policy Statement 2014 (PPS), and Building Code Act. Recent strengthening of provincial
legislation and policy to reflect the increasing need for sustainable development supports
the action being taken by the Municipality to establish a Green Development Framework.
Clarington's Official Plan is one of the most important vehicles for implementation of
Provincial, Regional and Municipal sustainability objectives. Accordingly, an enhanced
policy basis for sustainable development, climate change resiliency and the
establishment of green development standards and incentives is reflected in the recently
released Proposed Official Plan 2015.
3.4 Green development standards and guidelines have already been implemented by a
number of municipalities in Ontario. A variety of approaches are seen, from strategies
that focus solely on the construction of green buildings, to those that require sustainability
considerations from the outset of community design, to those that mandate certification
through a third-party program, such as the EnergySTAR®for Homes or Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) programs. A summary table is provided as
Attachment 1. Best practices for the Municipality to take into consideration throughout
the development of a Green Development Framework for Clarington include:
• Allowing for innovation through flexibility;
• Being voluntary and creating an incentive;
• Ensuring requirements are practical and have technical basis; and
• Being cautious.of conflicting Municipal / Regional standards that may create barriers
to implementation.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 7
3.5 In order to encourage developers and builders to exceed minimum requirements for
sustainable development a number of strategies can be considered, including:
• Establishment of incentives, such as development charge rebates, reducing the
processing time for planning applications, alternative development standards, or
public recognition;
• Providing educational / resource support, such as seminars on sustainable
development topics, online resources, or supporting market demand through on-
going engagement of the community; and
• Leading by example, requiring that all new municipal buildings achieve a minimum
sustainability standards, or carrying out pilot projects that demonstrate and provide
further insight into emerging sustainable development practices.
3.6 Throughout the course of completing the Green Development Standards, Guidelines and
Incentives Study, Staff will continue to liaise with Priority Green Clarington's Staff
Working Group and Technical Advisory Committee members. In addition, multiple
consultations with both industry and the community at large are planned.
3.7 On April 10, 2015, separate workshops were held with Municipal and Regional Staff and
Agencies involved in the land development review process and with land development
and building industry representatives. The workshops focused on the topic of green
development standards. Green development standards represent a collection of criteria
that may be used for evaluating the environmental sustainability of a proposed new
development. They are intended to set minimum "green" requirements for both
neighbourhood and building design for new residential development, and may also
include additional aspirational measures.
3.8 A key objective of the workshop was to obtain feedback on an example set of criteria in
order to inform the establishment of draft Green Development Standards for Clarington.
The Sustainability Performance Metrics now being used by the municipalities of
Brampton, Richmond Hill and Vaughan provided the basis for discussion. An overview of
the collaborative approach undertaken by the Cities of Brampton and Vaughan, and the
Town of Richmond Hill is provided as Attachment 2.
3.9 Staff have participated in discussions regarding the potential harmonization of green
development standards across municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area. There may be
significant benefits to basing Clarington's Green Development Standards on work that
has already been implemented in other communities. These include providing a level
playing field for developers across jurisdictions, encouraging the sharing of information
and lessons learned between municipalities, and providing opportunities for
enhancements and refinements to the standards. If this approach is to be successful, it is
essential that the Municipality review these existing standards through the lens of our
community's needs and aspirations and critically assess the potential benefits, as well as
the potential challenges.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 8
3.10 Input received during the workshops included the following:
• Opportunities to broaden and enhance the sustainable performance indicators were
identified. Examples include the addition of climate change resiliency criteria, and
augmenting stormwater criteria to take into account watershed protection and site
permeability.
• When establishing a scoring system, consideration must be given to factors that are
beyond an applicants' control (e.g. the availability of transit, proximity to community
facilities). A benchmark based on current requirements would provide greater depth
to future discussions.
• Giving applicants the flexibility to choose their own sustainability path, and using a
voluntary approach that incents performance to exceed current regulatory and
policy requirements (e.g. through development charge rebates or an expedited
approval) was considered important to the success of this type of initiative.
• Several participants cautioned that conflicting Municipal / Regional policies and
standards could create barriers to implementation. The potential implications on
local housing affordability was also raised.
• Key challenges to harmonization in Clarington with the Brampton/Richmond
HilINaughan Sustainability Performance Metrics are our differences in community
character, stage of development, and market potential.
