One of the "sleeper" issues facing our community is the impending damage from the pine beetle epidemic that is sweeping across our province. views from around B.C.
It will impact private property owners and even those without pine trees on their property will be impacted as it changes the appearance of the surrounding hills. Giant's Head Park, Cartwright Mountain, Conkle Mountain Park, Rattlesnake Mountain, Living Memorial Ball Park, Canyon View Cemetery and the Summerland Golf and Country Club are some of the major areas that will be impacted as the pine trees begin to die.
Compounding this risk of fire within the municipality (and the impact on drainage) is the danger that fire brings to our two upland watersheds. In addition, to the hydrologic changes resulting from the death of these pine trees there is increased risk of fire in both our watershed areas and in the hillsides adjacent to our community.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Co-op housing
For 40 years, housing co-ops have provided safe, secure, affordable housing for thousands of Canadians. But millions of Canadians still need a safe, affordable home. Many of these people are on co-op housing waiting lists.
The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada is working to get more support for co-op housing.
The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada is working to get more support for co-op housing.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Lonsdale Energy Corporation
The Lonsdale Energy Corporation or LEC is a wholly owned city of North Vancouver corporation working in partnership with Terasen Utility Services to deliver energy services to the Lower Lonsdale area of North Vancouver.
The district energy system produces hot water at a series of mini-plants within Lower Lonsdale and then distributes the hot water energy through underground pipes to buildings connected to the system. Once used in the connected buildings, the water is returned to a mini-plant, reheated and circulated back to the connected buildings.
This system is cost effective, flexible, convenient, and self sustaining and award winning. In addition, nitrous oxide emissions are reduced by 64% and carbon dioxide emissions by 21%. The LEC and a similar project in Revelstoke represent a greener way to improve community liveability. And in Langford, the Westhills Langford Lake, a 6,000 unit development, is moving forward with a conceptual plan for a central district energy system that will provide geoexchange heating for all residential and commercial space.
Wouldn't it be nice to do some thing similar here with the Wharton Street project? And how about incorporating a geoexchange or geothermal heat pump system into the new RCMP building?
The district energy system produces hot water at a series of mini-plants within Lower Lonsdale and then distributes the hot water energy through underground pipes to buildings connected to the system. Once used in the connected buildings, the water is returned to a mini-plant, reheated and circulated back to the connected buildings.
This system is cost effective, flexible, convenient, and self sustaining and award winning. In addition, nitrous oxide emissions are reduced by 64% and carbon dioxide emissions by 21%. The LEC and a similar project in Revelstoke represent a greener way to improve community liveability. And in Langford, the Westhills Langford Lake, a 6,000 unit development, is moving forward with a conceptual plan for a central district energy system that will provide geoexchange heating for all residential and commercial space.
Wouldn't it be nice to do some thing similar here with the Wharton Street project? And how about incorporating a geoexchange or geothermal heat pump system into the new RCMP building?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Action on Climate Change
The Provincial Government has just launched a new website - BC Climate Action Toolkit
that contains good information on how local governments can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and take other steps at becoming carbon neutral.
Two other sites to check out are LiveSmartBCand the David Suzuki Foundation.
that contains good information on how local governments can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and take other steps at becoming carbon neutral.
Two other sites to check out are LiveSmartBCand the David Suzuki Foundation.
Building Green
Many builders are embracing the move to greener buildings. You can find out more about building green by visiting the Built Green website. Built Green™ is an industry driven voluntary program that promotes "green" building practices to reduce the impact that building has on the environment. It benefits the homebuyer, the community and the environment and is an opportunity for everyone to choose a "green" future.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Protecting our Watershed
Summerland has an the largest upland watershed in the Okanagan Valley.
So why does the province want to sell the 44 recreational leased lots that surround Headwater's Reservoir? Selling this land will open it up for increased development and threaten the security of the water supply for the 11,000 residents of Summerland.
Every local government, all three regional districts and all water system purveyors in the Okanagan Valley and the Okanagan Basin Water Board all oppose the sale of this land and have stated this repeatedly to the provincial government.
So why does the province want to sell the 44 recreational leased lots that surround Headwater's Reservoir? Selling this land will open it up for increased development and threaten the security of the water supply for the 11,000 residents of Summerland.
