If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Municipalr

Clerk at 905-623-3379 ext. 2102

Report

Planning Services

Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee

Date: September 22, 2014 Resolution: By-law:j

Report: PSD-053- 14 File: PLN 39. 5I

Subject: Priority Green Clarington — Update No. 2

Recommendations:

It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committeerecommend to Council the following:

a) That Report PSD-053- 14 be received for information. jIi

Submitted by: ___ 4/ io Reviewed by:Davi Crome, MCIP, RPP Franklin Wu,

Director of Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer

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Municipality of ClaringtonReport PSD-053- 14 Page 2

Report Overview

Priority Green Clarington has reached two important milestones. Firstly, an initial phase ofcommunication and engagement has been completed. Feedback received will inform theestablishment of a Green Development Framework for Clarington. Secondly, working inpartnership with Brookfield Residential, Halminen Homes and Jeffery Homes, the green homebuilding demonstration component of Priority Green Clarington has completed construction ofsix 'beyond code' homes and the installation of monitoring equipment. Monitoring of thesehomes under "real- life" conditions and assessment of their performance will begin in October.

Background

1. Priority Green Clarington aims to set a new standard for residential development thatprioritizes sustainability, promotes innovation and continues to improve the community' squality of life. To achieve this vision, the Municipality, in collaboration with the Region ofDurham, the private sector, and the community, is establishing a Green DevelopmentFramework. "Green development" refers to using practices that will reduce theenvironmental impacts of residential development and create healthier places to live. It

considers the ways in which both homes and neighbourhoods are designed and built.

2. Priority Green Clarington is an initiative driven by Council' s Strategic Plan 2011- 2014 andClarington' s Green Community Strategy( 2010). It is being carried out in collaborationwith the Region of Durham and with funding support from the Government of Ontariothrough the Showcasing Water Innovation program, and the Green Municipal Fund, afund financed by the Government of Canada and administered by the Federation ofCanadian Municipalities, in addition to municipal funding.

Work Program Status

Communication & Engagement Strategy— Phase I

3. Broad community support is fundamental to the successful design, implementation andadoption of a practical and effective approach to green development in Clarington. ACommunication & Engagement Strategy was prepared at the outset of the initiative, andis being implemented in two phases, as follows:

Phase I: Start up and early outreach; and

Phase II: Proposed framework review, consultation and knowledge transfer.

4. Phase I aimed to introduce Priority Green Clarington to the community, initiate a dialogueabout planning and establishing a Green Development Framework for Clarington, andfacilitate participation in the process. The scope of Phase I is outlined in Attachment 1.

5. Key findings emerging from the community, staff and agencies, the building industry andCouncil included the following:

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Municipality of ClaringtonReport PSD- 053- 14 Page 3

The majority of participants engaged support Priority Green Clarington' s vision. A

community vision of liveable neighbourhoods in Clarington prioritizes widelyavailable, easily accessible and safe green spaces and streets, convenient accessto amenities and increased support for non-vehicular modes of transportation.

Saving valuable farm land and rural space is the top ranking benefit that.thecommunity feels can be gained from advancing green development practices. As

revealed in the following figure, other top ranking benefits that should be supportedby the standards that will form part of the Green Development Framework includesupporting a more active lifestyle (e. g. walking, cycling) and better conservation ofwildlife habitat.

Saved valuable farm land and rural spaces 22%

Supporting a more active lifestyle of walking and

bicycling19%

Better conservation of wildlife habitat 18%

Better air and water quality 13%

Reduced demand on energy and water systems 8%

Reduced pressure on stormwater systems 8%

Nicer looking public spaces from perserved naturalfeatures and plantings

7%

Less impact to global warming and better prepared for6%

climate related events

Figure 1: Community Ranking of Benefits of Green DevelopmentTotal respondents = 430)

Establishing a Green Development Framework will require careful consideration oflocal issues ( e. g. disconnected communities and neighbourhoods) and prioritiese. g. improved access to transit and support of active transportation). Other key

considerations include allowing for innovation through flexibility, supportingalignment with other municipal and third party programs, on-going consultation withindustry and the community, and being cautious of process duplication, added timeand/or costs for application review, and conflicting approvals standards.

Incentives are important to industry adoption of green development practices andshould be designed to enhance the competitive advantage of developers, without

imposing significant pressure on municipal or taxpayer resources. A combination of

economic, policy-based and/or administrative incentives should be considered.Confirming other industry research, general support exists for a fast-tracked

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Municipality of ClaringtonReport PSD- 053'-14 Page 4

approvals incentive approach provided supporting tools and resources ( e. g. training,education, dedicated staff resources) are made available.