3.11 Interest has been expressed by other Durham Region municipalities to have further
discussions regarding green development standards harmonization within the region and
the relationship of the initiative to the Region of Durham's Climate Change Local Action
Plan, and to identify opportunities for collaboration. Staff will follow and participate in
these discussions as they progress, sharing lessons learned to date through Priority
Green Clarington.
4. Work Program Update Component III - Green Development
Policies
4.1 The importance of prioritizing sustainable growth and development is echoed throughout
current policies, strategies and action plans at the provincial, regional and municipal
levels. Priority Green Clarington is building upon the existing policy framework in the
Official Plan to underscore the Municipality's commitment to sustainable development.
4.2 The recently released Proposed Official Plan 2015 includes strengthened policies that will
provide a foundation for the establishment of a Green Development Framework for
Clarington. The policies proposed enable the establishment and implementation of green
development standards and incentive programs, in consultation with key stakeholders
and the broader community. Further, the policies proposed place importance on taking
action locally, through land use planning and other Municipal activities, to address climate
change and build a resilient community.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 9
5. Additional Initiatives
5.1 In March, Priority Green Clarington supported Ganaraska Region Conservation
Authority's Greening Your Grounds workshop series. The two-part workshop brought
together over 30 Clarington residents to learn about the newest trends in water efficient
residential landscaping. Participants learned about rain gardens, rain barrels, permeable
pavement and landscaping with native plant varieties; and sought advice from an expert
panel of landscape designers, municipal and conservation authority engineers, and
specialists in the area of naturalized stormwater management techniques. An
overwhelming response was received for this event.
6. Next Steps
6.1 The following next steps are being undertaken for Priority Green Clarington:
• Monitoring of the Green Demonstration Project homes will continue throughout
October 2015. In the interim, promotion and education materials to support
understanding of the green practices implemented, and to clearly and easily
communicate early performance results will be prepared.
• Taking into consideration best practices gained from other municipalities who have
implemented green development standards and guidelines, as well as the input
received during the recent Staff/Agency and industry workshops, Staff will prepare a
locally customized draft set of Green Development Standards and supporting
guidance material.
• Consultation will be planned for both Staff and agencies involved in the
development review process and the land development and building industry to
receive input on the draft Green Development Standards and Guidelines for
Clarington.
• Continue consultation with the community on the proposed changes to the Official
Plan, including enhanced sustainable development policies, green development and
climate change.
• Priority Green Clarington, in collaboration with Ganaraska Region Conservation
Authority, will be in attendance at Clarington Library's How-To in 10 Festival being
held on May 9, 2015. Indoor and outdoor water conservation tips and techniques,
including preliminary savings revealed by the Green Demonstration Project, will be
shared.
7. Concurrence — Not Applicable
8. Strategic Plan Application
8.1 The recommendations contained in this report conform to the Strategic Plan.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-15 Page 10
Submitted by: Reviewed by.
Crome, MCIP, RPP Franklin Wu,
Dire or of Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer
Staff Contact: Amy Burke, Senior Planner, 905-623-3379 ext. 2423 or aburke @clarington.net
Attachments:
Attachment 1 — Summary of Other Municipal Green Development Standards and Guidelines
Initiatives
Attachment 2 — Overview: Measuring the Sustainability Performance of New Development by
the Cities of Brampton and Vaughan, and the Town of Richmond Hill
The following is a list of the interested parties to be notified of Council's decision:
Glen Pleasance, Regional Municipality of Durham
COS/AB/df
Municipality/ Voluntary Applicable., Point-
DevelopmenE ,Based ' Key,Green Requirements Implementatiorr,lV�echanisms Incentives
Initiative /Required`
Types;' System,
Brampton, In the Block Plan and Yes Built Environment;Mobility; On-line Excel based tool to calculate the Examining as part of n'
Richmond Hill process of Draft Plan,Site Natural Environment&Open points. Completed forms required to be implementation phase. �
and Vaughan implementing Plan Space Infrastructure and submitted with all applications for —
Buildings information purposes only at this point in
Sustainability Brampton O�
Performance n
Metrics sy
Burlington Voluntary Private No Sustainable Site Development; - Compliance with guidelines will be An implementation and incentives �•
Development Water Efficiency and Quality; encouraged by all applicants for all plan will be developed in the future. Q
Sustainable Energy Efficiency and Air development applications. 0
Building and Quality; Building Materials and . Proposed Official Plan Amendment to
Development Resources; Indoor promote the provision of sustainable
Guidelines Environmental Quality; building features.
