Public Invited to Engage on Heritage By-Law
Thursday, April 08, 2021 - 6:45 AM
On April 5, 2021, City Council gave final approval for a new Heritage By-Law to be reviewed by the City’s Built Heritage Experts Panel and the public through an engagement process.
Members of the public are invited to participate in one of two scheduled virtual public meetings:
- Wednesday, April 28: 7 - 9:00 p.m.
- Thursday, April 29: 1 - 2:00 p.m.
To register, click here. The City will also accept feedback though engage@stjohns.ca or by calling 311.
To read the draft by-law and to participate in the online forum, visit engagestjohns.ca/heritage-bylaw.
The engagement page also features information about what is new in the by-law, including:
- standards for designated Heritage Buildings;
- a new Heritage Area with design standards unique to the Battery; and
- a new requirement for a Heritage Report, which addresses the anticipated impacts that proposed work may have on the heritage value of a building, neighbourhood or streetscape.
Following public consultation, feedback will be brought back to Council for consideration. The approval of the Heritage By-Law will be coordinated with approval of the Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations to avoid any gap in heritage regulations.
The City’s first Heritage By-Law was repealed in the 1990s as most of the heritage provisions were incorporated into the City’s existing development regulations. However, during the Envision St. John’s review of the municipal plan and development regulations, staff recognized that a Heritage By-Law would provide better protection of built heritage; a by-law derives its authority from the City of St. John’s Act, which has specific provisions for built heritage, whereas the Urban and Rural Planning Act is silent on built heritage.