Heritage Conservation Districts

Over 70 Heritage Conservation Districts with 17,000 properties exist in the Province of Ontario. The purpose of a district is to preserve the character of the area and to recognize its architectural, historical, cultural and contextual significance.

Benefits and Myths of Heritage Conservation Districts

Myth: Home owners will be saddled with an onerous bureaucratic process when applying for requests for alterations.

Heritage Oshawa has recommended to Staff and Council that the permit process be streamlined, flexible and as non-restrictive as allowed under the Ontario Heritage Act. The need for a heritage alteration permit would be limited to actions that would compromise the historical integrity of an area.

Myth: Homeowners will have to restore their home to the original appearance.

This is not the intent of a Heritage Conservation District nor are there any mechanisms in the Heritage Act to enforce this. Heritage Oshawa can help source modern materials that replicate the historical appearance of your home, if desired.

Myth: Property values will be affected.

A report was commissioned to address this issue and the findings were that heritage designation does not affect property values. Robert Shipley of the University of Waterloo published Heritage Designation & Property Values: Is there an effect? in 2000. An abstract of the study follows:

"This paper describes research that was designed to examine the assertion that historic designation of properties, under the heritage legislation in Canada's largest province, has a negative impact on the values of those properties. The actual selling price of subject properties was used to establish their value history trends, which were then compared to ambient market trends within the same communities. Almost 3,000 properties in 24 communities were investigated, in what is believed to be the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in North America. It was found that heritage designation could not be shown to have a negative impact. In fact there appears to be a distinct and generally robust market in designated heritage properties. They generally perform well in the market with 74% doing average or better than average. The rate of sale among designated properties is as good or better than the ambient market trends and the values of heritage properties tend to be resistant to down-turns in the general market."

Myth: It will be difficult to sell a home in a Heritage Conservation District.

Heritage Oshawa is willing to work with Real Estate agents by relaying the facts regarding a Heritage Conservation District. Also purchasers may be attracted to an area whose character is guaranteed to remain the same.

Myth: Insurance will skyrocket.

Insurance on any older home could be costlier because of higher replacement costs. The insurance industry indicates that the issuance of homeowners insurance is not based on the age of the building but rather on the condition and upkeep of the building. Items that insurance companies specifically check on older buildings include: the type of pluming (copper or galvanized); the age of oil storage tanks for heating; the type of electrical system for the size of the building (60 or 100 amp service); the type of wiring in use (aluminum or knob and tube); and the age and condition of the roof. The insurance industry recommends that homeowners shop around for home insurance because some companies will not insure older homes since they don’t have the expertise to properly assess the risks involved. For a free quote on affordable and appropriate coverage we invite you to contact: Danny Sgro, Canadian Heritage Insurance Program, 416-420-7746 or dannys@jdimi.com.

Myth: Homeowners will be forced to provide public access to their homes.

Neither the Heritage District Study nor the District Plan will require access to the interior of homes. Although the Heritage Act allows municipalities the option of inspection of the exterior of a building it would only be considered if a complaint was received regarding a blatant breach of the By-Law.

Myth: There will be restrictions placed on the use of my property.

Only zoning by-laws can restrict the use of your property. Adaptive reuse of a heritage home, while retaining its historical character, is supported by the heritage community.

Benefit: Heritage Conservation Districts mean recognition of your property as an important heritage resource. Designation helps to conserve irreplaceable resources, protects our most visible cultural assets and strengthens our community's identity and distinctiveness.

Benefit: The character of the neighbourhood will be retained. Demolitions and inappropriate in-fills will not be allowed, nor will unsympathetic alterations. The distinct historical atmosphere of the area will remain.

Benefit: There may be future grant and loan programs available to owners of designated heritage properties. Heritage Oshawa will update owners of any applicable grant or loan program as they become available.

Benefit: Heritage Oshawa has requested a staff report on the Heritage Tax Rebate that allows municipalities to grant owners of designated buildings a tax rebate.

Benefit: Heritage Oshawa has requested staff to prepare a report on a façade loan program to include designated properties.

In summary the benefits mean provincial recognition, the retention of the character of the neighbourhood and possible financial incentives.