What We Heard: Heritage By-Law
On April 5, 2021, City Council gave approval for a new Heritage By-Law to be reviewed by the public through an engagement process.
During April and May, members of the public were invited to submit feedback through a variety of mechanisms, including:
- virtual and in-person public meetings, including a specific meeting for residents of the Battery and a meeting with representatives from some churches in the heritage areas
- presentation to the City’s Built Heritage Experts Panel
- an online discussion forum at engagestjohns.ca
- email and written submissions
Some sections in the Heritage By-Law have raised concerns with the public and Council will reflect on these, including:
- How Council could apply its discretion in terms of heritage protection and preservation
- The boundaries of the new Heritage Area 4 (Battery neighbourhood)
- Considerations prior to demolition
- The intended use of heritage reports and public consultation on development in heritage areas
- Exemptions from heritage standards, and the design of tall buildings
- The terms of reference for the City’s Built Heritage Experts Panel
To read the full “What We Heard” document, EngageStJohns.ca/Heritage-Bylaw.
At the August 25 meeting of the Committee of the Whole, Council will consider the feedback received and make any necessary adjustments prior to the approval of the Heritage By-Law. The intention is to coordinate approval of the new By-Law with the Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations to avoid any gap in heritage protection.
The City’s first Heritage By-Law was repealed in the 1990s as most of its provisions were incorporated into the City’s Development Regulations. However, during the Envision St. John’s review 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.