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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Concerns raised by two city councillors have led to the city rethinking strict environmental regulations proposed for planned residential development near Grace Lake.

The city's 2011 general plan proposes 30 residential units on Grace Lake. Council removed recommendations for stricter environmental regulations on the development following criticism from Coun. Cory Vanthuyne late in 2011 and then by Coun, Mark Heyck on Tuesday.

City administration had originally proposed standards for the development that included using higher industry-standard building rating systems. Ideas included implementing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes (LEED), R-2000, or a minimum rating of 85 under the EnerGuide for New Houses rating system.

Other proposals had included a focus on water efficiency where dwellings would "exclusively use water-saving devices," including water-saver or ultra-flush toilets with specified levels of water consumption, as well as low-flow shower heads and low-flow faucets.

The plan had also indicated a desire to have grey water recycling systems for each home. Grey water systems allow for water from sinks or showers or laundry, for example, to be put through a filtration system in the home and be re-used for purposes other than consumption. According to the plan, each Grace Lake home would have been expected to recycle 50 per cent of its trucked-in water.

The plan had also stated that light pollution would not be able to extend beyond each lot; and that solar facades in each house will have to be located within 30 degrees of due south.

Vanthuyne had objected to the increased environmental regulations because it would lead to increases in city housing costs. He added if developers were forced to pay the higher cost caused by strict environmental regulations they would be less likely to invest in the project. Higher costs would inevitably be passed on to the buyer, he said.

"I think we have the potential to have a great waterfront community there, but I think we could potentially ruin it if we regulate eco-energy requirements," said Vanthuyne. "During the last council, councillors shot themselves in the foot by focusing too much on reducing the carbon footprint," he added, referencing phase VII of Niven Lake. "The city was unable to build a single house in this town for close to two-and-a-half years."

The project is still subject to the approval of the city's 10-year general plan as well as a development scheme for the area.

Heyck convinced council to remove some of the "higher standards of sustainable building and site design" during the municipal services committee meeting on Tuesday. Heyck said the regulations were too specific to be part of the general plan.

"It is not so much that I disagree with the spirit or the intent of that section, but I find it misplaced in the context of the general plan," said Heyck at the committee meeting. Heyck said such specifics would be more beneficial in a future development scheme or zoning bylaw discussions.

Though Vanthuyne argued against some of the increased regulations, some councillors felt that because Grace Lake would receive trucked-in water, conservation would be cost-effective anyway.

"Out there it would be trucked services, so anybody there would probably put in water efficiency measures because they know it would cost them less," said Coun. Shelagh Montgomery.

Eric Sputek, a director with the Kam Lake Property Owners Association, said at the general plan public hearing Dec. 12 that affordability should be the main focus with the project.

"We have lots there that are maybe more affordable because we don't have a lot of infrastructure or development to these properties," he said. "Then we turn around and throw up something else that says to developers that they need to accommodate to this system. So we end up moving away from affordability."

He agreed, however, that some of the water conservation issues would be "common sense things" that people would take care of, without legislation.

"When you live on trucked services, once you get the bill when you run out of water, you have a tendency to conserve that water. I think city council and the building bylaw should think about that," he said.

As with other new houses being built in the city, there will be energy standards that will apply automatically to housing units.

In 2008, the city adopted the EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) rating system into a bylaw, which requires all residential design plan to undergo energy audits before being built.

To get a building permit, most houses must receive an 80 rating based on in-air tightness, insulation levels, and heating appliances.

Building industry rating systems

R-2000
A certification for high-end energy efficiency and indoor air quality. A blower door test is used to test how airtight the home is and must meet a criteria of 1.85 air changes per hour at 50 pascals.

Other requirements considered in testing are high insulation levels and materials used inside, such as low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emitting surfaces and products.

EnerGuide for Houses Program
An energy audit is conducted on an existing house. A blower door test and a computer simulation of the energy use of the house is conducted and rated on a scale from 0 to 100.

A government adviser administers the program and makes recommendations on how to improve the energy efficiency of the home.

EnerGuide for New Houses Program
A desktop simulation is conducted from the plans for the house before it is constructed. The idea is to have energy efficiency measured before the house is built.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes
Aims to improve indoor air quality as a goal. Also looks at recycled materials, low energy content materials, overall energy performance of the house, and water efficiency.

Measurements are made on a point based system. Categories of points are measured in silver, gold, and platinum. The more efficiency features, the higher the certification standard.

Sources: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Homebuilders, United States Green Building Council

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