A combination of tools, resources and strategies is recommended to facilitate the

successful implementation of enhanced policies and new standards and guidelines

for green development, including:

o Clear submission requirements

o Consistency and coordination between proposed green development jstandards and guidelines and other Municipal standards and guidelines;

o Ongoing education and outreach to generate awareness and support;o Ongoing dialogue and feedback between the Municipality and stakeholders;o Flexibility to support overcoming market barriers, and;o Ensuring recommended green development standards are practical and cost-

effective, particularly in Clarington.

A key component of creating compact, complete and sustainable neighbourhoods ini

Clarington is building at higher densities than has traditionally been seen in thecommunity. ,However, earlier community survey results and feedback receivedduring the Phase I engagement activities both highlight that the community isconcerned about what higher density forms of development may mean. A focused

community discussion may be needed to raise awareness of how increased densityhas the potential to contribute to an attractive, vibrant and diverse environment for

people to live, work and play ( i. e. " liveable density"), and to define communityE

expectations. The objectives of this community workshop should include thefollowing:

o To raise awareness of the Municipality's vision to develop compact, completeand sustainable neighbourhoods in Clarington, and the role of increased

density.

o To define community expectations of compact, complete and sustainableneighbourhoods.

o To examine the areas identified for increased density in Clarington and theircharacteristics, and better understand community perceptions.

On- going community and Council engagement will be necessary to achieve PriorityGreen Clarington objectives.

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Municipality of ClaringtonReport PSD-053- 14 Page 5

Green Demonstration Proiect

6. In February 2012, the Municipality announced ( PSD-014- 14) that three builders,Brookfield Residential, Halminen Homes and Jeffery Homes have committed toparticipate in the Priority Green Clarington Green Demonstration Project. The GreenDemonstration Project will result in the construction of.six study homes ( two per builder).These homes will incorporate practices that aim to reduce their environmental impact

beyond that of a home constructed to meet Ontario' s Building Code. Practices are listedin Attachment 2.

7. Each of the study homes has been sold to interested home buyers. A four-monthperformance monitoring program will be carried out on each home under actual operatingconditions. Performance monitoring will include tracking of total water, electricity andnatural gas usage, water and electricity sub-metering of specific fixtures/appliances within Ithe study homes, and energy performance testing and rating.

8. As of September 1, 2014, three of the study homes were occupied and performancemonitoring initiated. The remaining three homes are anticipated to be online by thebeginning of October.

9. Through performance monitoring, conservation and efficiency improvements will bequantified, greenhouse gas reductions will be calculated, performance comparisons will

be made to similar homes build to the minimum standard established by the OntarioBuilding Code, and return on investment and payback period evaluated. The results of

the assessment will be used to inform residents and the building industry about thepotential environmental, economic and social benefits of the green practices used.

10. The Municipality has received overwhelming support for the Green Demonstration Projectfrom our partner builders (Brookfield Residential, Halminen Homes and Jeffery Homes)and their respective electrical and plumbing contractors, industry associations ( DurhamRegion Home Builders Association, Sustainable Housing Foundation), and productmanufacturers and suppliers. In addition, promotional support has been received from

local media( Clarington This Week) and industry publications including Better BuilderMagazine and Toronto Focus Magazine, a publication of the Canada Green Building lCouncil.

11. Glen Pleasance, the Region of Durham Water Efficiency Co-ordinator, has had a majorrole in the development and implementation of the Green Demonstration Project.

Next Steps

12. The following next steps are underway for Priority Green Clarington:

Conduct monitoring and assess performance of the six participating greendemonstration project homes;

Focused workshop and community discussion on the benefits of higher density onthe concept of liveable density, scheduled for November this year;Draft proposed green standards and guidelines;

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Municipality of ClaringtonReport PSD-053-14 Page 6

Examine potential incentive mechanisms to encourage adoption of green

development practices beyond minimum standards and assess feasibility; andThe second phase of the communication and engagement strategy.

Concurrence

13. Not Applicable

Conclusion

14. The implementation of the first phase of communication and engagement for PriorityGreen Clarington started a discussion with stakeholders and the community about therole of green development practices in achieving sustainable growth. An additional

workshop will be carried out this Fall focused on the benefits of higher density.

15. The Green Demonstration Project component of Priority Green Clarington has reachedan important milestone with the construction of six `beyond code' homes and the

installation of monitoring equipment. The performance assessment is now underway.

16. With Priority Green Clarington funding agreements concluding in spring 2015, staff will bereviewing options to sustain the long term vision for this initiative.

