Banff is developing a list of prominent unprotected heritage properties. At a council meeting on Monday (Jan.
Banff is developing a list of prominent unprotected heritage properties.
At a council meeting on Monday (Jan. 23), council unanimously supported Councillor Peter Poole's motion to create a list of prominent heritage sites in town which currently do not fall within federal or municipal designation.
There's also direction to administration to let council know in a timely fashion when there are urgent concerns about potential threats to prominent heritage buildings with redevelopment plans.
"There will, from time to time, be pressures on our town's heritage inventory," said Poole, a heritage preservationist. "We ought to be aware of those tensions and help facilitate dialogue when heritage is threatened."
As more redevelopment to create housing continues to occur in Banff, there is a fear there will be an ongoing loss of important heritage properties. There's no new land in Banff so any development is redevelopment and requires knocking down buildings.
The heritage discussion has risen again since Cameriam Properties - owned by New York Rangers' President Glen Sather and local John Dowson - got the go-ahead to build four-plex housing at 606 and 608 Caribou St.
The company plans to demolish the near century-old historic Mountain House, a private school run by Margaret and Henry Greenham between 1922 and 1947. The former Greenham residence was demolished last week.
There's work going on behind the scenes to try to save the school, including looking at potential other sites where the building could be relocated rather than being bulldozed.
Planners have already been looking at re-evaluating the heritage inventory, with a plan to move away from the ranking system to one that looks more at contributing heritage values of the properties.
Presently, there are about 100 properties listed on Banff's heritage inventory.
Councillor Corrie DiManno voiced support for Poole's motion.
"I think it's a worthwhile endeavour," she said.
"My instinct is for a community of our size we've been pretty good in the heritage role, but it would be great to see next steps and what we could potentially be doing better."
Poole, who saved the Old Crag Cabin as part of his Bear Street redevelopment, said Banff has several cultural organizations interested in a heritage dialogue, such as Parks Canada, the Whyte Museum, the Banff Centre, the Eleanor Luxton Historical Foundation, and Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum.
He said there might well be financial resources for heritage site protection available through community foundations such as the Calgary Foundation that need further investigation.
"If we have the conversations in advance of a heritage problem, then there's a big likelihood we can marshal our resources to jointly protect things that we have declared we want to protect," said Poole.
Typically in Alberta, unilateral heritage protection requires compensation to property owners.
Banff, however, has a voluntary program, offering a financial incentive by way of grants in aid of property taxes or a rehabilitation-restoration grant.
In recent years, 13 property owners, mostly residential, have taken advantage of this program to have their properties legally protected and designated a municipal heritage resource.
In early January, council also directed administration to investigate policy options for a comprehensive and integrated heritage protection plan.
"It's a desire to look at other tools that may come into play that we haven't looked at before in terms of heritage preservation," said Randall McKay, Banff's planning and development director.
