Text Amendment - Heritage Use Definition and Conditions

Council is considering amending the St. John's Development Regulations to clarify the definition of a Heritage Use and add conditions for building extensions to designated Heritage Buildings.

Proposed Changes

1. From the Envision St. John’s Development Regulations, Heritage Use is defined as the use of a designated Heritage Building which is, in Council’s opinion, compatible with the adjoining uses. In practice, the City has allowed an approved Heritage Use to also exist in any extension to the original Heritage Building. For example, if a Heritage Building is used as a restaurant, the restaurant would also be permitted in an extension to the Heritage Building. Council is proposing to amend the definition of Heritage Use to clearly include extension in the use by adding the following in bold:

Section 2 Definitions - Heritage Use means any Use of a designated heritage building or extension thereof which is, in Council’s opinion, compatible with the adjoining uses.

2. Heritage Use is a discretionary use in most zones, and generally the standards (such as setbacks, building height, and so on) are in the discretion of Council. Concerns have been raised that there is no guidance on an appropriate size of a building extension and that an extension could be large enough that it overshadows the original Heritage Building. Council is proposing to add the following to Section 6 Specific Developments:

Heritage Use

(1) (a) A horizontal extension to a Building containing a Heritage Use on a façade facing a Street shall not exceed 75% of the width of that Building facade; and

(b) A vertical extension to a Building containing a Heritage Use shall step back from the original Building. The distance of the stepback shall be in the discretion of Council.

(2) Applications for an extension to a Building containing a Heritage Use shall require public consultation in accordance with Section 4.8.

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