Calgary Heritage Strategy to LPT Jan 23

Moderator: newsposter

Calgary Heritage Strategy to LPT Jan 23

Postby newsposter » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:03 am

The new Proposed Calgary Heritage Strategy is going to the Standing Policy Committee on Land Use, Planning and Transportation (SPC-LPT) on January 23 2008 at 9:30 am It is the first item on the agenda. This is a public hearing in the Engineering Traditions Room in the lower level of old City Hall. See below for more.
Last edited by newsposter on Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:14 am, edited 3 times in total.
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am

Postby newsposter » Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:35 am

The Calgary Heritage Strategy is downloadable pdf at this link:
www.calgary.ca/heritage

Here is a link to the LPT committee agenda for December 12, which includes the Proposed Calgary Heritage Strategy and related documents:

http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/l ... n=download
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am

Postby newsposter » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:00 pm

December 10, 2007

To: The Standing Policy Committee on Land Use and Transportation
CC: Darryl Cariou, Senior Heritage Planner

The Calgary Heritage Initiative Society (CHI) appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the development of the proposed Calgary Heritage Strategy. Our historic sites, streets and neighbourhoods add to Calgary’s character and help us to better enjoy our City. We support the Strategy as a launching pad for further action on heritage preservation.

The Strategy is structured around the steps of “Identify, Protect, and Manage.” These steps can be visualized as planks on a rope bridge. The important work for heritage advocates is to ensure that heritage resources make it safely to each step without falling through gaps. It is around these gaps that heritage advocacy, and success or failure, often happens. The Calgary Heritage Strategy points to some new tools and practices to help fill these gaps. The success of the Strategy will
depend on how aggressively and successfully these are pursued.

We have some comments on the Strategy, and a few recommendations.

Identify

It was recently discovered that the childhood home of the designer of the Canadian flag remains standing in good condition in the heart of the Beltline. George Stanley was an eminent historian, educator, and public figure (Lt. Gov. of New Brunswick). The “Stanley House” at 1111 7th Street SW, is presently occupied by the Laurier Lounge. The building is not designated, nor is it on the heritage Inventory. Unidentified, it has survived through happenstance, was discovered by a University of Calgary professor, and has been researched and popularized primarily through the work of Calgary Heritage Initiative with the help of the Canadian Club of Calgary and the Historical Society of Alberta (for more, go to www.calgaryheritage.org).

The Inventory of Potential Heritage Sites is not complete. Buildings are being added all the time that have thus far been spared an anonymous bulldozing only through good fortune. How many worthy unidentified heritage buildings have been lost is not known. It is important to acquire the resources, human and financial, to identify heritage resources. A key mandate of the Calgary Heritage Initiative Society is to identify and research historic buildings, and present them to the Calgary Heritage Authority (CHA) for inclusion on the Inventory. We have also started to work with community associations in this process. The Heritage Strategy, and the new heritage evaluation system which is forthcoming, encourages this kind of collaboration, which adds volunteer and community resources to identification efforts. This is a way to make the heritage Inventory more comprehensive and more deeply rooted in the community.

Protect and Manage

As the Strategy says, once resources are on the Inventory, every effort should be made to move them to protected status through designation. But there has always been a big gap between identification and protection (Penny Lane, the Mount Royal Block and St. Mary’s Girls School for example), between identification of individual buildings and the ientification of historic streetscapes and neighbourhoods, and a gap between the collection of heritage information related to the Inventory and the ease of access to that information by the public.

The Calgary Heritage Strategy proposes a number of things to help to fill these gaps, including an expanded list of incentives and policies to encourage owners to designate heritage resources, an improved Permit Review process, the exploration of tools for protecting historic areas, and better website information on the heritage Inventory, including on MyProperty. There are other useful directions as well, including exploration of demolition disincentives and changes to provincial
laws related to heritage, among other things. We strongly support these moves. CHI believes that the combination of better preservation tools and better public information, as is recommended by the Strategy, can help to generate more “protective activity” by the City and the community at large around heritage resources, including the many identified (inventoried) heritage resources that are not yet designated (protected). We look forward to the development and implementation of the specifics that will help fill the gaps as the Strategy unfolds.

Additional Recommendations

The Calgary Heritage Initiative does have a few recommendations which we did not see specifically addressed in the Strategy, which we would like to be considered moving forward:

- Include heritage identification in community planning. When a community plan is created or revised (an ARP, TOD study, etc.), the affected area should be surveyed to identify historic resources that can be added to the heritage inventory. Planning exercises sometimes note buildings that are already on the Inventory, but they rarely seek out
unidentified heritage resources. Some older ARPs identify un-inventoried potential historic sites in their background information sections, but this has not been the recent practice. Identification is particularly important when changes would increase development pressures. The work of identification can be done in collaboration with affected communities but the City should take the initiative of including this in the planning process.

