Career Services

Homebuilder awarded
BRENDAN WEDLEY , EXAMINER MUNICIPAL WRITER

Local homebuilder Mason Homes is a finalist for the 2010 Ontario Home Builders' Association Ontario Green Builder of the Year award, the provincial homebuilders association announced on Wednesday.

Mason Homes has already won the Energy Star for New Homes Builder of the Year award, the Energuide Builder of the Year award, the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association Project of the Year award and the Green Builder of Year award from the Greater Toronto homebuilders association -Building Industry and Land Development Association.
The provincial association lists the Green Builder of the Year award as one of its prestige awards. Minto Group and Reid's Heritage Homes are the other finalists for the award.

Mason Homes is close to finishing the first phase of its 96- unit Avonlea subdivision in the north end of Peterborough, near the Hilliard St. and Franklin Dr. intersection.

Avonlea was a test case for so called "new urbanism" planning characteristics in Peterborough, such as smaller lot widths, homes built closer to the street and rear laneways.

Mason Homes incorporates high-energy efficiency, indoor air quality and water conservation features into its Green for Life homes.

It's in the planning stages for the second phase of Avonlea, which would cover the build out of more than 700 homes between Hilliard St. and Chemong Rd.

The start of construction for the second phase of the subdivision could be stalled until 2012 because city council recently decided not to add a second planning committee meeting before the end of this year, Mason Homes vice president Sean Mason has said.

With a municipal election on Oct. 25, council decided to hold its last planning committee meeting of this council term on Aug. 30.

Mason referred to the situation in Peterborough when he spoke about the honour of being a finalist for an award from the provincial association.

"It's disappointing that it comes at a time when we can't really be building in Peterborough... But it's council's decision," he said.