District of North Vancouver will give two home owners $500 each to do maintenance on their heritage homes.
The owner of 1509 Merlynn Crescent and 2905 St Kilda Avenue were each granted $500 to paint the exterior of the house and to replace leaded windows on second floor respectively.
The money comes from the community heritage grants program for owners whose properties are registered on the district’s heritage inventory.
The grant, however, can also be given to home owner who can provide a statement of significance from a registered heritage professional who can identify that the property has heritage character and value this week.
The Community Heritage Grant funds are managed by the North Shore Community Foundation.
There is $60,575 available but it’s only the principal interest from previous years that is available for those who want to apply.
The principle interest available in 2018 was $3,167, and two applications were selected, drawing $1,000 from the fund.
The home owners must do the work within one year of receiving grant approval, and the district gives priority to exterior maintenance and exterior restoration projects.
Mayor Mike Little, who served as chair of North Vancouver Heritage Commission, said the district had made several strides to save heritage homes in the community. He admitted, however, that $500 didn’t go far for heritage conservation.
“This is pretty much the top benefit we can give. The $500 dollar doesn’t really help the family when they are trying to make these kinds of decisions,which is frustrating” he said
At the November 26 meeting the council also voted to lift the temporary protection order on 3635 Sunnycrest Drive, also known as Watts Residence, after the owner and the staff were unable to work out a solution to conserve the property.
The owner had applied for a demolition permit in August to construct a new single-family home on the lot. The Watts Residence is located in the Highland neighbourhood of Edgemont Village Centre.
Constructed in 1951-52 for the Watts family and designed by Fred Thornton Hollingsworth the home is considered a West Coast Modern style ‘Neoteric’ heritage building characterized by its flat roof and plywood cladding on both the interior and exterior.
It is valued as an example of the postwar residential development of North Vancouver and the Capilano Highlands subdivision in particular. Council agreed to lift the temporary ban but lamented the loss of the heritage home.
“It is an unfortunate result but I hope our community can show a more serious level of protecting heritage moving forward,” Little said, while encouraging people to read the heritage inventory and take a stroll to enjoy the historical architecture that exists in the community.
Councillor Matthew Bond said there is a need for strategic heritage plan to be formed.
“The staff has been working on for the past one year. There are a lot of homes in community that deserve protection, he said.
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