Maintenance of Green Building - Community Improvement Project Area By-
Performance Law and Community Improvement Plan
which will include financial incentives to
encourage the provision of sustainable
Caledon Voluntary New No Green Technologies such as: A development charge discount is provided The development charge discount
commercial Solar hot water systems; at the time the development charges are which is applicable varies on the
Green and industrial Transpired solar collectors;Solar paid,and a Letter of Credit is required in the green technology implemented or
Development buildings photovoltaic systems; Innovative amount of the discount provided. The level of LEEDO certification
Program stormwater management developer has two years after construction accomplished and ranges from 5
practices or stormwater cisterns to demonstrate that they have achieved the %for commercial development
or LEED°Certification at any green development they applied for,and that includes one or all of solar hot
level then the Letter of Credit will be released. water systems,solar panels,
innovative stormwater practices or
storm cisterns to 44.5%for
industrial uses that achieve LEEDO
platinum certification.
lD
o D
e-F
-00
(n =
09
o �
N �
cn o
Municipality/ Voluntary Applicable Point-
Initiative IRequired Development ",:Based, Key,Greem,,Requiremen%`" lthplementatior Mechan"isms "" Incen#ivies
7" es 5 stem -
East Required Three different Yes- Energy Conservation measures; Preparation of a Sustainable Development Development approval is linked to
Gwillimbury checklists for Optional Water Conservation measures; Background Study. an applicant's ability to meet all
Secondary Elements Mix of uses and walkable - The study contained a series of policy Required Elements. Incentives,
Thinking Plan/ have communities; Passive solar gain approaches and recommendations which such as bonus in height and
Green! Community points to and solar ready housing; have been incorporated into the density,servicing allocation,
Development Design Plan; determine Recycled and local materials; Consolidated OP. Development Charge rebates for
Standards Draft Plan of level of Active transportation options . All development is subject to the Town's employment uses,or expedited
Subdivision; incentive OP and Zoning By-Law policies and development approvals; may be
Site Plan achieved requirements. considered by the Town for
• The TGDS is to be used as a checklist development applications that
providing a useful tool to evaluate achieve Optional Elements.
sustainability of proposed development.
Halton Hills Required Three different Yes Energy Conservation;Water Completion of checklist required as part of Green Development Champion
checklists for: Conservation;Air Quality;Waste a complete application. Water allocation Award and Water allocation
Green Low Rise Management;Transportation/ based on acheiving sustainable
Development Residential; Community Design development as demonstrated by fulfilling
Standards Low Rise Non- the requirements of the GDS
Residential;
Mid to High
Rise
Kingston Voluntary Two different No Hot Water System;Wood • The Housing and ICI Checklists are not None. Checklists are use to
checklists for: Fueled Appliances; Electricity; mandatory and the information that is monitor interest in green building
Green Housing; Water Efficiency; Building collected is used for information purposes practices within the City
Building Industrial, Materials; Heating and only.
Guidelines Commercial Ventilation;Air conditioning;
and Landscaping
Institutional;
Large
Residential
Municipality/,' Applicable' " Point-
Initiative (Required Development Based Key,Green Requirerr�ents . , , Implementation}Mechanisms Incentives
T" 'es' System
Kitchener Voluntary Residential No Any LEED°levels Funding of$500,000 provided overthree Between$1,000-$5,000 grant
Dwellings years 2010-2012 was approved by city based on LEED performance level
Green council as part of a Local Environmental achieved
Housing Action Fund application made by
Incentive Community Renewable Energy Waterloo,
Program in conjunction with the city's building
division. There was very little uptake and
the program has now been discontinued
Markham Required All No Greenlands;Transportation; Built .The Performance Measures guide and Checklist are mandatory for each
Centre checklist for development Form;Green Infrastructure; monitor the vision and implementation of application but there are no
development applications Public Space Markham Centre-Markham's "Downtown". incentives
Performance applications •A Markham Centre Citizen Advisory Group
Measures was formed to assist in developing criteria,
Document for benchmarks and indicators to achieve the
Sustainability principles and objectives of the Markham
and Smart Centre Plan.
Growth • Extensive public consultation was
conducted out of which the key
"Performance Indicators"were developed
for the checklists.
• The Performance Measures document
has been added as an appendix to the
Markham Centre Secondary Plan,OPA 21.