Strategic Plan Application

17. The recommendations contained in this report conform to the Strategic Plan.

Staff Contact: Amy Burke, Priority Green Clarington Coordinator, 905-623- 3379 ext 2423 oraburke(a)clarington. net

Attachments:

Attachment 1 — Phase 1 Scope and Community OutreachAttachment 2 — Demonstration Project Green Practices

List of the interested parties to be notified of Council' s decision: None

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Attachment 1 to

Municipality of Clarington Report PSD- 053- 14i

Community Engagement r

A. The following methods for project communications were established:Project website (www.prioritygreenclarington.word press. com);

Social media interaction via the Municipality's Twitter and Facebook accounts;QR Code providing a direct link to the project website;Articles in the Planning Services Department's E-Update Newsletter,Media releases and advertising of community events and projectannouncements;

Presentations and information booths to share project progress and lessonslearned; and

Memorandums and reports to Council.I

B. Between April and August 2014, early involvement in Priority Green Clarington wasfacilitated through four distinct engagement activities, each designed to obtain feedbackfrom specific interest groups. These included: j

Community Engagement— attendance at two community events (ClaringtonHome & Garden Show and Maple Festival);

Industry Engagement— a collaboration workshop with representatives of the landdevelopment and building sector;Staff& Agency Engagement— a collaboration workshop with Municipal, Regionaland Agency representatives and partners involved in land development reviewand approval; and

Council Engagement— Individual interviews with Clarington' s Mayor and

members of Council.

These engagement activities were designed to build on the results of the communitysurvey conducted through Priority Green Clarington in August 2013 (PSD-061- 13).

I

C. The following tables summarize the reach of Phase I activities:

Mechanism/ Activity of Contacts

Community Survey 1000Project Website . 2500

QR Codes not available

E- Update Newsletter 309

Priority Green Clarington Symposium 64

Community Engagement 1 140Clarington Spring Home & Garden Show, April 11 — 13)

Community Engagement 2 110

Historic Downtown Bowmanville' s Maple Festival, May 3)Community Engagement 3 - Online 12

Workshop 1 - Industry Engagement (May 28) 11

Workshop 2 - Staff& Agency Engagement (May 28) 14Interviews - Council Engagement (August 2014) 6

Total 4166

Table 1: Summary of Phase 1 CES Contacts (to September 1, 2014)8- 65

Communication Mechanism of PublicationsWebsite Blog Posts 10Social Media (Twitter, Facebook) 14QR Codes not available

E- Update Newsletter 14

Municipal News Releases 4

Presentations (e. g. Building and Land Development Industry 9Durham Chapter, Durham Region Home Builders

Association)

Information Booths 3

Council Memorandums and Reports ( including PSD-053- 14) 9Total 63

Table 2: Summary of Phase 1 CES Publications ( to September 1, 2014)

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Attachment 2 to

Municipality of Clarington . Report PSD-053- 14

qan on

Green Demonstration Project

List of Green Practices'

Quality Assurance

Third party performance based energy rating ( HERS Index)Inspected and verified to guarantee program compliance

High Performance Building Envelope

Air leakage under 3. 0 ACH @ 50 PaInsulation installation meeting RESNET' s Grade II quality rating ( minimum)Upgraded " better basement" (R20 insulation value)

Exterior air barrier with all penetrations sealed

Insulated sheathing

High Performance Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Web-based programmable thermostat

High efficiency furnace (95% AFUE minimum) with minimum 2 stage modulation

and electronically commutated motor( ECM) in air handlerSealing of all furnace supply ducts'Commissioning of the heating systemDrain water heat recovery on two drainsHigh efficiency air conditioner( efficiency rating of 14 SEER or higher)2

Energy Efficient Lighting & Appliances

Minimum 75% CFL lighting (high use rooms)ENERGY STAR" certified appliances2

ENERGY STAR° Most Efficient certified clothes washer2

Reduce Water Usage & Runoff

Indoor

3. 8 Lpf( or less) toilets

7. 6 Lpm showerheads

5. 7 Lpm bathroom faucets

8. 3 Lpm kitchen faucets

Greywater recycling systemHot water recirculation system

Outdoor

Provide 4' to 6" of topsoil (all non-

hardscaped lot areas)

Permeable hardscaping ( e.g.walkways, patios)

Rain barrels

1 This listing is cumulative for all six study homes. Some variability between homes exists.

2 Where supplied by builder.

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Indoor Air Qualityi

Bathroom fans verified at Ontario Building.Code capacities E

Energy Recovery Ventilator (minimum efficiency rating of 65% SRE) rAir system balanced

MERV 8 filter (or better) installed

Contaminant control during constructionPre occupancy flush (48 hours before)

Efficient Material Management CAdvanced wall framing jAttic insulation containing 40% post-consumer recycled content (minimum)

Wall insulation containing 40% post-consumer recycled content (minimum)

Thermal insulated sheathing containing 15% post-consumer recycled content (minimum)

Future Ready

Greywater readySolar (photovoltaic) ready j

LED lighting ready( exterior soffit fixtures)Natural gas ready (oven and clothes dryer) j

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