A quick update, neighbour, on the progress of our Friends of Olde Berlin Town campaign in pursuit of a compatible, inclusive development of 22 Weber St W that permits existing neighbours to thrive and the heritage district to endure.
At the April 4th Case Management Conference, the Ontario Land Tribunal deferred the hearing to allow the applicant (owner of 22 Weber St W) to complete a Heritage Permit Application (HPA), a requirement to enable the Tribunal to rule on the case.
The Heritage Permit Process
A Heritage Permit Application (HPA) consists of an application form and a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) prepared by an author demonstrating “a level of professional understanding and competence in the heritage conservation field of study”. Kitchener’s heritage planning staff review the application and prepare a report for Heritage Kitchener, an appointed body of volunteers. Heritage Kitchener makes recommendations to City Council by reviewing and voting for or against the staff recommendation. City Council then considers the Staff Report and Heritage Kitchener’s recommendations, alongside public input delivered via letters and oral delegations, and renders a decision. An HPA approved by City Council is the legal determination that a project meets heritage requirements and may proceed, subject to compliance with the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw.
The applicant submitted their HPA on April 30, 2022. Heritage Kitchener will vote on whether the HPA meets the Civic Centre Heritage District Plan at a public meeting on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. Council will then vote on the HPA at its meeting on Monday, August 22, 2022. The public is welcome to submit comments to and book oral presentations before Heritage Kitchener and City Council via delegation@kitchener.ca.
The following images illustrate two areas of conflict between the applicant’s proposal and Heritage District Plan requirements. You can see more examples here.
Despite Section 2.6.1 of the Provincial Policy Statement that asserts “[s]ignificant built heritage resources and significant cultural heritage landscapes shall be conserved” (emphasis added), much will be at stake on August 22nd. If Council deems the HPA for 22 Weber St W compliant with the Civic Centre Heritage District Plan, heritage resources along Weber St W, including the Zion Church, 28 Weber St W — the only Second Empire build in the Heritage District, and St Andrews Church, could be overwhelmed in scale, as can be seen in the top image (the red lines depict the maximum building envelope under the City-proposed Secondary Plan). And the Heritage District could be unravelled if nearby property owners prove unable to maintain the heritage resources in their care when faced with such an incongruent build and such a signal from City Council.
We cannot succeed in protecting immediate neighbours, the neighbourhood and the Civic Centre Heritage District without your help. Together, we can uphold our communally-approved land-use legislation and Heritage District Plan. Please:
1. Sign our petition and encourage others to sign, too. As Official Plan Amendment applications are subject to regional review, everyone throughout the Region of Waterloo is welcome to sign.
2. Submit your comments and delegation requests to Heritage Kitchener and Council via delegation@kitchener.ca.
3. Contribute to our campaign. We need additional funds to have our expert witnesses report and present their professional evaluations before Council. Every contribution counts, regardless of size. Kindly visit our website for details.
Further information is available at our campaign website, www.obtfriends.ca. We welcome your questions and comments at obtfriends@gmail.com.