Downtown Heritage Conservation District - Study and Plan
Section 3
Part 2 - The Plan
-- Introduction
A Note On Property Values
There is a common fear that Heritage Designation of properties or districts depress property values. The theory is that designation is a form of restriction, that the number of buyers willing to accept such restriction will be limited, and that the law of supply and demand will diminish the price. This fear of negative price impact, and the theory that supports it, is not borne out by research
The Heritage Conservation District Concept
Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, RSO 1980, C.337, provides for designation of Heritage Conservation Districts. A Heritage Conservation District is a collection of buildings, streets, and open spaces that collectively are of special historical or architectural significance to the community. The legislation enables municipalities, through study, to define the areas to be designed and to prepare Official Plan provisions which regulate development activities within the area in order to ensure that the Heritage character of the District is maintained or enhanced.
In 1995 the Town of Collingwood along with a number of partners embarked on preparation of a comprehensive commercial strategy. This led to Official Plan Amendment 37, in which Section 3.9.1.4 states:
"Heritage District: Council supports the designation of the Downtown Core as a Heritage District within the definition of the Ontario Heritage Act. The preservation and the continued maintenance of the Downtown Core's Architectural legacy will be supported through policy and regulatory frameworks."
The Town designated the Collingwood Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) to act, with a Town chair, as the Project Steering Committee for the Heritage Conservation District Study and Plan. The Committee has overseen the production of the Heritage District Study and Plan.
A Heritage Conservation District designation is not intended to prohibit the changes required by contemporary needs. Its purpose is to guide those changes so that change contributes to the Districts architectural and historic character.
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