Two proposed Vancouver bylaws could help save some of the city's most cherished heritage homes.
One proposal would require a minimum of 75 per cent of demolition waste from homes built before 1940 be reused or recycled, Global News reports. It would also require 90 per cent of demolition waste from character homes to be recycled.
The other would put a temporary moratorium on the demolition of the First Shaughnessy district's character homes, according to The Vancouver Sun. Both reports are headed for city council next week, the newspaper reports.
Only about 40 per cent of demolished home waste is reused or recycled, CBC News says, compared with about 85 per cent from commercial buildings.
The environmental impact of teardowns is also an issue.
A column in The Tyee references a city report that 55 per cent of waste from demolition, land-clearing and construction that ends up in two Metro Vancouver landfills comes from homes.
Saving heritage home has become a hot topic in Vancouver. Two weeks ago, a group gathered in front of the Legg Residence, built in 1899, to protest its demolition.
But not all news is bad; one of the city's beloved "hobbit" houses was officially saved with the approval of a rezoning application that includes preserving the structure.
Elizabeth Murphy of Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver previously told CBC News that three or four of the city's old homes are being torn down every day.
Like Us On Facebook
Follow Us On Twitter