Every local government, all three regional districts and all water system purveyors in the Okanagan Valley and the Okanagan Basin Water Board all oppose the sale of this land and have stated this repeatedly to the provincial government.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Affordable Housing
There are a number of different strategies that Summerland can undertake to assist with the provision of affordable housing in our community. These are outlined in the report by the Affordable Housing Committee presented to Council and include suggestions on the use of secondary suites (we were the first community in the Okanagan Valley to permit their use when we adopted the 1996 Official Community Plan), inclusionary zoning, density bonusing, the use of municipal land for affordable housing and the development of housing partnerships. More detailed discussion of these examples is available from Smart Growth BC’s “Review of Best Practices in Affordable Housing” which is available as a pdf file on their website – www.smartgrowth.bc.ca Additional information can be found in Local Government Guide for Improving Market Housing Affordability available on at: http://www.housing.gov.bc.ca/housing/affordable/index.htm
Did you know that the City of Langford requires that 10% of the homes in any subdivision over 10 units is to be sold as affordable for $160,000? Langford's Affordable Housing Policy sets out minimum construction standards, the approval process and the qualification process for potential home owners. Why not do something similar here?
The Whistler Housing Authority is an agency that helps provide affordable housing for residents and workers in the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The Banff Housing Corporation is a non-profit agency designed to provide affordable housing for the entire range of Banff residents. And the Capital Regional District Housing Corporation is a non-profit provider of over 1200 rental units of affordable housing throughout the various communities in the Capital Regional District in Greater Victoria.
Let's remember that affordable housing is the cornerstone of a healthy and economically strong community.
Did you know that the City of Langford requires that 10% of the homes in any subdivision over 10 units is to be sold as affordable for $160,000? Langford's Affordable Housing Policy sets out minimum construction standards, the approval process and the qualification process for potential home owners. Why not do something similar here?
The Whistler Housing Authority is an agency that helps provide affordable housing for residents and workers in the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The Banff Housing Corporation is a non-profit agency designed to provide affordable housing for the entire range of Banff residents. And the Capital Regional District Housing Corporation is a non-profit provider of over 1200 rental units of affordable housing throughout the various communities in the Capital Regional District in Greater Victoria.
Let's remember that affordable housing is the cornerstone of a healthy and economically strong community.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
roundabouts
Traffic Circles and Roundabouts
Why they are used and how to deal with them from the City of Langford website.
A recent ICBC study shows that traffic circles are 80 per cent effective in reducing traffic accidents. Accidents in traffic circles tend to be the less severe sideswipes rather than the deadly T-bone type that occur at stop signs and signals. A similar study in the USA on roundabouts found a 39% reduction in vehicle accidents, a 76% reduction in injury accidents and a 90% reduction in accidents causing death or permanent incapacity. A traffic circle is really just a small roundabout.
There are only 8 conflict points in a traffic circle compared to 32 in a four way stop condition.
Reduced Delay: Since motorists do not always have to stop, delays and queues are usually less compared to Stop signs and traffic signals (especially signals with long cycle lengths and multiple phases). This is true under non-peak traffic conditions and especially evident at high traffic flows.
Environmental Benefits: With reduced delay, roundabouts can reduce noise, air pollution and fuel consumption. They also provide opportunities for landscaping and gateway treatments.
The first roundabout in Langford is on the Bear Mountain Parkway. The first traffic circle in Langford is on Peatt Road at Brock. Seattle has about 750 traffic circles. Seattle guarantees to remove each traffic circle if the neighbours within a block radius are 60% against it. In the last 12 years they have not removed a single traffic circle.
How do you navigate traffic circles? The signs on the approaches and on the circle itself tell you to go around the right side of the circle. Keep going around the circle till you reach your exit. Signal a left turn if you are going to drive past an exit. Signal a right turn as you approach your exit.
Who has the right of way? The circles should be treated like an uncontrolled intersection - if someone is already in the circle, they have the right of way, and if two drivers enter the circle at the same time, the person on the right has the right of way. As you approach the circle there is a yield sign. You must yield to traffic already in the circle. But the most important thing is to slow down as you approach the traffic circle, watch what the other vehicles are doing and do not make assumptions about where they are going. That vehicle entering the traffic circle opposite you may be doing a U-turn around the circle (perfectly legal and yet another advantage of the circles) so don’t assume he will leave the circle before he gets to you.
Why they are used and how to deal with them from the City of Langford website.
A recent ICBC study shows that traffic circles are 80 per cent effective in reducing traffic accidents. Accidents in traffic circles tend to be the less severe sideswipes rather than the deadly T-bone type that occur at stop signs and signals. A similar study in the USA on roundabouts found a 39% reduction in vehicle accidents, a 76% reduction in injury accidents and a 90% reduction in accidents causing death or permanent incapacity. A traffic circle is really just a small roundabout.