The City of Calgary recently sold unused density from the Number One Fire Hall to the Bow project. Funds from the sale of unused density from city-owned heritage properties, and from the sale of properties themselves (once designated/protected), and other such resources should be directed to protective heritage investments or programs. We recommend that the City:

- Investigate the establishment of a revolving fund, (heritage “catch and release”) where the City or the CHA acquires heritage properties, designates them, and resells them to the private sector, (and sells the unused density as well, where applicable). Once kick-started the funding of this could be self-sustaining.

- Develop a program to support preservation of historic homes. In communities across Calgary historic houses, often of high quality, but usually not on the Inventory, are being lost in great numbers. Most current heritage programs and incentives are suited for commercial and public buildings. There needs to be some incentives and support for
preservation of historic houses and neighbourhoods as well.

Another gap in protection can be filled by the regulation of practices that are damaging to heritage structures. For example, we recommend that the City:

- Investigate a bylaw to better regulate abrasive blasting practices in order to protect historic buildings. Some buildings have their heritage value literally eroded because of abrasive blasting (commonly known as sandblasting). Blasting is often well-intentioned, but it can damage brick and sandstone depending on the abrasive being used, and there
are alternatives. Abrasive-blasted buildings may be reduced in value and longevity, can be more difficult to preserve, and in time are more likely to end up in the landfill.

Heritage preservation is about the future of Calgary. Preserved, productive, and celebrated, heritage sites help us to tell Calgary’s story to our children, to our many newcomers, to visitors to our City, and to the world.

We want to thank the Senior Heritage Planner for consulting with the Calgary Heritage Initiative, and we also want to thank City Council for directing that a strategy be developed. We look forward to the Heritage Strategy’s approval, and to getting on with its work.

Regards,

Chris Edwards
Gary Ellis
D’Arcy McGee
Bob van Wegen

Members of the Board of Directors,
Calgary Heritage Initiative Society

info@calgaryheritage.org
www.calgaryheritage.org
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am

Postby newsposter » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:31 pm

Due to a very long day at LPT, with the debate over the planning department's 2008 workplan, the Heritage Strategy was referred to the next meeting of LPT in on January 23 2008.
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am

Postby newsposter » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:12 am

The Calgary Heritage Strategy is the first item on the agenda for the LPT committee on Wednesday January 23, starting at 9:30 a.m. It is a public hearing. Link to the agenda below. CHI is very supportive of the strategy. Our comments are posted above ^.

http://publicaccess.calgary.ca/lldm01/l ... n=download

Later on the agenda is a proposal to designate (permanently protect) the Hillier Block, St. Louis Hotel and Simmons factory in East Village as municipal historic sites. There is more on East Village elsewhere on this website.
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am

Postby newsposter » Wed Jan 23, 2008 5:29 pm

The Calgary Heritage Strategy passed at LPT today. Supporters on hand at the meeting included Calgary Heritage Initiative (thanks Tony Smith), Calgary Heritage Authority, Parkdale Community Association, Cliff-Bungalow/Mission Community Association, Lougheed Building owner Neil Richardson of Landmark Properties Corp. and more...

Congratulations to the City Heritage Staff!

From the minutes of the meeting:


LPT2007-64 CALGARY HERITAGE STRATEGY – NON-STATUTORY

SUMMARY/ISSUE

Adoption of the Calgary Heritage Strategy.

ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATIONS

That the SPC on Land Use, Planning and Transportation recommends that Council:
1. Adopt, by resolution, the Calgary Heritage Strategy (Attachment 1);
2. Direct Administration to use Action Item Priorities (Attachment 2) as an input into the preparation of the 2009-2011 Departmental Business Plans and Budgets; and
Direct Administration to bring forward a report recommending Council issue Notices of Intention to designate appropriate City-owned properties as Municipal Historic Resources in accordance with the Alberta Historical Resources Act.

SPEAKERS

1. Gerry Meek

DISTRIBUTION

At the request of Gerry Meek and with concurrence of the Chair, the City Clerk distributed copies of letters of support for the Proposed Calgary Heritage Strategy.

2. Oscar Fech
3. Neil Richardson
4. Tony Smith
5. Donna Zwicker
6. Rick Williams


Moved by Alderman Mar,

That the Administration Recommendations contained in Report LPT2007-64 be approved.

General Manager,
Planning, Development & Assessment

Report to 2008 February 04 Combined Meeting of Council


CARRIED
newsposter
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:13 am


Return to News

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 44 guests