Hart claims Heritage Board holds up improvements

October 18, 2001
Source: Rocky Mountain Outlook

By Cathy Ellis

Former Banff Mayor Ted Hart has launched a scathing attack on the Town's Planning and Development Department and the Banff Heritage Corporation over the hurdles he has had to jump to get a facelift to a heritage building.

On Oct. 10, the Municipal Planning Commission granted the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation a development permit for exterior renovations to the 1957 Buffalo Block building, but not before Hart charged the Heritage Corporation had used this application as a "political football''.

"This has been the most frustrating, time consuming, ridiculous project I've been involved with in 30 years. It has driven me and my board absolutely crazy,'' said Hart, executive director of the Peter and Catharine Whyte Foundation.

"We have been working on this 'routine maintenance' for three years now. Hopefully this is not the future of 'routine maintenance' in Banff. Otherwise you will have a lot more upset people than myself and the Whyte Board.''

"I've got a lot of experience with development in this town and I'm in a good position to appreciate how it works. God help the person who doesn't have any experience in development in the Town of Banff,'' said Hart.

Hart said he has gone through three sets of plans for the renovation proposal for the building at 101 Banff Avenue, which is home to retail stores, a coffee shop and Le Beaujolais restaurant, and a major source of income for the not-for-profit foundation.

The original development permit application was submitted to the Planning and Development Department in July, 2000. However, Hart said several changes were made following comments from both the Planning and Development Department and the Banff Heritage Corporation.

"We did not want to knock it down, we just wanted to do a facelift to bring it up to more modern standards, that showed we care about the building, and make it better for our tenants,'' said Hart.

"Anyone who tries to tell you that the Heritage Corporation has no power is misleading the situation. They have a lot of power... it's a fallacy. The inventory is used administratively to do certain things.''

It is this renovation proposal that led to changes last year in Banff's heritage policy that property owners must be notified that they are on the heritage inventory. The Whyte Board did not even know the Buffalo Block was a B-ranked property until part way through development discussions on this project. After hearing Hart's frustrations, the Municipal Planning Commission went against a Planning and Development recommendation to have the Whyte Board submit revised drawings, as a condition of approval, for alternate siding material on the second storey and for roof-top mechanical screening to be consistent with the character of the existing building. Hart said the condition was "absolutely mind-boggling" on top of everything else, and indicated the Board would fight it.

Mark Bowes, vice-chairman of Banff's Heritage Corporation, said the Heritage Corporation is not responsible for holding up this project, rather it had more to do with problems in meeting the Town's design guidelines.

"Under the Provincial Planning Act of Alberta, heritage is not a valid reason for holding up a development. They could have completely ignored our recommendations if they wanted to,'' said Bowes.

Randall McKay, Town of Banff Planning and Development manager, said his department and the Banff Heritage Corporation met on-site with Hart in August 2000 to go over any concerns, which largely centred on Banff's design guidelines.

"We have not heard from Mr. Hart for a year until September 12, 2001 when they submitted an application,'' he said.

The Buffalo Block building is considered an "excellent example" of one of only a handful of 'modern era' buildings in Banff indicative of the 'international style' architecture. The building is currently ranked a B building, however the Banff Heritage Corporation is recommending it for an A ranking, which goes before the first meeting of the new Council on Oct. 23.

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