Due to high development potential, future commercial, industrial and institutional buildings in Cochrane may have to get a whole lot greener.
Presented to council June 24, the Green Building Strategy would place 10 environmentally-friendly performance factors on the table when potential developments are being considered in the permit stage, with a bonus three that would label the development a ‘green leader.’
“It’s not easy to prepare this kind of policy,” said Kathy Dietrich, senior manager of planning and engineering for the Town of Cochrane.
The 10 sustainability goals the strategy aims to meet are: manage stormwater effectively; preferred parking and bicycle storage; reduce heat island effect; reduce light pollution; reduce energy use and emissions; reduce potable water; reduce solid waste; increase use of recycled and local materials; create a healthy indoor environment; and provide onsite renewables.
Nicole Tomes, development and environmental planner for the town, said the Green Building Strategy would ‘raise the bar’ when it came to commercial, industrial and institutional development in Cochrane, and would help save energy, water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mayor Truper McBride, however, was not convinced the plan pushed the envelope far enough.
“This is a starting point for me,” said McBride, adding that the plan appeared to simply fall in line with the province’s environmental standards. “If the province is doing the same, we’re not exactly leaping over the bar. I’m not seeing where we’re doing anything revolutionary here.”
