MacGregor - Albert Neighbourhood Designated as Waterloo’s First Heritage Conservation District

Waterloo - With the issuance of the Ontario Municipal Board’s Order on January 29, 2008, the City of Waterloo has received formal approval of its first Heritage Conservation District. The MacGregor Albert Neighbourhood, located in the Uptown area of the City, is now officially recognized as one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Waterloo.

Elements that contribute to this neighbourhood’s architectural and landscape character include:

- a nineteenth century street plan that forms two deltas;
- the vistas and views into Waterloo Park;
- two institutional landmarks (the old Carnegie Library and Emmanuel United Church); and,
- the diverse range of high-quality houses dating since the mid-nineteenth century.

Among the neighbourhood’s buildings, there is a diversity of ages and styles resulting from a long period of development, with gradual infilling of new buildings alongside the old. The buildings date from the mid-nineteenth century to recent times; however, only ten per cent of the buildings postdate 1946, following the Second World War. Almost all the buildings exhibit traditional, rather than modern, architectural styles and types.

Three rare occurrences of the distinctive mid-nineteenth century Pennsylvania-German type are found, as well as a number of examples of urban Waterloo Vernacular houses of the late nineteenth century. Examples of styles found elsewhere in Ontario include Neoclassical, Regency, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival (Arts & Crafts), Edwardian Classical, Bungalow, Georgian Revival, Colonial Revival, Victory, Modern Classical, Ranch, Modern and Modern Traditional. Early twentieth century styles are well-represented, with more than a quarter of the building stock Edwardian Classical and eleven per cent being Bungalow.

The purpose of declaring an area as a Heritage Conservation District is to then be able to devise a plan to conserve and enhance the area wide character of the neighbourhood. A Heritage Conservation District Plan is not about stopping change from happening, but serving to guide physical change over time so that any change contributes to the district’s historic character. The Plan includes a Heritage Character Statement which describes the heritage values that contribute to the unique identity and character of this neighbourhood. The Plan sets out policy statements and guidelines to address such matters as public and private landscape, land use, additions and new construction, existing buildings, and lands adjacent to the district. The policies of the plan address both private and public lands such that the municipality is obligated to comply with the Plan when undertaking any public works in the district.

The Plan sets out the types of work that require a heritage permit and lists the types of work that are minor in nature and other alterations that are exempt from heritage review. The Plan also includes the process for heritage permit applications.

A key to the success of this heritage designation project was the extensive public process which involved area residents.

Wilfrid Laurier University appealed the designation by-law in order to exempt property it owns at 165 Albert St. from the Heritage District. The City and the University agreed to a mediation process administered by the OMB which resulted in a settlement and WLU agreeing to withdraw its appeal. The Board also dismissed an appeal from an area resident at a Hearing held last November. The Board issued its formal approval on January 26, 2008, which cleared the way for Waterloo’s first Heritage District.