A local developer here in New Brunswick is setting the bar for New Brunswick, and likely Canada in terms of establishing a unique and community based approach to developing a sustainable living area. He has founded One Tree Orchard, in Island View (a short drive outside the city of Fredericton), that is billed as a development whereby a whopping fifty percent of buildable land area will be preserved as wildlife habitat and public recreational areas.
Most of us have only witnessed developments where the ‘profit’ component ranks near the top of all required considerations. Unfortunately, protection of the natural environment is usually one of those least considered – which begs the question – “Is it likely that developers can turn a profit from developing greener, more sustainable living spaces?” Well it seems that Alex Good is going to be the one to ask!
However, on top of having the vision and engaging experts to assist in the procreation of his vision Alex is also engaging the local community. In June, he hosted a public information meeting for all those interested in hearing more about the proposed development and was ably assisted by Daniel Savard, senior planner, for the Sustainable Planning Branch with the New Brunswick Department of Environment. Two more planning sessions are imminent and the public is expected to attend in spades.
With public and expert planning and design in motion, Alex’s 360-acre ‘Ecovillage’ will be a development where roads are the last phase to be considered, rather than the first. In his initial phase, Alex designated the protected areas (200 acres so far), protecting eagle’s nests and butternut trees. The next stage will determine the placement of the mix of both high and low density housing along with more green spaces and parks being woven into the design.
A key component of Alex’s dream is the incorporation of homes that suit all age types. He definitely wants a community where older parents can be close to their children and grandchildren. Hence, he is encouraging the design and construction of homes that will suit people’s needs over the long term rather than the shorter term and homes that have been built using local materials.
One Tree Orchard will also envelop child and aged care facilities, shared agricultural areas, community meeting and recreational spaces, and space for the establishment of places of worship. He realizes that this will significantly reduce the need for vehicle use, whilst concurrently strengthening the autonomy of his community.
Conservation design is a fairly popular concept in the United States but is still in its infancy here. Researchers in Delaware have shown that the cost per lot for a conservatively designed subdivision (inclusive of stormwater management) for a 142-lot subdivision is approximately $6,259. Compare this with $17,325 per lot for your conventional lot, and you may well be a long way to answering the question I posed at the beginning of the article “Is it likely that developers can turn a profit from developing greener, more sustainable living spaces?”
There’s no doubt that Alex will encounter many obstacles whilst on his journey of creating and building not only his dream but likely the dream of many others in the Fredericton community. There are very few Canadian examples for him to follow and the Government of New Brunswick will definitely have to be flexible in adapting local by-laws to assist the implementation of the project. Furthermore, all those participating-from the developers to the purchasers to the builders and bankers-must be willing to be one hundred percent committed to this learning experience so innovatively provided by One Tree Orchard. Without support from across the spectrum, Alex’s task will be made only more difficult.
So it is with pleasure that I look forward to being able to update you on a man with a dream for the future of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Canada at high in his heart. It is in our interest to explore the possibilities of environmentally-friendly real estate. Congratulations to Alex for being one of the first in our area to make this effort.
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