Green homes proposal gets new lease on life

NEWMARKET, ONTARIO - An innovative eco-housing development, scrapped by Newmarket council in December, is getting a second chance at life.

Mayor Tom Taylor said residents have rallied behind a plan to build 34 "green" homes on Mulock Dr. at Leslie St. Council is reconsidering the matter.

"This would have been the first of its kind in Canada and some of our residents want us to take another look," Taylor said.

The 34 environmentally friendly houses were to be built by a Markham developer on land purchased from the town.

Instead, council decided at its December meeting to sell the lots to another developer — who does not build eco-homes — for a sum at least $1 million more.

But Taylor and other city officials were flooded with requests to reconsider, including a 200-name petition from students at Sacred Heart high school.

The town's environmental advisory committee has also asked council to revisit the proposal and Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. has even sent a letter of support.

Taylor, who spearheaded the environmental housing project, said he is not ready to see his dream of eco-friendly housing die.

"This was a way for our community to lead the way in reducing our dependence on non-renewable energies with a minimum of government intervention," Taylor said.

The town purchased the 37-hectare Stickwood Walker farm, located on the south side of Mulock Dr., just west of Leslie St., for a recreation complex that would take up about 12 hectares.

Taylor said council hoped to recoup most of the $14.6 million purchase price, which included the cost of rezoning and financing, by selling a portion of the remaining land to builders.

Developer Menkes purchased 154 lots for $16.7 million.

It also had an option to buy another 34 lots by Jan. 13 — for an additional $3.1 million — and build conventional housing. Together, the lots would take up about 10 hectares and include a low-rise complex.

In the meantime, council issued a request for proposals for the 34 lots, with the intention of selling them to a builder willing to undertake an ecologically friendly development.

Rodeo Homes of Markham put in a bid to build the "green" homes, but offered more than $1 million less than Menkes's $3.1 million, according to sources.

The actual amount offered by Rodeo is still confidential.

And that's where the problems started, said regional Councillor Tony Van Bynen.

At the Dec. 12 meeting, council voted 5-4 to accept the offer from Menkes because of the price difference, much to the dismay of supporters of the project.

Van Bynen agreed Newmarket council supported the plan in principle. But there were concerns the offer from the "green" developer was just too low, he said.

"The gap between the market value and the final offer was too substantial to bridge," Van Bynen said.

"We were worried the difference would end up as profit margin for the developer at the expense of the taxpayer."

Talks since then with the builder leave Van Bynen hopeful the gap can be closed.

"If the difference between the two offers is considerably less than it was before, then it will be worthwhile reconsidering," he said. "If not, then.... But I'm confident we're going to get a much better offer."

Architect Martin Liefhebber has designed many "green" homes around Toronto and was scheduled to work on the Rodeo project.

Liefhebber said Canada must follow the lead of other countries and begin building eco-friendly communities in order to conserve energy.

"With these types of homes, we would be able to double the population using the same amount of energy as used today," Liefhebber said.

Green homes typically cost more to build, containing more insulation and employing materials such as recycled concrete and plastic.

When completed, the houses will use 25 per cent less water and 60 per cent less power.

"They just work better and so they use fewer resources," Liefhebber said.

The savings could be as much as 50 per cent on an annual energy bill. This means the additional building costs will be recouped in less than 10 years, Liefhebber added.

"The payback is very, very quick," he said. "I think these homes will be popular because the consumer is not being offered any alternative in housing right now."

Van Bynen called the energy-efficient houses "trophy homes in an already premium subdivision," expected to sell for $500,000 and up.

The Stickwood Walker development will have a 9-hectare section that includes the Stickwood Walker homestead and green space has also been set aside.