aS ~A COUNCIL REPORT ABBOTSFORD Report No. PRC 22-2014 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Date: September 3, 2014 File No: 7710-20 To: Mayor and Council From: Tamaka Fisher, Arts & Heritage Coordinator Subject: Community Heritage Register and Heritage Conservation RECOMMENDATIONS 1. THAT Council direct staff to prepare a comprehensive inventory of significant heritage resources (known as a "heritage inventory"); 2. THAT Council direct staff to contact private owners of potential historically significant properties in Abbotsford regarding voluntarily listing on the Community Heritage Register; and 3. THAT Council approve the addition to the Community Heritage Register of City-owned, historically significant properties in the Statements of Significance provided to Council including: a) The former Great Northern Railway bridge site and embankment (Ellwood/ Fishtrap Creek Park) Maclure Rd ; b) The former Abbotsford Lumber Company Log Dump (at Mill Lake Park); and c) A portion of Old Yale Road, also known as the New Westminster - Hope Wagon Road (located from approximately 39180 Old Yale Road to Vye Road, located approximately at 39623 Old Yale Road). SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE At the June 23, 2014, Executive Meeting, Council directed staff to provide information relating to: • Community heritage registry best practices (as indicated in recommendations 2 and 3); • Updates of the current status of the City of Abbotsford's community heritage register; and • The potential actions Council may take to support heritage recognition and conservation, to serve the community of Abbotsford (as indicated in recommendations 1-3). In addition, at its July 15, 2014 meeting, the Parks, Recreation & Culture Commission made a number of recommendations. Commission approved all recommendations in Report No. PRC 09-2014 dated June 26, 2014, from the Arts & Heritage Coordinator, regarding the Community Heritage Register and Heritage Conservation including: • The addition of City-owned properties, that have Statements of Significance (SoS) (Attachment "A"); Report No. PRC 22 -2014 Page 2 of 6 • That staff contact private owners of historic properties regarding the community heritage register; and • That appropriate in-kind resources (staff time) be budgeted from operating funds in future years as resources become available. The purpose of this report is to provide Council with information relating to both Council's resolution and the recommendations of the Parks, Recreation & Culture Commission. BACKGROUND On June 21, 2004, Council adopted the Arts and Heritage Master Plan (AHMP). The plan laid out a vision for heritage conservation in Abbotsford. It covered civic governance, heritage information, heritage communication and awareness, partnership opportunities, and OCP opportunities. Subsequent to adoption of the AHMP, Council adopted the Heritage Strategic Plan (HSP) on March 7, 2005. The HSP identified the status of heritage within the city, established goals, and action items to achieve them. , The Official Community Plan (OCP) supports heritage through the creation of the Clayburn Heritage Conservation Area and contains conservation guidelines. The OCP was amended in 2005 to include these heritage provisions. To date, Abbotsford has accomplished, as a result of the three plans, the creation of a Community Heritage Register, the Clayburn Heritage Conservation Area, The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford (which contains archival research information), and continues support of the MSA Museum Society (responsible for the Trethewey House heritage site). Types of Heritage Recognition There are a wide variety of opportunities and mechanisms for Council to recognize and protect a heritage asset. They are: 1. Heritage Inventory; 2. Heritage Plaque or Marker; 3. Community Heritage Register; 4. Municipal Bylaw; and 5. Heritage Conservation Area. The City currently is applying 3, 4, and 5. 1. Heritage Inventory To support heritage recognition and conservation, Council is recommended to endorse a heritage inventory. To date, a citywide heritage inventory has begun to be compiled by the Arts & Heritage Advisory Committee. The Heritage Strategic Plan identifies compilation of a citywide inventory as being the foundation for future heritage initiatives. Report No. PRC 22 -2014 Page 3 of 6 2. Heritage Plagues or Markers A future action that Council may take to support heritage recognition and conservation, would be to institute a formal heritage plaque or marker policy. Some markers have already been installed. Pursuing a formal policy is not recommended at this time, although may be considered to be budgeted in future years. 