Heritage By-Law

At the Sept. 7. regular meeting of Council a notice of motion was tabled which will see the Heritage By-Law submitted for final approval on September 13, 2021.

Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations were given final approval today, Sept. 7 and are now being forwarded to the Provincial Government. Once registered by the Province and gazetted, Envision St. John’s will come into legal effect.

The Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan is Council’s policy document for present and future land use and development and Development Regulations set out standards which implement Council’s land-use policies. These documents are enabled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Urban and Rural Planning Act, 2000.

Envision continues the City’s policies on heritage and its ongoing protection and future use. Many of the standards and regulations in the St. John’s Development Regulations are being transferred to the new St. John’s Heritage By-Law, and feedback gathered through recent public engagement has been incorporated in the document.

During April and May, members of the public were invited to submit feedback on the heritage by-law through a variety of mechanisms, including:

• virtual and in-person public meetings, including a specific meeting for residents of the Battery and a meeting with representatives from some churches in the heritage areas
• presentation to the City’s Built Heritage Experts' Panel
• an online discussion forum at engagestjohns.ca
• email and written submissions

Some sections in the Heritage By-Law have raised concerns with the public and Council will reflect on these, including:

• How Council could apply its discretion in terms of heritage protection and preservation

• The boundaries of the new Heritage Area 4 (Battery neighbourhood)

• Considerations prior to demolition

• The intended use of heritage reports and public consultation on development in heritage areas

• Exemptions from heritage standards and the design of tall buildings

• The terms of reference for the City’s Built Heritage Experts Panel

Read the full “What We Heard” in the documents library.

At the August 25 meeting of the Committee of the Whole, Council will consider the feedback received and make any necessary adjustments prior to the approval of the Heritage By-Law. The intention is to coordinate approval of the new By-Law with the Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations to avoid any gap in heritage protection.

Application
Residents and property owners in the Battery neighbourhood are invited to a public meeting to talk about the planning and heritage policies and regulations proposed for the neighbourhood.

Description
The Battery is part of Heritage Area 3, which covers much of the old city. Under a new Heritage By-Law, we propose a Heritage Area 4 just for the Battery, to better reflect the way the Battery has houses on small lots, often simple in style, and in a prominent position along the flanks of Signal Hill overlooking the harbour. As well, the new Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations, 2021 propose maximum lot area and height limits in the zoning, but also recognize the legal problems involved with trying to protect private views rather than public views.

Our meeting is to discuss these matters and is aimed at residents and property owners. We hope to have a good discussion.

Time & Date
Registration required.
Virtual Session 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 27, 2021. To register, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5R35KCM

Comments
Provide your comments to the Office of the City Clerk including your name and address to cityclerk@stjohns.ca or P.O. Box 908, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M2.

Comments received become a matter of public record and are included in the Council agenda for the date a decision on the application will be made. Any identifying information (including your name) will be removed prior to your comment being released publicly. If you are writing on behalf of a group, organization, business, etc. and wish to remain anonymous, you must indicate as such with your submission.

Collection of personal information is authorized under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 and is needed to consider your comments on this application. Questions about the collection and use of your information may be directed to the City Clerk at 709-576-8202 or cityclerk@stjohns.ca.

Additional Information
Notices are sent to property owners within 150 metres of the application site. For more information call 709-576-6192, email planning@stjohns.ca. or visit the City’s website (www.stjohns.ca) under “Public Notices”.

The Newfoundland & Labrador Public Libraries have Wi-Fi available in the parking lot of each library location if a resident has their own device: Arts & Culture Centre (125 Allandale Road, St. John's), Marjorie Mews Library (12 Highland Dr, St. John's), and Michael Donovan Library (655 Topsail Rd, St. John's).