By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca
Halton Hills council has decided not to go ahead with a community-wide energy system for the Vision Georgetown neighbourhood.
The decision, passed unanimously during the Dec. 8 council meeting, directs town staff to shift focus toward exploring opportunities with landowners on low-carbon technologies and voluntary energy-efficiency measures.
Vision Georgetown is a plan to create mixed-use housing and amenities on 1,000 acres of land, located between Trafalgar Road and Eighth Line, as well as from 10 Side Road to 15 Side Road.
The plan aims to house 19,000 residents and provide 1,700 jobs, as well as include new schools, parks, hiking trails and a central community core.
The goal of the district energy system, as described by town staff, was to connect multiple buildings to a central power source for heating and cooling, rather than each house having its own furnace.
However, staff said a study by Dillon Consulting showed that the system would not work for the residential part of Vision Georgetown without “substantial public investment and significant financial risk.”
While the project was not compatible for the residential core, Coun. Jason Brass noted that the consultant’s report alluded to district energy systems working more effectively in high-demand environments such as a hospital campus or similar community-serving uses.
“I am very excited to explore district energy on a grander scale,” Brass said.
Staff added that the landowners set aside money for the initial district energy system project study and that all the funds was not used.
Council directed staff to engage with the landowners to discuss reallocating the remaining funds toward future public projects.
Coun. Clark Somerville noted the landowners had expressed full support for the motion and for working with the town on redirecting the funds.
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