3. City of Abbotsford's Community Heritage Register One of the goals of the Heritage Strategic Plan was to establish a Community Heritage Register (CHR). On July 25, 2005, Council adopted the CHR, which now contains five properties (Attachment "B"): 1. Trethewey House, 2313 Ware Street (Attachment "C"); 2. Clayburn School, 4315 Wright Road (Attachment "0"); 3. Clayburn Church, 4280 Wright Road (Attachment "E"); 4. 1911 Sikh Temple, 33089 South Fraser Way, (National Historic Site Status) July 2002 (Attachment "F"); and 5. Old South Poplar School, 32746 Huntingdon, Abbotsford (Attachment "G"). This report recommends the addition of three more City-owned properties to the Community Heritage Register, as a potential action Council may take to support heritage recognition and conservation. They are: o The former Great Northern Railway bridge site and embankment (Ellwood/ Fishtrap Creek Park) Maclure Rd; o The former Abbotsford Lumber Company Log Dump (at Mill Lake Park); and o A portion of Old Yale Road, also known as the New Westminster-Hope Wagon Road (located from approximately 39180 Old Yale Road to Vye Road (approximately 39623 Old Yale Road (Attachment "A"). The Statements of Significance for these properties has been completed by the Arts & Heritage Advisory Committee and staff feel that the sites are worthy of being on the Community Heritage Register. There is no cost to the City in the addition of these sites as the groundwork has been completed. 4. Municipal Bylaw The following information regarding bylaws is provided to update Council on the current status of heritage. The City of Abbotsford has a number of bylaws relating to heritage conservation. They include: • Trethewey House, 2313 Ware Street (municipally designated: HCA Bylaw 2113) Adopted May 4, 1981; • Clayburn School, 4315 Wright Road (municipally designated: HCA Bylaw 1700) Adopted October 11, 1978; • Clayburn Church, 4280 Wright Road (municipally designated: HCA Bylaw 1535) Adopted October 4, 1978; • Consolidated Heritage Alteration Permit Application Procedures Bylaw, 1996, Bylaw No. 215-96; • Clayburn Village Community Heritage Commission Bylaw, 1996, Bylaw No. 216-96. Note: The Clayburn Village Community Heritage Commission has disbanded for several years although the bylaw has not yet been repealed; and • Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2005, Bylaw No. 1483-2005 (Clayburn Village Heritage Conservation Area). Report No. PRe 22 -2014 Page 4 of 6 A new bylaw is not being proposed in this report. 5. Heritage Conservation Area Although not recommended in this report, a future action that Council may take to support heritage recognition and conservation in future, would be to consider designating additional heritage conservation areas. There is currently one heritage conservation area in the city- Clayburn. The Clayburn Heritage Conservation Area was designated in 2005 and forms part of the current Official Community Plan. DISCUSSION An integrated approach to heritage conservation, using the various types of recognition and conservation avenues afforded by legislation will allow the City to serve the public, ensure that heritage assets are recognized, and the story of Abbotsford is preserved for future generations. 1. Heritage inventory The Heritage Strategic Plan recommends that a complete list of heritage assets in the community be completed. This will outline the community's heritage assets in one complete list, which can assist with future heritage initiatives. The following local communities currently have heritage inventories: • Burnaby • Coquitlam • Maple Ridge • Mission • Township of Langley It is recommended that Council directs staff to prepare a comprehensive inventory of significant heritage resources (known as a heritage inventory) 2. Heritage Plagues or Markers Pursuant to the Local Government Act, the local government may have a plaque or other marker installed to indicate recognition, subject to the requirement that permission for this must be obtained from the owner of the property on which the marker is installed. While the City currently does not have a formal policy for this, heritage plaques have been placed on a number of sites in the city. A policy on this could be explored after the heritage inventory is completed. 3. Community Heritage Register Under the Local Government Act, a building can be "registered" as a heritage site established by the city. Approval by Council is required and a Statement of Significance is highly recommended to show suitability for inclusion. The City has established a Community Heritage Register containing five properties. Another three City properties are recommended to be added. o The former Great Northern Railway bridge site and embankment (Ellwood/ Fishtrap Creek Park) Maclure Rd; o The former Abbotsford Lumber Company Log Dump (at Mill Lake Park); and Report No. PRe 22 -2014 Page 5 of 6 --'-------------------- _.... _- . o A portion of Old