Frequently Asked Questions

A Heritage Conservation District (HCD) is a geographical area that features a community’s unique identity, giving it character and a sense of place. These defined areas are protected under municipal by-laws passed by Council under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.  An HCD may be defined by the buildings in the district and how they are connected to the history of a community’s development, as well as features like trees, landscapes, roads, and even local events and traditions. The Ontario Heritage Act is special legislation that allows district designation to protect a community’s character-defining elements while at the same time providing detailed guidance for redevelopment that occurs over time.

An HCD Plan applies to:

• Public works projects on streets and in parks within the district; and,
• Owner-initiated exterior renovations, additions, demolitions, or new construction within the district.

The essential benefit of heritage district designation is to ensure that renovations, additions, and future developments complement the district's character. An HCD can be an effective means to prevent the demolition of significant heritage buildings. It can also ensure that renovations or new construction projects in the district are consistent with design guidelines so that they are not “out of character.”

Amherstburg is experiencing considerable growth. The historic core has been recognized as an area of special interest with architectural, cultural, and historical value that may warrant protection.  The study area was selected because it is the original layout of the Town of Amherstburg.  Further, the study area has the highest concentration of designated properties and properties of interest under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Town has hired a consultant to analyze Amherstburg and establish if the study area is a candidate to be designated as a Heritage Conservation District, which would preserve the heritage attributes of the area and guide future planning decisions.  

Further, recent provincial legislative changes have been adopted to address the affordable housing challenges across the province.  Those legislation changes have been created to help increase the housing stock and promote intensification efforts.  These changes could negatively impact the character of Amherstburg if appropriate municipal-level policies and plans are not adopted to help protect important cultural heritage characteristics and assets.  A Heritage Conservation District (HCD) provides the legislative framework to protect the core of Amherstburg from change that may be inappropriate or destructive to the character of our town.

Lastly, the provincial legislative changes have also put a time limit on the protection of some heritage properties (January 1st, 2025), and because Amherstburg has identified so many culturally significant properties (125 Properties of Interest), many of these cultural assets will be at risk of demolition, with no way for the community to provide input of feedback.  An HCD is a legislative solution that our community can utilize to protect many at-risk cultural assets, creating a rich heritage and culturally unique place.

Heritage Conservation Districts (HCD) are completed in 2 phases.

Phase 1 - HCD Study

The study phase is exactly as it sounds.  Amherstburg has hired a qualified consultant to complete an in-depth background study of the defined Study Area.  This includes historical research, fieldwork, documentation, and recommendations on the final boundary that should be considered and why.  The HCD Study will be provided to the Town of Amherstburg Council, which will vote on whether to move forward in the HCD Plan stage 

Phase 2 - HCD Plan

This phase will include drafting a Heritage Conservation District Plan based on the recommended boundary and the work that was completed during the study.  The first step is to complete a draft of the HCD Plan, which provides policies and guidelines for change management within the area.  Consultation is an important component of this phase, given that the proposed policies and guidelines will have an impact on the development of the area and the culture of conservation.

The final Heritage Conservation District Plan will be presented to Town Council for consideration.

A Heritage Conservation District (HCD) designation applies to the exterior of buildings and the surrounding property.

Properties within an HCD can be classified as:

1. Contributing Properties. This means that the property contributes to the significance of the HCD.  Properties whose age, history, or building is significant and/or complementary to the district. Contributing properties may include older buildings of historic interest and more recent buildings of a scale, type, and built form that contributes to the district's character.
2. Other Properties.  Properties whose main building is of a scale or form that does not meet the criteria for the District’s character.

"Contributing Properties" and "Other Properties" can have varying levels of policies regarding exterior work, such as alterations, additions, demolition, or new construction. These policies ensure that the character of your neighbourhood is enduring and that the cultural value of the area remains intact or is enhanced by the work being completed. Generally speaking, a Heritage Permit is needed to complete most exterior work in the HCD.

At the HCD Study stage, the project team may identify contributing properties that have special historical, aesthetic or architectural value in the HCD study area.  Should Council decide to move to the HCD Plan phase, unique policies and guidelines will be developed for properties that "contribute" to the heritage character of the district. Similarly, different policies and guidelines will be developed for "other properties" that are considered to be non-contributing.

A Heritage Permit is a permit that has no cost to the applicant and allows property owners to present their projects to the Heritage Committee.  The Heritage Committee reviews the project to ensure the proposal has followed the policies and guidelines in the Heritage Conservation Plan.  The policies will be clear and easy to understand with graphics illustrating the intent. 

Not all work requires a Heritage Permit.  Exempted work can include; general maintenance, re-roofing with the same material, adding skylights, amenity lighting, eaves troughs, downspouts, soft landscape, replacing hardscape elements with like materials, fencing, porches, decks, storm windows, stairs and steps, maintenance items like painting, replacing awnings or canopies, etc.  Exemptions will be clearly defined in the plan.

As an owner of a property within an HCD, you should always have regard for the existing built form and character of your neighborhood with respect to the massing of structures, height of structures, materials that are used, etc. Regardless of the classification of a property, work on any property should be executed in a way that conserves or enhances the district’s character. Working together as a community can ensure that the heritage and character of Amherstburg are not lost and that our community continues to tell our unique history.

A Heritage Conservation District Plan can encourage better design for new construction while maintaining a sense of cohesion in the district. HCD's ensure that future developments, renovations, and restorations in the designated area will complement the district's character. It only takes a few incompatible developments to detract from the area's character. The HCD can generate tourism and enhance Amherstburg's identity, pride, and sense of community.  

Financial:

• Municipal financial incentives such as heritage property restoration grants, tax relief, and other programs are being explored by the Town of Amherstburg.
• Canadian and U.S. studies suggest heritage districts tend to accelerate property value increases during periods of rising house prices and sustain values during recessions.
• Enhance cultural tourism by protecting a unique cultural identity and leveraging the area's history and character to bolster economic growth.

Architectural:

• Designation is a way for owners to express pride in the heritage value of their property, and for the community to promote awareness of its local history.
• Importantly, heritage status provides a process to ensure that property changes respect the community’s heritage value and are appropriately managed.

Cultural/Social:

• The designation provides a community with an opportunity to recognize and commemorate its unique “sense of place”.
• Heritage status, and the research that underpins its designation, can encourage a deeper understanding and appreciation of the community’s heritage attributes and strong relationship to history, memory, imagination and the physical patterns of buildings, streetscapes, landforms, and a neighbourhood’s natural features.
• HCD status provides a process for sustaining these elements into the future.

Other general benefits of HCD designation status include:

• Preserving Ontario’s Heritage for the enjoyment of generations to come;
• Providing advice and direction to property owners on building conservation, such as period paint colours, brick repair, and thermal improvement to historic windows;
• Encouraging new development that is compatible with the historic character of the neighbourhood and the goals of the heritage plan;
• Improve a neighbourhood’s streetscapes, with policies pertaining to infrastructure requirements, such as tree replanting, custom streetlights and signs, traffic calming features, boulevard designs, cohesive design elements, etc;
• Improving Landscapes such as public parks and spaces in the neighbourhood, for example, with period landscaping, statutory and interpretive plaques;
• Focusing municipal support to govern and improve the neighbourhood in accordance with the goals of the heritage plan.

Although these policies have not been developed at this time, properties that are classified as non-contributing are frequently exempt from many of the policies in the HCD Plan.