Even though Elora is known as a heritage village, it seems there is not an exact definition of what defines a heritage village.
The issue came up briefly on Aug. 27 as council reviewed a number of demolitions – one for complete demolition of a home and one for a barn on a heritage-listed property.
Councillor Stephen Kitras questioned if there was a density of heritage buildings required to be considered a heritage community. He asked if a certain percentage of heritage buildings were removed – “is it no longer a heritage town?”
Senior planner Mariana Iglesias said “it is a difficult question to answer.” She added, “I’ve never come across any specifics.”
Iglesias agreed one would want a high concentration of heritage buildings in a district or area “but there really is no prescribed number or percentage.”
Iglesias said some comparisons have been undertaken “… and we are very rich in heritage here.”
When looking at communities across the province, “we rank pretty high proportionately for the size of our community” she explained.
With roughly 110 bylaw-designated properties and another 800 to 900 properties listed, “It’s quite a good proportion of buildings and structures protected and identified,” Iglesias said.
Kitras asked if there is a better definition for a heritage district, citing locations in the United States where entire communities are designated as historical.
Iglesias said heritage districts have prescribed boundaries and development guidelines. She pointed to the Brock Avenue district in Fergus, which is confined to six to eight homes on a single street.
Iglesias explained downtown districts can be as small or large as manageable for the community. She added there are numerous communities that have individual structures designated.
