Ecohomes may be greener than planned

NEWMARKET, Ontario, October 11, 2006 — At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Town of Newmarket officially approved the team that will lead the design and development of Canada’s first environmentally-friendly subdivision.

“We’re very confident that the team is well-equipped to design a leading-edge green community in Newmarket, and expect it will serve as a model for other municipalities in the future,” says Mayor Tom Taylor.

Architect Vincent Santamaura of RN Design, energy efficient design specialist John Godden of Clearsphere, and professional engineer Robert De Angelis of Condeland Engineering will join forces with Rodeo Fine Homes Inc. (Rodeo) to design 34 energy-efficient homes on Mulock Drive in Newmarket next year.

Newmarket’s green community will be designed to meet and exceed target criteria established by the Town with significant input from the Newmarket Environmental Advisory Committee and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The criteria are:

• 25 per cent reduction in household water draws compared to conventional homes

• 60 per cent reduction in overall water discharge flows, solid waste, energy use and greenhouse gasses compared to conventional homes

“The design team has acknowledged that the criteria are the Town’s minimum targets, and has confirmed their intent to explore alternative design and engineering concepts to build homes that are even greener than we stipulated,” continues Mayor Taylor.

To ensure the ‘green’ integrity of the project is protected and the Town’s intent for a green community is realized, the Town embedded safeguards into the approval process and the agreement of purchase and sale. These include:

1. Professional verifications and inspections to confirm the homes comply with the minimum target criteria prior to the issuance of occupancy permits

2. Incurrence of financial penalties if a home is constructed that does not meet the criteria

The Town is also in the process of hiring an independent peer review consultant to ensure the integrity of the project as originally conceived is maintained throughout the design and construction process.

The Town of Newmarket sold the 34 lots to Rodeo on January 13, 2006 to develop an environmentally-progressive subdivision in Newmarket. The project has since drawn the interest and support of many area municipalities, other levels of government, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Ontario Power Authority and more.

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Media contact:
Crystal Moss
Acting Manager of Corporate Communications
Tel: 905-953-5300, ext. 2042
E-mail: cmoss@newmarket.ca