Broadview heritage designation

One of the most welcome developments in Kitchissippi has been the announcement of a completely new school to replace Broadview Public School. Parents, students and teachers are looking forward to moving into a brand new facility in Fall 2016. Recently, the community learned that, as a result of a request from residents in the community, City staff have researched and will recommend that a portion of the old school (“the tower”) be given heritage protection.

Now, parents and community members are wondering about the implications of that recommendation.

First, I’m confident that, if the building receives designation, the school will be built on time and on budget.

Second, I share our OCDSB school trustee’s confidence that there are no pre-determined outcomes at this point with respect to a future use for the designated portion of the old school. It is in the best interests of all to put the school to good use should it receive heritage protection.

So what’s next?

First, the planners’ recommendation is expected to go to the City’s Built Heritage sub-Committee in - likely - late January or February. This body, made up of City councillors and citizen heritage experts, will evaluate the staff recommendations. BHSC will make a recommendation to the City’s Planning Committee to designate the property or not.

This recommendation will then go to Planning Committee, and then to full City Council. If it is approved by Council, but the landowner (OCDSB) wishes to contest it, then the designation will be evaluated by a third-party appeals board, which has the power to recommend that the City re-visit its decision – though it can’t overturn the decision.

It is important to recognize that at this stage, the decisions being made are based solely on whether the requirements for heritage designation are met.

I will say at the outset of this discussion that I’ve heard the community’s significant concern with this turn of events. As I heard at the November 6 consultation and in dozens of emails since, the current school desperately needs to be re-built from the ground up, for reasons we all understand. At the same time, I campaigned openly on a platform of doing more than paying lip service to heritage protection. In this case, I don’t believe the two are mutually exclusive.

I am certain that Broadview, if a portion of the old school is designated, can be built on time and on budget while ensuring that the remaining, protected building, does not pose a hazard in the community – and even accentuates the new campus if put to an innovative new use. We need to understand with precision what the various costs and options might be, of course, before anything becomes set in stone.

I’m looking forward to hearing more of your feedback as this moves through the process. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at 613.580.2485 or by writing to me at jeff.leiper@ottawa.ca.