A heritage conservation district is not meant to “stop change” or “freeze an area in time,” but instead to manage that change and ensure the “special unique character” of the area is retained.
That was the message Kayla Jones Galvin and Amy Barnes of consultant Archaeological Research Associates (ARA) presented alongside town planning staff during a public open house about the proposed plan for Bond Head’s heritage conservation district (HCD), held at the Bond Head Memorial Community Centre on Jan. 30.
Local resident and owner of one of the heritage properties, Sarah Lough, said she felt some relief following the meeting, especially because even if a home within the district falls under the restrictions of the plan, it's only specific elements of each particular home that are listed as heritage attributes and require special attention.
“That’s the important thing for everyone to know,” she said.
Those specific elements can vary from one home to the next, and as a result, even if your neighbour needs to follow certain guidelines to replace their shutters, you might not, and even if you are required to follow those guidelines, “they’re much more flexible” than Lough anticipated.
That was echoed by heritage committee chair and Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik, who explained the committee wanted to avoid making things overly restrictive or prevent people from performing basic maintenance to their own homes.
“We’re accomplishing something to preserve the heritage of our town, but we’re also trying to respect the rights of the homeowners,” he said.
While he was hoping for an even bigger turnout, Verkaik called it “great” to see about 25 people attend the meeting and said the feedback they received was “pretty positive.”
According to the current version of the plan and under Ontario’s Heritage Act, an HCD is a geographical zone in which the heritage character of the area is protected under bylaw, with a primary focus on the streetscape and the elements of buildings, landscapes and open spaces visible from the public space.
For Bond Head, the district radiates outward from the main intersection of County Road 27 with County Road 88/Line 7 and is set to include 75 properties fronting those roads.
The plan does not consider the interiors of buildings, and even when it comes to exterior elements, there are three categories:
- Exempt — minor repairs and routine maintenance don’t need any sort of special permissions
- Minor — small changes, (like widening a driveway, building a shed or even adding a veranda) should follow guidelines set out in the plan, and may need a permit if it impacts the character from the street, to be determined by staff on a case-by-case basis
- Major — significant construction or demolition projects would require permits and could also need heritage impact assessments
In her experience, Jones Galvin said almost all minor requests submitted get approved because people follow the guidelines in the plan.
As an example, the plan doesn’t prevent homeowners within the district from upgrading windows, even if they are listed as a heritage attribute, but does provide examples of how new installations can blend in with historic features.
Beyond doors, windows and exterior walls, the plan also includes guidelines for foundations, porches, verandas, balconies, additions, roofs, parapets, chimneys, storefronts and entrances, signage, lighting, awnings and more.
Those guidelines are intended to maintain the district’s most unique and attractive features without being overly restrictive or cumbersome to property owners.
“Based on public feedback that we got, we’ve made them very flexible,” Barnes said.
The plan also provides guidelines for how new construction within the district should be “sympathetic and subordinate” to the existing buildings in terms of their scale, massing, materials and details, but are not required to mimic heritage buildings.
While the plan discourages demolition of heritage properties, it does recognize that sometimes it’s needed. In response to concerns from residents about “demolition by neglect,” when buildings are intentionally left to fall into disrepair to justify tearing them down, staff pointed to the town’s existing property standards bylaw which requires owners to maintain and repair their properties.
While all properties within the boundaries are expected to be considered part of the HCD, there are two different classifications — contributing properties that demonstrate two or more of the key attributes of the distinct character of the district, and supporting properties which do not.
Of the 75 existing properties, 46 are proposed to be classified as contributing, while 29 would be supporting.
In terms of new developments outside but adjacent to the boundary, Barnes explained the plan will include transition requirements for those properties directly abutting the boundary, but will only impact developments approved after the council approves the HCD.
Work has been underway on the HCD since 2017, and in addition to presentations to the committee and council, included public open houses in May 2018 and May 2019 followed by virtual consultations during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in October 2021 and January 2022.
Staff described the current version of the draft plan as a “minor” update to the previous version following review and changes made as a result of updates to the Heritage Act. Those came as part of the provincial government’s Bill 23, which received royal assent in November 2022.
This was intended to be the final public meeting about Bond Head’s HCD, and if all goes well, staff are hoping to present a final draft for council’s approval in April or May.
For more information about the plan, visit the town’s website.