The Town of Whitby has been working on their "Whitby Green Standards" and opened up public consultation until June 1.

DRHBA and its members have significant concerns with this program, including that the Town is attempting to mandate building above and beyond the Ontario Building Code.  This is a concern to builders and developers across Durham Region, as if this program gains traction in Whitby, other municipalities may follow suit.

In the proposal, the Town of Whitby has created four tiers, each of which has criteria that needs to be met.  Initially, the plan is to make tier one mandatory, and mandate the remaining tiers in the future.  The tiers are separated into two checklists, for subdivisions and site plan approvals.

DRHBA submitted a letter to the Whitby Green Standards committee and a letter to the Mayor and council on May 11, 2020 outlining our concerns with the mandatory criteria.

As of May 29, 2020, DRHBA has not received a response to that letter.

On May 29, 2020, DRHBA submitted a second letter to council and the committee, along with a legal opinion from Leo Longo of Aird & Berlis.

As of the April 29, 2020 stakeholder meeting, Town staff are planning to bring this proposal to council in June for approval.

Members who have questions, concerns or comments about the proposed Whitby Green Standards are encouraged to contact Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com.