City Departments
Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (M.H.A.C.) Property Designation
Designation is the means by which a community can protect is cultural heritage resources.
The Ontario Heritage Act 1990 gives each municipal council the responsibility to protect those buildings which are of provincial or local historical significance; or of architectural importance as an example of a particular building type, style or period or as the work of a local architect or builder of note. The landscape may also be of heritage value, if it is an example of natural beauty.
Designation is registered on the title of the property and does not restrict the sale of the property, or normally affect its resale value. Designation continues to be in effect when a property changes hands.
Designation protects the property from unsympathetic alterations, which may decrease its historic, architectural or aesthetic value. Designation can also prevent demolition, since the owner must apply to Council for a demolition permit. This gives the community and Council time to find an alternative to demolition, acceptable to the community and the owner. Either a new owner, who will preserve the building may be found, or the original owner may be persuaded to retain it. In most cases a compromise solution can be reached and the community is able to retain its history in the preservation of another heritage building.
Designation: Did you know?
The Designation Process
Designation as a heritage landmark is intended to aid in the preservation of buildings having recognized historic and/or architectural significance. It also provides a measure of protection against unsympathetic alterations. Important to the property owner is that designation gives the owner access to various government programmes to assist in preservation and restoration.
The process for designating a property in accordance to Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act begins when the owner applies to M.H.A.C. for designation. The designation process, generally speaking, involves the following steps.
Once designated, the property is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O 1990. The owner may then be obligated to seek written permission from Council to add or alter specific features of the building, depending on the scope of the work. Written consent is normally required only if the proposed changes adversely affects the reasons for designation. If consent is required, every effort is made to promptly respond to the owner’s request.
For questions or additional information regarding designation or an application to Alter a Designated property, please contact the Heritage Planner. See the Related Documents link below to download the M.H.A.C. Application for Heritage Designation and the M.H.A.C. Information Bulletin entitled "Application to Alter a Designated Heritage Property".
The Ontario Heritage Act 1990 gives each municipal council the responsibility to protect those buildings which are of provincial or local historical significance; or of architectural importance as an example of a particular building type, style or period or as the work of a local architect or builder of note. The landscape may also be of heritage value, if it is an example of natural beauty.
Designation is registered on the title of the property and does not restrict the sale of the property, or normally affect its resale value. Designation continues to be in effect when a property changes hands.
Designation protects the property from unsympathetic alterations, which may decrease its historic, architectural or aesthetic value. Designation can also prevent demolition, since the owner must apply to Council for a demolition permit. This gives the community and Council time to find an alternative to demolition, acceptable to the community and the owner. Either a new owner, who will preserve the building may be found, or the original owner may be persuaded to retain it. In most cases a compromise solution can be reached and the community is able to retain its history in the preservation of another heritage building.
Designation: Did you know?
- Designation does not require an owner to restore the property to its original condition or its appearance in an earlier period.
- Designation does not require property owners to open their property to the public.
- Designation and Property Values - Designation does not lower property values. A 1990 survey of designated properties in London and Kitchener, Ontario revealed “designation has not had a negative impact on price and could be said to have a correlation with increases in property values”. The survey also found that heritage buildings had performed much better than average in the market place over the last 30 years and that the price of heritage houses was not affected by a general downturn in property values. “There is no evidence that heritage designation has a negative effect” (Shipley, Robert. “Does Heritage Designation Affect Property Values?” The Canadian Appraiser, Spring 1992, pp. 26-30).
The Designation Process
Designation as a heritage landmark is intended to aid in the preservation of buildings having recognized historic and/or architectural significance. It also provides a measure of protection against unsympathetic alterations. Important to the property owner is that designation gives the owner access to various government programmes to assist in preservation and restoration.
The process for designating a property in accordance to Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act begins when the owner applies to M.H.A.C. for designation. The designation process, generally speaking, involves the following steps.
- The application for designation is completed and returned to the Heritage Planner. See the Application for Designation PDF in the Related Documents below.
- A property description and title search is completed by the Heritage Planner to identify the architectural and/or historical significance of the building(s).
- A presentation to M.H.A.C. for consideration is made, followed by a recommendation to the Planning and Development Committee and finally to Cambridge City Council. Criteria outlined in the Official Plan are used to assess the application.
- If Council adopts M.H.A.C.’s recommendation, a notice of intention to designate is published in a local newspaper.
- If there are no objections to the proposed designation, a by-law is drafted and passed by Council, which officially designates the building and gives the reasons for its designation. The by-law is then registered on the title of the property and the property is entered in the Heritage Register.
- If the owner consents, a bronze plaque specifying the construction date and paid for by M.H.A.C. and the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation is installed on the property.
Once designated, the property is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O 1990. The owner may then be obligated to seek written permission from Council to add or alter specific features of the building, depending on the scope of the work. Written consent is normally required only if the proposed changes adversely affects the reasons for designation. If consent is required, every effort is made to promptly respond to the owner’s request.
For questions or additional information regarding designation or an application to Alter a Designated property, please contact the Heritage Planner. See the Related Documents link below to download the M.H.A.C. Application for Heritage Designation and the M.H.A.C. Information Bulletin entitled "Application to Alter a Designated Heritage Property".
Related Documents
| DOCUMENT | DESCRIPTION | DATE POSTED | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Information (M.H.A.C.) | |||
| Can I Alter a Designated Heritage Property? | Can I Alter a Designated Heritage Property Bulletin | 2009-02-18 | PDF 108Kb |
| M.H.A.C. - Designation Bulletin | A Designated Heritage Property is a property that is designated under Part IV or Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Ontario Heritage Act 1990 gives each municipal council the responsibility to protect those buildings that are of historical or architectural significance. This documents explains the process for having a property designated. | 2009-02-17 | PDF 142Kb |
| M.H.A.C. - Application for Heritage Designation | Designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act is intended to aid in the preservation of buildings having recognized historic and/or architectural significance. It also provides a measure of protection against unsympathetic alterations. Important to the property owner is that designation gives the owner access to various government programmes to assist in the preservation and restoration of the designated properties. The first step in having your property assessed for Part IV Designation is to complete and return the MHAC Application for Heritage Designation to the MHAC Coordinator at the City of Cambridge for review. | 2009-02-17 | PDF 11Kb |