Council says it may be time to review heritage designation process

As the town continues to, at times, struggle with heritage designation reports, those around the council horseshoe have suggested Fort Erie may need to take a good, long look at the process and its priorities.

The issue came up once again at the Monday meeting as councillors dealt with a heritage designation request for 162 Battery Street.

A staff report recommended designation but councillors disagreed, denying the recommendation. Mayor Wayne Redekop tried to get the matter deferred so staff could clear up some questions councillors had about the property, but his deferral motion was defeated.

After his deferral motion was defeated, Redekop expressed some frustration at the process, saying council needs to “walk the walk” or reconsider its commitment to preserving heritage.

“I’m a little disappointed as to where we are,” he said, adding the town may need to do more work to define what history means to Fort Erie.

“If we’re not going to be full bore on that, what are the alternatives we might consider,” he said.

The town’s strategic plan for 2023-2026 includes references to preserving and protecting its built heritage, as does the official plan. However, some councillors have been leery about taking steps to do so, especially when a property owner is in opposition.

“We have to think of the person owning this house,” said Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes, who has been among the most consistent in opposing heritage designations when they don’t have buy-in from the owners.

In the case of the Battery Street report, that was something Councillor Tom Lewis could get behind. He said in some cases, such as this one, heritage designation could be at odds with the town’s climate goals as it may restrict energy retrofit opportunities.

“When it comes down to heritage versus environmental, I don’t even think we can compare the two. It’s nice to have heritage and culture be recognized but to not acknowledge the environmental side of things, there’s a far bigger price at the end of the day,” he said.

Redekop disagreed with the argument that the town shouldn’t force designation on unwilling owners.

“We tell people everyday what they can do with their property,” he said, pointing out land use rules, regulations around tree removal and property standards as examples. And if the town’s serious about preserving history, then heritage designation should be no different, he argued.

Councillors also questioned the accuracy of the reports they receive and how they can better ensure the history of a property is accurately reflected in reports.

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