Text Amendment - Heritage Use Definition and Conditions

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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.

Review the materials on this page and provide your feedback or ask a question.

Return to Planning St. John's main page.

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.

Review the materials on this page and provide your feedback or ask a question.

Return to Planning St. John's main page.

Questions

Please use this space to ask questions regarding this application and we will provide an answer. All questions will be posted as submitted. Some questions may require coordination with internal departments and additional time may be needed to post a response. 

The Q & A section will remain open while the application is active. 

If you prefer to provide comments or questions using mail or email, please do so to the Office of the City Clerk, including your name and address, e-mail cityclerk@stjohns.ca or write to P.O. Box 908, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M2. Be sure to include the name of the application in your submission. 


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  • Share A few Questions. Here’s a situation: a structure is designated as a heritage building and has been vacant/empty for a long period of time. It was originally a residence in the early 1800s, and that changed to institutional occupancy about 50 years later; it hasn’t been occupied for any purpose for the last 20 years or so. What is the official “Heritage Use/Designation of the building? The land it sits on is currently zoned CO so I’m wondering i) what uses would be permitted in the existing building; ii) if an extension was approved, based on the proposed text amendment, and what uses would be allowed in the extension; iii) what would be the maximum size increase in the existing building footprint that would be allowed; iv) what would be the maximum size increase in the total square footage of the existing building; v) would the height, that’s is, the number of storeys, of the existing building be the limiting height of an approved extension? on Facebook Share A few Questions. Here’s a situation: a structure is designated as a heritage building and has been vacant/empty for a long period of time. It was originally a residence in the early 1800s, and that changed to institutional occupancy about 50 years later; it hasn’t been occupied for any purpose for the last 20 years or so. What is the official “Heritage Use/Designation of the building? The land it sits on is currently zoned CO so I’m wondering i) what uses would be permitted in the existing building; ii) if an extension was approved, based on the proposed text amendment, and what uses would be allowed in the extension; iii) what would be the maximum size increase in the existing building footprint that would be allowed; iv) what would be the maximum size increase in the total square footage of the existing building; v) would the height, that’s is, the number of storeys, of the existing building be the limiting height of an approved extension? on Twitter Share A few Questions. Here’s a situation: a structure is designated as a heritage building and has been vacant/empty for a long period of time. It was originally a residence in the early 1800s, and that changed to institutional occupancy about 50 years later; it hasn’t been occupied for any purpose for the last 20 years or so. What is the official “Heritage Use/Designation of the building? The land it sits on is currently zoned CO so I’m wondering i) what uses would be permitted in the existing building; ii) if an extension was approved, based on the proposed text amendment, and what uses would be allowed in the extension; iii) what would be the maximum size increase in the existing building footprint that would be allowed; iv) what would be the maximum size increase in the total square footage of the existing building; v) would the height, that’s is, the number of storeys, of the existing building be the limiting height of an approved extension? on Linkedin Email A few Questions. Here’s a situation: a structure is designated as a heritage building and has been vacant/empty for a long period of time. It was originally a residence in the early 1800s, and that changed to institutional occupancy about 50 years later; it hasn’t been occupied for any purpose for the last 20 years or so. What is the official “Heritage Use/Designation of the building? The land it sits on is currently zoned CO so I’m wondering i) what uses would be permitted in the existing building; ii) if an extension was approved, based on the proposed text amendment, and what uses would be allowed in the extension; iii) what would be the maximum size increase in the existing building footprint that would be allowed; iv) what would be the maximum size increase in the total square footage of the existing building; v) would the height, that’s is, the number of storeys, of the existing building be the limiting height of an approved extension? link

    A few Questions. Here’s a situation: a structure is designated as a heritage building and has been vacant/empty for a long period of time. It was originally a residence in the early 1800s, and that changed to institutional occupancy about 50 years later; it hasn’t been occupied for any purpose for the last 20 years or so. What is the official “Heritage Use/Designation of the building? The land it sits on is currently zoned CO so I’m wondering i) what uses would be permitted in the existing building; ii) if an extension was approved, based on the proposed text amendment, and what uses would be allowed in the extension; iii) what would be the maximum size increase in the existing building footprint that would be allowed; iv) what would be the maximum size increase in the total square footage of the existing building; v) would the height, that’s is, the number of storeys, of the existing building be the limiting height of an approved extension?

    Juanchequito2nd asked 12 months ago

    Once a structure is municipally designated, it will remain designated as a Heritage Building, unless Council decides to remove the designation. It will remain designated even if it is vacant. If the building is vacant, there are no uses associated with the building. The property owner would need to apply for occupancy as a Heritage Use or any other use within the Zone to occupy the building. 

    Permitted and Discretionary Uses within the CO Zone can be found on page 10-60 of the St. John's Development Regulations. 

    If the building is approved for a Heritage Use, the approved Heritage Use could be permitted within the extension. The maximum size increase would be dependent on the size of the existing building and the maximum building height would be at the discretion of Council. The proposed amendment would not set a maximum square footage for an extension. 

  • Share (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. I would like clarification here. If an extension is vertical why does it need to be stepbacked? For exaple, if a heritage building was rectangular and one story tall and an application was for a vertical extension, for example to add an extra story, or even to increase headroom then the extension must be stepped back. Just looking for clarification. on Facebook Share (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. I would like clarification here. If an extension is vertical why does it need to be stepbacked? For exaple, if a heritage building was rectangular and one story tall and an application was for a vertical extension, for example to add an extra story, or even to increase headroom then the extension must be stepped back. Just looking for clarification. on Twitter Share (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. I would like clarification here. If an extension is vertical why does it need to be stepbacked? For exaple, if a heritage building was rectangular and one story tall and an application was for a vertical extension, for example to add an extra story, or even to increase headroom then the extension must be stepped back. Just looking for clarification. on Linkedin Email (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. I would like clarification here. If an extension is vertical why does it need to be stepbacked? For exaple, if a heritage building was rectangular and one story tall and an application was for a vertical extension, for example to add an extra story, or even to increase headroom then the extension must be stepped back. Just looking for clarification. link

    (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. I would like clarification here. If an extension is vertical why does it need to be stepbacked? For exaple, if a heritage building was rectangular and one story tall and an application was for a vertical extension, for example to add an extra story, or even to increase headroom then the extension must be stepped back. Just looking for clarification.

    John24 asked 12 months ago

    Modern additions to Heritage Buildings are meant to be compatible with, subordinate to and distinguishable from the Heritage Building. The stepback is proposed for vertical extensions in order to better highlight the original Heritage Building. 

Page last updated: 22 Dec 2023, 09:18 AM