New Central Public Works Depot & Fire Station

The Township of Douro-Dummer will conduct a study to assess the technical and financial feasibility of constructing a 2,369 m2 new centralized public works and emergency services building designed to target net-zero energy. The Township, a small rural lower-tier municipality in eastern Peterborough County, is aiming to bring together currently outdated and disconnected infrastructure to improve delivery of municipal services while minimizing environmental impact and maximizing environmental and economic benefits. The project’s primary goal will be to take a triple bottom line approach to achieving net-zero energy through implementation of energy efficiency measures, including optimizing the building envelope and lighting, heating, and ventilation systems. To address net energy demands a combination of renewable and residual energy production will be considered. A secondary focus will be placed on water conservation and stormwater management where the study will explore options to collect, treat and reuse rainwater to minimize groundwater supply needs. The building will be built on a former aggregate extraction site which will provide additional environmental benefits by reducing sprawl and protecting greenspace. Economic and energy modelling and lifecycle cost analysis to assess the financial feasibility of design options will be included. The final study will outline the proposed final design for the building. The proposed initiative is in accordance with existing regional plans and policies, including the 2012 Sustainable Peterborough (GMF 10212) and the 2016 Greater Peterborough Area Climate Change Action Plan (GMF 13072) which together prioritize the adoption of innovative, long term, and financially achievable environmentally sustainable projects. Consultants and the Township will meet on a regular basis, at least once per month, to review and discuss design development progress, and other matters associated with the project. At the end of each design milestone, the consultants and the Township's project committee will present to municipal Council. This project will produce knowledge value by providing an example for other small rural towns who desire to improve and consolidate municipal infrastructure in environmentally sustainable ways. The initiative will also demonstrate how net-zero design and functionality can be applied to larger multi-use buildings, specifically addressing emergency services’ needs that provide unique circumstances for building envelopes as a result of overhead door requirements. Finally, this study will explore biomass residual energy production because of the Township’s sufficient and reliable source of waste wood, a process that could be replicated in other rural communities with similar biomass surpluses. (Project description from original funding application)