HILLSBURGH – The owner of the former Hillsburgh town hall building is appealing its recent heritage designation, claiming the town did not provide notice of intention to designate and did not demonstrate the building meets the criteria to do so either.
The land owner of 92 Trafalgar Rd. in Hillsburgh has filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) over the Town of Erin’s decision to designate the building as a heritage property.
The building is the former Hillsburgh town hall built in 1887 and got its heritage designation at an October council meeting along with 11 other properties. Right now, the building hosts a legal cannabis store.
An appeal form stated the land owner was not provided notice of the town’s intention to designate and therefore didn’t provide them with an opportunity to object.
A report noted its historical value as the former town hall, its design value as a representative example of Italianate commercial architecture and its importance of supporting the 19th Century character of Trafalgar Road in the historic village of Hillsburgh.
The land owner disputes this, according to the appeal form which states the town has failed to show how the property falls within the criteria established by the Ontario Heritage Act —specifically the property having design value or physical value.
The form stated the property has changed ownership many times over the years and gone through various alterations. It said the property has structural issues and is currently temporarily stabilized with steel beams.
The adjacent property is under the same ownership and therefore the appeal claims this potentially contravenes the Planning Act as the properties may have merged.
No dates have been set for the hearing.
A heritage designation provides more municipal oversight on potential alterations, renovations or demolition that could impact heritage features to designated properties.
Changes are coming to the Ontario Heritage Act. Properties listed on a municipality’s heritage registry before Jan. 1, 2023, must be designated by Jan. 1, 2025, or be removed from the registry.
