Queen's Park Residents' Association (QPRA) Editorial

The proposed Heritage Conservation Area - benefits  

• Keep existing streetscapes and green spaces.
• Sensible design guidelines for new construction and renovations – emphasis on sensible (e.g.: living in an HCA doesn’t mean you need a permit to do something like paint your house in the colour you want)
• Increased property values

What makes the Queen’s Park neighbourhood such a desirable place to live?
Lovely older homes, from large and impressive to quaint and affordable, are highly desirable for many people. We have charming tree-lined streets and a sense of community. It is a very livable, special place. Queen’s Park has the largest and most varied stock of intact older homes built before 1940 in Western Canada.

What can we do to save our built heritage?
After one of our most beautiful homes was demolished in 2013 — the 1926 Edward A. Riddell Cottage at 221 Third Avenue — the City of New Westminster responded to public outrage by appointing a group of local residents, business representatives and heritage stakeholders to discuss ways to increase neighbourhood protection. After almost three years of study and public consultation, the Queen’s Park Heritage Working Group, in consultation with the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association (QPRA) and the New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society (NWHPS), has now come forward with a recommendation that a Heritage Conservation Area (HCA) is the only way to prevent further loss of what’s left of our precious inventory of older homes.
Over 75 per cent of residents at a recent QPRA meeting supported a HCA and 99 per cent supported design guidelines for new construction/renovations.  City Council will be considering this request in June.

Will my property values be affected by this designation?
No! Local community groups would NOT support a process that would devalue property values or impose excessive restrictions. In a HCA, the rights that existed within Queen’s Park’s current RS-1 zoning will remain with an emphasis on retaining, maintaining and protecting our all-important streetscapes and green spaces. There are hundreds of conservation areas in Canada, many more in the U.S. and thousands worldwide. In B.C., there are approximately 60 conservation areas from Victoria to Kelowna; from West Vancouver to Port Moody. With such an incredible inventory of older homes of all eras from the 1880s up to the 1950s, it only makes sense Queen’s Park is saved from any further destruction of our architectural gems. Many studies have shown houses in conservation areas (called districts in Ontario) actually retain their values. In a 2010 report on the effect of heritage conversation on residential house prices in Toronto, Urban Planner Murray White addressed fears about property values in a conservation district:
“The key findings of this paper are also important to residents of Heritage Conservation Districts and those considering moving into a Heritage Conservation District. This is because it allays any fears that they have with regards to property values. This study has shown that purchasing a house in a HCD will likely be more profitable than purchasing in non-heritage areas over time.

Are there any other options outside of a HCA?
No. Conservation Areas, which are municipal bylaws, are the only legal option available to municipalities to stop demolitions. Vancouver has recently created one to save its Shaughnessy district from further destruction. Once in place, property owners will still have the right to request a demolition permit or make exterior renovations with a Heritage Alteration Permit. In many cases, city council will make the final decision. It’s important to remember that we have a mostly intact heritage streetscape worthy of protection because for many years developers ignored New Westminster. Now, we have been “discovered” — but at what cost?

How can I get involved?
Come share your ideas at the final Open House hosted by the City on Saturday, March 11 1 to 4 p.m.in the City Hall foyer. The City of Port Moody, recognizing the benefits of heritage preservation, recently stated, “When a community places value and retains symbols from its past, the result is a more interesting and unique urban environment.”