New Westminster heritage homes need protecting from demolition, say advocates

Residents in New Westminster's Queen's Park neighbourhood are hoping the city will step in to make it harder for developers to demolish heritage homes in their community.

Too many local houses, especially smaller ones, have been bulldozed to make room for bigger, more modern-looking ones, says Maureen Arvanitidis, president of The New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society.

"We've suffered several demolitions and massive renovations but we're still very proud of our community and the fact that it has managed to retain a fair amount of heritage," she said.

'A bit of a crisis'

The city asked Arvanitidis and other heritage advocates to form a committee and research the issue, after being approached by her society and other concerned residents.

Arvanitidis says they've been door-knocking for 18 months, proposing different strategies to the neighbours and gathering feedback.

"The feedback that we have received from the community is, we want [the heritage] retained, we don't want new ugly buildings, particularly if they're encroaching on other heritage properties," said Arvanitidis.

She said residents are telling her "it's about time" the city put in measures to protect heritage buildings.

"It's become a bit of a crisis in some cases," she added.

Arvanitidis and the Queen's Park Heritage Study Group will present their findings and strategy suggestions at a public event hosted by the city called Speak Up About Heritage on Sat., Nov. 21.

She says they've looked at everything from reducing maximum size allowed for new houses to setting up a conservation area where demolition wouldn't be allowed without the city's permission.

That doesn't mean people won't be able to renovate, however. Arvanitidis says she wants to make sure people are comfortable in their homes. "It's not just a property that is going to be a time capsule."

City welcomes feedback

Julie Schueck, heritage planner with the City of New Westminster, said the city has a number of options they could use to protect heritage.

These include using a heritage designation bylaw through provincial legislation, or establishing a heritage conservation area, like the City of Vancouver has done with the Shaughnessy neighbourhood.

Schueck said the city has some homes that have conservation covenants, but the city currently doesn't have any heritage conservation areas.

Establishing a heritage conservation area is one of the possibilities being discussed with the study group and others in the Queen's Park neighbourhood.​

Shueck said the public's response to the study group's findings and strategies will be used to inform city council next month.

"If we get enough favourable responses from our consultation ... then we would like to be able to put these principles and strategies and actions in front of council next month."

To listen to the full audio, click the link labelled: Heritage advocate says New Westminster's Queen's Park heritage homes need better protection.