Edmontonians looking to adopt a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle can now turn to the northwest neighbourhood of Oxford.
The city announced on Wednesday that Oxford is Edmonton’s first energy-efficient residential community, where every house is built to a higher environmental standard, something that could pave the way for future neighbourhoods in the city.
“Part of our vision for creating a more environmentally sustainable city includes the concept of building green. To help support that vision council has endorsed the green building policy plan, a strategy dedicated to greening Edmonton’s building stock,” said Coun. Dave Loken.
“Oxford is an important step towards accomplishing the goals of that.”
The Oxford subdivision is located south of 167 Avenue and west of 130 Street.
Homebuilders for the 87 available lot spaces are required to meet eco-friendly guidelines for conservation and energy-efficiency including achieving a minimum EnerGuide rating of 78 or be certified to Built Green Silver standards or equivalents.
The industry standard EnerGuide rating is between 65 to 72. Sharon Copithorne with Built Green Canada says Oxford homes will be more efficient and save homeowners more money in the end.
“The Oxford homes will be 20 to 30 per cent more energy efficient than an industry-standard home,” Copithorne said.
“A home built in the program should save a minimum of 10 per cent in annual utility bills compared to a code-built home.”
There are also grants available for homeowners who wish to build their homes above the 78 standard.
“We go beyond to include envelope and energy systems, materials and methods, indoor air quality, ventilation, waste management, water conservation,” Copithorne said.
“There are many, many ways to build sustainability so the possible variations are endless.”
The Oxford development could pave the way for future neighbourhoods in Edmonton.
“It’s going to be watched by a number of councillors in wards where it’s possible and doable especially if it’s successful I think you might see, as the presentation reflects, that this could be something that becomes the norm at some point,” Loken said.
“This concept is a first for the city of Edmonton and a tangible step towards creating a more sustainable city. We want to help boost the green building marked and demonstrate the cost savings and reduced ecological impact green homes can provide.”
Forty-three lots will be sold by public lot draw on Nov. 28.
A maximum of 200 registrants will be accepted into the draw.
The last time a public lot draw was held was back in 2006 for the Brintnell neighbourhood in which all 75 lots in the draw sold out immediately.
Interested homebuyers can also purchase and build on the remaining 44 lots in Oxford with four Built Green-certified homebuilders, chosen to partner with the city.
Single family, duplex and secondary suite lots will be available in Oxford and range from $153,000 $262,000.
There will be an information session on the Oxford neighbourhood on Nov 19.
Click here for more information on the Oxford public information session.