There are only 8 conflict points in a traffic circle compared to 32 in a four way stop condition.
Reduced Delay: Since motorists do not always have to stop, delays and queues are usually less compared to Stop signs and traffic signals (especially signals with long cycle lengths and multiple phases). This is true under non-peak traffic conditions and especially evident at high traffic flows.
Environmental Benefits: With reduced delay, roundabouts can reduce noise, air pollution and fuel consumption. They also provide opportunities for landscaping and gateway treatments.
The first roundabout in Langford is on the Bear Mountain Parkway. The first traffic circle in Langford is on Peatt Road at Brock. Seattle has about 750 traffic circles. Seattle guarantees to remove each traffic circle if the neighbours within a block radius are 60% against it. In the last 12 years they have not removed a single traffic circle.
How do you navigate traffic circles? The signs on the approaches and on the circle itself tell you to go around the right side of the circle. Keep going around the circle till you reach your exit. Signal a left turn if you are going to drive past an exit. Signal a right turn as you approach your exit.
Who has the right of way? The circles should be treated like an uncontrolled intersection - if someone is already in the circle, they have the right of way, and if two drivers enter the circle at the same time, the person on the right has the right of way. As you approach the circle there is a yield sign. You must yield to traffic already in the circle. But the most important thing is to slow down as you approach the traffic circle, watch what the other vehicles are doing and do not make assumptions about where they are going. That vehicle entering the traffic circle opposite you may be doing a U-turn around the circle (perfectly legal and yet another advantage of the circles) so don’t assume he will leave the circle before he gets to you.
Adaptable and Accessible Housing
Adaptable Housing requirements are modest improvements to accessibility and adaptability in residential buildings that make it easier for people to "remain in place" as they age, or experience illness or injury or simply adapt their house to the changing needs of their family.
Adaptable Housing features allow "universal design" principles, meaning that the housing can appeal to everyone. Adaptable Housing features are visually unnoticeable and allow increased flexibility in selling or renting homes. Including these features at the design stage is inexpensive and greatly reduces the cost of renovation in the future.
The District of Saanich on Vancouver Island and the City of North Vancouver are two communities that have adopted Adaptable and Accessible housing Guidelines. And with over 26% of Summerland's population over 65 why don't we?
Check out the Saanich website: http://www.gov.saanich.bc.ca Click on "business" and then on the left under "Development" is a clickable link - "Adaptable Housing".
Architect Avi Friedman has written several books (The Grow Home and The Adaptable House: Designing Homes for Change) on this topic. Both books are available at the Summerland Library.
Solar Cladding
Solar Cladding is a new, efficient approach to solar heating that is relatively simple, inexpensive and has no moving parts.
Solar cladding is a metal cladding consisting of thousands of tiny perforations and is mounted approximately 6-12 inches out from the exterior south-facing wall. As the sun shines, a ventilation fan draws warm air from the boundary layer on the surface of the wall through the perforations into an air cavity. The heated fresh air is then distributed throughout the building by the conventional ventilation system.
The wall also acts as a heat shade preventing the summer's sun from reaching the main wall and conducting the heat indoors.
Solar cladding is being used in larger commercial and institutional buildings to help reduce their heating and cooling costs.
This benefits not just the building owners, but everyone since high air conditioning use pushes up the cost of power for everyone; including those without air conditioners.
For a more complete description of this technology go to http://www.solarwall.com or see "Going 'Green' With Solar Heating in the January 2006 issue of Municipal World.
Going Green
There are many many ways we can "go green".
Solar Cladding and and the use of solar energy are two ways that buildings (commercial, institutional and residential) could be made more energy efficient.
Solar hot water is an inexpensive, easy-to-install and proven technology, with a payoff period of five to seven years.
Solar B.C. (www.solarbc.ca) has a goal of 100,000 solar roofs in the province by 2020. Which begs the question "why not here?" It is being done in Kelowna, Dawson Creek and North Vancouver. The City of Dawson Creek made public commitments to reduce the natural gas the city uses by installing solar hot water systems wherever possible to demonstrate leadership, provide energy security and provide visibility to solar hot water technology within their community. Why not here? At the very least we should ensure that all new houses are constructed solar ready. At a cost of $300-500 the necessary wiring and plumbing can be done at the time of construction enabling homeowners to add solar panels at a later date without having to do expensive retrofitting.
For those interested there is a grant of up to $1,625 in provincial funds available for homeowneres who want to install solar hot-water systems.
Two interesting websites are: http://www.solarbc.ca and the City of Dawson Creek's http://planningforpeople.ca
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