BANFF – A draft action plan to encourage homeowners to save treasured heritage homes is calling for policy changes, land use bylaw amendments and financial incentives.
The plan, complete with about 30 tools and tactics to encourage heritage conservation over the next five to 10 years, was presented to the governance and finance committee on Monday (Oct. 23). The amended plan will go to council for final approval.
“The intent of the heritage resource plan is to prevent future demolitions of heritage resources and instead build on positive conservation practices,” said Anne Ewan, chair of Banff Heritage Corporation.
“Through the heritage action plan, we aim to provide incentives for property owners to make their choice with the hope that their preference will be to retain heritage buildings."
While there have been some heritage success stories such as restoration of the Old Crag Cabin as part of the Bison Courtyard development, and restoration of the Crandell-Peck Cabin, seven properties on the municipality’s heritage inventory have been demolished since 2016.
They include the Kidney House, built around 1910 and moved from the former coal mining town of Bankhead, and the McKay Residence built in the 1880s or 1890s – both on Muskrat Street.
Others to face the wrecking ball were the Hindes Cabin, Barrie Boarding House, Webb Residence, McLeod Home and Margaret Greenham Residence.
Kathleen Gallagher, development planner for the Town of Banff, said more demolitions are expected.
“Administration is aware through pre-development permit application conversations that other buildings on the municipal heritage inventory are being considered for demolition, though an application for demolition is yet to be received,” she said.
The only existing financial incentives for heritage building owners to conserve their properties is a grant in aid of municipal taxes or a matching restoration grant – and only available if the property is municipally designated legally.
Gallagher said only 15 of the 178 properties listed on the Town of Banff’s heritage inventory have gone through the municipal designation process to be legally protected.
She said developers that retain heritage resources have said the requirements, costs, process and desired outcomes are uncertain and challenging, leading to questions on whether conserving heritage is worth it and whether they would do it again.
“Heritage conservation is a public benefit where the advantages accrue to society as a whole, however, the costs are typically born nearly entirely by a private property owner,” she said.
One of the key recommendations includes transfer tools, which would allow unrealized development potential and or/land use bylaw requirements to be transferred to a different site, to allow ease and flexibility of development potential on the heritage site.
There is also a call for land use bylaw amendments by district or town-wide to increase flexibility for development of heritage sites. There are existing constraints in the bylaw such as required setbacks, limits on density, and limits to height.
Another option was to have the Town of Banff or Banff Heritage Corporation consider buying heritage properties; however, Coun. Barb Pelham was successful in her quest to remove that tactic from the plan in a 3-2 vote.
“I guess my concern on this is using taxpayer dollars. We have a reserve of roughly $150,000 or $160,000 to be used to purchase heritage properties and I am conflicted” she said.
“I don’t know that this is our role in terms of utilizing tax dollars.”
There are several recommendations related to heritage and bed and breakfast homes, however, the Town of Banff is currently in the process of reviewing regulations governing B&B homes. A moratorium is also in place on new licences until such time the review is wrapped up.
Other recommendations in the plan include down payment assistance to support those who wish to purchase and conserve heritage, as well as to allow more flexibility for the use of the heritage grants, which are currently earmarked for regulated character defining elements.
Another suggestion is to move to a tiered approach for municipal heritage designation instead of the all-or-nothing approach, or limited term legal agreements in exchange for incentives for repairs and maintenance,
Adjustment of the approving authority from Municipal Planning Commission to the development officer on heritage development to allow for an expedited process is also under consideration, as is expansion of the list of permitted uses for heritage properties in certain districts.
