Thursday, October 28, 2010
Heritage homes focus of new grants initiative
Preservation of heritage homes will be getting a financial boost. On Tuesday, Vernon city council decided to establish a program that provides grants to residents who retain their heritage properties.“It enables owners of heritage homes to proceed with maintenance,” said Coun. Buffy Baumbrough.“The heritage advisory committee wanted to create an incentive program to keep people on the heritage registry.” The registry identifies heritage properties. It is voluntary to join and withdraw from. Under the incentive program, a maximum annual grant of $500 per heritage registry property will be available. Grants will be awarded towards material and labour for completed works, and the funding is for up to 50 per cent of the value of the project. “It would be at the scale of fencing or repainting the home,” said Dean Strachan, a planning assistant. The budget for heritage grants will rise from $15,000 to $61,000 in 2012 to cover the program. Opposition came from Councillors Patrick Nicol and Jack Gilroy. “Providing that ($500) annually is something I don’t support on principle,” said Nicol. Coun. Bob Spiers excused himself from the discussion because he owns a heritage home.
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2 comments:
I thought this council was going to try and keep a zero budget increase. Just goes to prove they don't mean to.
The aesthetic value of heritage homes is worth far more than a small grant. They are a "living" representation the history of Vernon.
I would prefer to have money spent to preserve heritage homes, buildings and trees than on homogenous "historical" murals that romanticise an imagined past.
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