A pair of new development projects in Halifax have left some citizens calling for tougher measures to be put in place to protect heritage properties.
“We don’t want to stop development but we want to have the heritage buildings incorporated and preserved into new developments,” Peggy Cunningham, a member of the citizen group Save Young Avenue, said.
The group was created to gather the voices of people throughout the region that are troubled with the destruction of heritage buildings.
“We’re really concerned with the protection of important heritage properties in this city,” Cunningham said.
The Heritage Property Act is a a provincial statute allowing for the protection of heritage properties in Nova Scotia.
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It was created to rehabilitate and protect heritage buildings but many believe it needs to be strengthened.
“Other places in the country have very strong heritage protection laws so that any heritage building has to be assessed before a demolishing permit can be issued – not in Halifax. Right now, in Halifax, if you own a property you can apply for a demolition permit and get it torn down immediately without ever considering the economic and heritage value of the building to the city,” Cunningham said.
Two old mansions on Young Avenue have been purchased by Dino Capital Limited.
One of the homes has already been torn down and is sitting on a vacant lot.
The other has been purchased and a demolition permit has been issued.
But based on current regulations, the developer is well within their rights to tear down the buildings.
It’s regulations that Waye Mason, the councillor for Halifax South Downtown, says he has heard concerns with in his district.
“A lot of people have asked me why I haven’t done anything more and it makes me sad to be honest, because we’re doing everything that we can but the city doesn’t have the power to stop somebody from tearing down a house if they already have the rights to tear down the house,” Mason said.
The two lots that have been purchased on Young Avenue are side-by-side.
The well known Cleveland House used to sit on the now empty lot.
Beside it sits the Fram House which was sold to the same developer by an elderly couple.
“You can’t blame the couple for selling their property – they’re in their eighties – but the developer who’s purchased their property has moved the closing date from the end of November to the end of August. So we’re really afraid that he’s going to tear down this beautiful, old craftsman house,” Cunningham said.
It’s a development reality that isn’t breaking any current land use rules or regulations.
“The developers haven’t done anything wrong, they’re following the rules as written right now,” Mason said. “It’s unfortunate and there are ways to make money on those properties without tearing the heritage down but the easy way to do it is to tear it down, level the lot and build multiple homes on the large lot.”
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