If I understand it correctly, this is how it works.
We have three Heritage Areas, which indicate the value of the buildings contained within each as well as spell out exactly what you are allowed to do without explicit approval from the Heritage Advisory Committee in these areas.
(Hilariously, the City isn't trying to save lower-class neighbourhoods like mine. The unprotected areas you see within the old town core are places that currently have modern buildings OR that look like mine, with the little hen-cage, flat-front rowhouses).
Now, any property owner can apply for an exemption to any of these rules. Say, you bought a house in Heritage Area 1 that was renovated in the 1960s and has modern windows. If you want to replace them, you're not allowed to just put in modern windows - you have to restore the exterior to its pre-rnovation status and install our traditional style of windows. That's a much more expensive project (and a common one here). So you can apply for an exemption to replace your windows with ones like those currently installed in your home. Sometimes it's granted, sometimes it's not. Homeowners have been made, at great expense, to even remove just-installed windows that weren't traditional.
From the City's website:
Quote:
The following are typical renovations that require heritage approval:
Replacement of windows and doors
Change in location of window and door openings
Creation of new window or door openings
Alteration to the roof line or style of roof
Installation of new clapboard or siding
Construction of decks or verandas
Installation of an accessory building (visible from the street)
Installation of a fence (visible from the street)
New home construction
Addition to an existing property
Demolition of a building or part of a building
Exterior signage
(So for any of these things above you not only need a permit, but you need approval from the Heritage Advisory Committee)
Work that does not require heritage approval that can be carried out under a general repair permit includes:
Routine maintenance and minor repairs that do not change the appearance of the property
Re-roofing in a material that is similar to the existing material
Re-painting
Repairs to or replacement of eavestroughs and downspouts
Re-pointing and repairs to masonry
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You can also apply for a permit to demolish your property and start over. That's granted even less frequently, but does happen.
Within (and outside) of these Heritage Areas, we have a completely different system of registering heritage structures. The property owner must apply for this status. It affords no benefits or support and basically completely restricts what you're allowed to do to the building except routine maintenance. That's what the article above is referring to, saying this isn't a heritage structure. But it is within a Heritage Area so any changes will require approval AND a permit.
In the whole of St. John's there's only a couple dozen registered heritage structures. But there are many hundreds of buildings within the Heritage Areas.