In our community we did not…

In our community we did not opt to place all of our recognized heritage properties onto the municipal registry in one blanket motion, rather over the years one by one we evaluated each property using the provided regulations and guidelines. We have completed roughly 100 out of the possible 850 properties. It will take us many more years to complete.

Those that passed two out of the three sections were nominated for designation under part iv. Those that did not were placed on the municipal registry. Those that did not pass any section were recorded and allowed to be demolished.

A significant fact is that the present homeowners are consulted and their approval is required before the asset can be placed with council’s approval onto the municipal list.

This work needs to continue and some of the proposed changes do not support this orderly effort in the conservation of our heritage assets.

The use of the municipal registry plays an important part in our community. Each properties evaluation gives all, present and future homeowners, municipal staff, and developers the information on the heritage assets located on the property. This allows the treatment of those assets to be preserved.

For example homeowners when updating their home can choose to bring the home closer to its original heritage construction. Which may lead to the property passing the second section making it eligible for consideration for designation.

We have noticed that the developers try their best to preserve those heritage features on a property once they are listed on the municipal registry. Their HIA’s are more direct to those identified assets allowing for better decisions and planning for all.

The key is the identification of the property on the municipal registry along with those listed heritage assets that should be preserved as best as possible.

Removal of the evaluated properties from the municipal registry after five years would destroy this work and eliminate the proper listing of our cultural heritage assets.

I can understand why this is proposed if just a blanket or properties without proper evaluation is being done. These properties, in my opinion, if not properly evaluated should be removed immediately from the municipal registry.

But if applied as it is proposed, hurts and destroys the work of these heritage committees that have formed evaluation sub committees to work the municipal registry as it was intended to be used when the proposal was established years ago.

There are a number of heritage committees in the province that operate in this manner and do not use the municipal registry as a weapon against development but rather the way it was intended to be used when introduced many years ago.

Best regards

My opinion from serving on heritage committees since the early days of LACAC