Mississauga Required Low Rise Non- No Low Impact Design Stormwater • In October 2009 a Green Development No incentive program has been
guidelines Residential Retention;Soft Landscape Strategy Report was completed. established to date,but the city is
Stage One for Site Plan Material; Pedestrian and Cycling • December 2009,City staff conducted an discussing using the following
Green Approvals Comfort; Exterior Building internal workshop to formulate the initial set incentives:
Development Design of green development standards that could Awards
Standards be achieved immediately through the review Fee-bates
of development applications. Tiered-tracking Approval Process
• Key recommendations from the Strategy Bonusing Opportunities
Report were to:establish a green Green Loans
development task force;utilize existing OP
policies,guidelines and by-laws to
communicate targets and requirements;
implement the recommendations within five
years;adopt LEED-NC Silver certification
for key master planned communities and
main streets.
Muriicipaliiyl ;- Voluntary Applicable; Point-
Initiative /Required. Development Based, Key:Green Requirements, , � Implementation Mechanisms, � - Incentives
T p6s S stem,
North Oakville Required Two different Yes-Level Development Form;Air The Checklists and User Guide are used as a No incentives are given when a
checklist for checklists for: 1 minimum Quality/Energy Efficiency;Water tool to implement the policies of the North Level 2 or 3 is achieved. The
Sustainable development Subdivision; required Management;Natural Heritage Oakville Secondary Plan. Required components Chekclist is going to be revised
Development applications Site-Specific of the checklist reflect requirements of the as they are now out of date.
Checklist& Applications Secondary Plan.
User Guide •The appropriate Checklist is completed prior to
the pre-consultation meeting.
•Three different points levels can be achieved
with Level 1 satisfying only the items that are
required.
Pickering- Required Two different Yes- Public Realm;Built Form;Green • Guidelines are intended to implement the Although the"Certified"point
Seaton checklists for: "Certified" Infrastructure and Building Official Plan direction for the Seaton Urban Area level is the required minimum,
Draft Plan of base point and provide greater clarity on urban design, the City will encourage Enhanced
Sustainable Subdivisions; system streetscapes,built form and sustainability levels of sustainability through an
Place-Making Site Plans required initiatives. The two checklists form part of the "Incentive Program". The
Guidelines guidelines. Incentive Program is under
The Guidelines will be implemented through development by the City and will
various development approval processes,in be tabled for discussion with the
accordance with the provisions of the Planning Landowners at a later date.
Act including subdivision approval,architectural
control,site plan approval,and zoning by-laws.
Pickering Required Three Yes-Level Environmental Protection; • In April 2007,Council adopted an Amendment Applicants who exceed a Level 1
guidelines for checklists for 1 minimum Selection of Lands;Land Use to the Pickering Official Plan setting out the rating will receive recognition by
Sustainable development Low required and Distribution;Density and requirements for complete applications for the city. Other benefits of
Development applications Residential; Compact Built Form; Official Plan amendments,zoning amendments, meeting Levels 2 or 3 include
Guidelines Low Rise Non- Connections;Pedestrian plans of subdivision and condominium,and site marketing opportunities,possible
residential; Oriented community;Resource plans,to require the submission of a"Sustainable access to provincial/federal or
Medium to High Efficiency Development Report"that would evaluate the other green funds.
Rise application in relation to the City's Draft
Guidelines.
• In October 2009,council approved the
requirement that all applications achieve a
minimum Level 1 rating.
Municipality/ , Voluntary," Applicable Point-
Initiative /Required Development Based_ Key Green Requirements' Implementation Mechanisms Incentives
Types S stem
Scugog Required One checklist Yes-Staff Cultural;Social;Economic; The checklist was originally proposed in 2008 in There are currently no incentives
for commercial, assign a Environmental the Township of Scugog Official Plan Review as the checklist is not being
Revised industrial, numerical background report called Sustainability implemented or enforced.
Sustainability institutional and rating that is Discussion Paper.
Checklist multi-residential multiplied •The checklist was originally applied on an ad-
(g reater than by a hoc basis to review commercial and multi-
five units) weighting to residential development plans.
arrive at a .The checklist was revised in 2009 to provide
final score more detailed information about the
weighting/rating system and clarify the objectives
and give examples of the principles.
•The revised checklist is also used by the
Heritage Scugog Committee and the Scugog
Accessibility Advisory Committee to review
applications.
