City council approves use of new heritage tool to protect homes

April 16, 2024 Canuck

City council recently approved the rezoning of a row of seven heritage houses in the southwest community of Bankview.

The new zoning, called Direct Control Heritage Areas, will help preserve the historic character of the section of 25th Avenue S.W.

The city worked with the property owners on the redesignation. It ensures that if changes are made to the houses in the future, certain elements of the buildings must either be preserved or be included in any new development on the property.

The CEO of Heritage Calgary, Josh Traptow, said that through the zoning change, the city can ensure the historic look and feel of the street is maintained, even if the properties do change over time.

He said the zoning is only applicable in areas of the city where heritage assets make up more than 50 per cent of a street block. In this case, the seven houses constitute the entire block.

They all date back to the 1912-13 period. Three of the houses are on the city’s heritage inventory and it’s believed the other four may soon join that list.

None of the seven houses are currently designated as municipal heritage resources, so the new zoning cannot prevent them from being demolished.

A portrait of a man in a suit, wearing glasses. — CEO of Heritage Calgary, Josh Traptow, said the row of houses are a good first use of the new heritage tool. (Scott Dippel/CBC)

However, Traptow said key elements of the houses must now be maintained, or if the buildings are torn down, duplicated.

“What they can’t change is they can’t add a third story. The roofline and the first floor is now regulated in terms of height, and the length of the porch is now regulated in terms of length. And so is the setback [from the street],” he said.

The design of their windows and doors must also bear the same resemblance going forward.

Unlike obtaining a municipal or provincial heritage designation, property owners are not eligible for any grants under the new zoning. So why would an owner want this change?

“It really is just [that] they value the look and feel of their block enough to enter into a direct control,” said Traptow.

The tool has been used in Vancouver with some success in preserving elements of historic areas, Traptow added. He said that 25th Avenue S.W. is an excellent first use-case in Calgary.

“You get the whole block, which is pretty rare.

“There’s not a lot of blocks that have 100 per cent coverage in terms of heritage assets still there.”

The area’s city councillor, Courtney Walcott, said the key in this situation is that all of the homeowners were on board.

“If any of those property owners declined, we wouldn’t have gotten this far because we were putting so many restrictions on their homes for what can be developed. Luckily, they all saw the value in their property and they all agreed.”

Under the new zoning, Walcott said homeowners can apply for a change of use or add secondary and backyard suites. They can also demolish and build a new house or duplex, but would have to meet the heritage specifications similar to the existing structures.

It’s not believed any other applications for rezoning under Direct Control Heritage Areas are currently being processed.

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