HCDs ensure that the significance and character of areas with cultural heritage value are protected and conserved in the long term by managing change to the resources within it. Proposed changes to the district are subject to a permit process under the Ontario Heritage Act. Town staff will review permits in relation to the District Plan to ensure that alterations and new construction comply with the plan, fit in and support the character of the HCD.
The OHA empowers Aurora Town Council to designate a defined area of the Town as an HCD by municipal by-law. Property owners within an HCD who wish to alter their property or demolish a designated structure must obtain heritage permits. Once the designation by-law is in place, Aurora Town Council will issue or refuse heritage permits for alterations and demolitions under section 42 of the OHA. For appropriate alterations to properties within an HCD, Aurora Town Council has delegated certain authority for permit approvals to the Manager of Heritage Planning and Urban Design.
The appropriateness of proposed changes will be weighed against the HCD Plan, the Official Plan, the Provincial Policy Statement, and the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada. Aurora Heritage Advisory Committee will also be consulted where appropriate.
Although it is primarily the attributes and features that are visible from the public realm that are of most concern in the majority of HCDs, it is important to remember that under the OHA the entire property, except for the interior, is designated. Policies and guidelines should address how alterations and additions can be accommodated on a variety of property types within a district so that its character and values are maintained over time. The conservation of a district's cultural heritage values and character can be achieved only by carefully managing appropriate change at the individual property level, as well as on the district scale.