Stouffville Required Two different Yes-a Community/Site Design;Energy, •The appropriate checklist is to be completed Incentives such as height and
checklists for minimum Water and Waste;Building prior to the pre-consultation meeting. The density bonuses will be
Sustainable Subdivision number of Features applicant will prepare a Sustainability Report to considered for applications that
Development Design;Site points is address any matters that require explanation. The exceed the minimum standards.
Guidelines Level Design required for checklist and sustainability report are submitted
each as part of the complete planning application.
checklist • Minimum standards must be achieved in order to
receive servicing allocation.
Toronto Required Three different Yes-Each Air Quality;Greenhouse Gas •The two-tier set of performance measures is Applicants that meet both Tier 1
checklists for application Emissions/Energy required for all new planning applications and Tier 2 measures,or achieve
Toronto Green Low-Rise Non- is required Efficiency/Climate Change; including:Zoning By-Law amendment,Site plan LEED certification that address
Standard residential;Low to meet the Water Quality,Quantity and control,and Draft Plan of Subdivision. the Tier 2 requirements,maybe
Rise Tier 1 Efficiency;Urban Ecology;Solid •A series of stakeholder consultations and eligible for a Development
Residential; environment Waste workshops were conducted to elicit information Charge Refund of 20%.
Mid to High al about participants'experiences,concerns and
Rise(any use) performanc expectations with regard to green development.
e measures •The Toronto Green Standard was developed to
complement other popular standards such as
LEED or Energy Star.
Attachment 2 to
Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-025-15
Overview:
Measuring the Sustainability Performance of New Developments by the Cities of
Brampton and Vaughan, and the Town of Richmond Hill
The municipalities of Brampton, Richmond Hill and Vaughan collaborated to undertake the
Measuring Sustainability Performance of New Developments project, creating sustainability
metrics and an evaluation system for development applications. The intent was to provide
consistency across the three municipalities to simplify the process and create efficiencies for
developers, provide a tool to quantify and rank the intended sustainability performance of
proposed plans, and improve the application submission and review process.
Phase 1 of the project resulted in the development of the "Sustainable Community
Development Guidelines" for the City of Brampton. Phase 2 involved the creation of a dynamic,
excel-based checklist of Sustainable Performance Metrics to integrate into the municipal
planning application review process which is consistent across these three municipalities.
Phase 3, which has not yet been completed, will focus on project implementation, monitoring
and sharing result between the three municipalities.
The Sustainable Performance Metrics apply to a range of planning application types including
Block Plans, Draft Plans of Subdivision and Site Plans, and all types of development. They
consist of four sustainability categories, 28 indicators and up to 45 metrics (depending on the
plan type). Sustainability categories and performance indicators are presented in the attached
table.
Each metric consists of:
• Mandatory Target— existing standard or requirement based on relevant legislation and
policy (e.g. Ontario Building Code, Official Plan, etc);
• Recommended Minimum Target— considered to be "doing better than you have to",
• Aspirational Target— considered to be "best in class".
This system allows an applicant to select metrics appropriate to their project, thereby allowing
the applicant to tailor the sustainable design features to the site. A supporting manual and
user guide, a guidebook, and additional supporting tools have been or are being created to
assist applicants in the calculation of selected metrics and overall submission requirements.
While the Sustainability Performance Metrics are consistent across these three municipalities,
each municipality is free to encourage (incentives) the implementation of the Sustainability
Performance Metrics as part of the planning application review process based on its own
context and determine the threshold level score that is required for incentives to apply.
The Sustainability Performance Metrics tables are available at
http://www.richmondhill.ca/documents/sustainability metrics.pdf
Sustainable Performance Categories and Performance Indicators
Categories Performance Indicators
I
Built Environment Compact development
Land use mix and diversity
Green buildings
Site accessibility
Housing unit mix
Landscape and street tree planting / preservation
Natural green space
Parking
Pedestrian connections
Community form
Cultural heritage resources
Tree canopy
Natural heritage
Mobility Street networks
Site permeability
Transit supportive
Active transportation
Walkability
Natural Environment & Parks
Open Space Storm water
Urban agriculture
Natural heritage system
Soils and topography
Infrastructure & Buildings Energy conservation
Potable water
Lighting
Bird friendly design
Materials and solid waste management
Heat island
The rationale behind each of the metrics and the sources used to inform the metrics are
included in the Measuring the Sustainability Performance of New Development— Final
Comprehensive Report (Appendix B) available at
http://www.brampton.ca/EN/Business/planninq-development/quidelines-
manuals/Docu ments/Final%20 Comp rehensive%20Report.pdf.