It’s another month where there are two Heritage Guelph meetings, and like last month this second meeting will focus on matters of heritage conservation districts. Two this time! First up, committee will discuss in detail the proposed HCD for the core of the city, and then they will discuss the other HCD in process just slightly to the east of downtown in the area of Guelph more commonly called The Ward.
NOTE #1: If you would like to delegate to one of the items at the meeting, or to access an alternative meeting format, get in touch with Craig Vallesi, Policy Planning Clerk, by email at craig.vallesi [at] guelph.ca or by calling 519-837-5616, extension 3913. Deadline is January 10 at noon.
NOTE #2: This meeting will take place in-person at City Hall and virtually on Cisco Webex. You can find the link on the agenda page for this meeting on the City’s website.
Downtown Guelph Heritage Conservation District Plan and Guidelines (Workshop 1) – This project is now in phase #2; the boundaries have been established and now the committee will be asked to provide their feedback in regards to the plans and guidelines being developed. There objective is to balance both conservation and growth; to quote the presentation, “The Downtown Guelph H.C.D. aims to protect, conserve, and manage its heritage attributes and contributing properties in the context of prescribed and anticipated future growth of the area so that the District’s cultural heritage value is protected in the long-term.” The committee will also cover what changes constitute a minor or a major heritage permit application, and which buildings in the core are “contributing” and “non-contributing” properties. Heritage Guelph will be asked for their feedback on this work so far, and the statutory meeting on the plans and guidelines will take place at June’s council planning meeting.
Ward West Heritage Conservation District Study (Workshop 2) – The Ward West HCD is still in phase #1 and the committee will offer their feedback about a couple of key issues: What will the boundary be, what geographical and architectural characteristics unify the area in a common theme? They will discuss The Ward’s history as the intersection of the two rivers in Guelph, how it’s been a centre for the working class and new immigrants over the decades, and its mixed used function as a residential and industrial base. The study area for Ward West is along the river, then up Hersey to York to Huron, and then down Alice to Duke to Elizabeth and back to the river. However, the proposed boundary will be stretched further west to Lyon Park and then up Morris to Ferguson to Huron and the railroad tracks behind Elizabeth to the river. (See the map above.)
Guelph Politico 