The City of Ottawa launched measures on Thursday to fast track environmentally friendly design applications for both professional builders and residents working on homes and businesses.
These measures fulfill a commitment made in the Mayor’s 2012 Budget to remove barriers in processing development applications for projects proposing green technology and designs.
“I am proud that the City of Ottawa has invested in its staff and put in place a program that will ensure that developers who are striving to do the right thing for the environment don’t experience unnecessary delays due to their use of new materials, construction techniques, or building design,” said Mayor Jim Watson in a news release.
Peter Hume, chair of the planning committee, said the development industry is often slowed down by innovative proposals.
“Just like an express lane offered to travellers, we assign these applications to professionals knowledgeable in green building who can get these applications processed and to the departure gate quickly and with as few hiccups as possible,” said Hume, in the release.
Under this system, called the “Green Express Lane,” trained staff will be assigned green applications they will champion through the entire approval process.
The city has also created new information guides to assist residents planning green projects in their homes and businesses through their permit applications. Topics of these guides include solar domestic hot water systems and photovoltaic panels.
Both efforts are part of the planning and growth management department’s cultural renewal agenda, which focuses on providing better service to Ottawa residents.