City open to new tools to aid heritage renos

It is common knowledge that often heritage building owners are reluctant to invest money to restore their property because their property taxes will increase. Others say they are unwilling to navigate the municipal bureaucracy to obtain a grant to restore a heritage building.

Well-known Aylmer businessman André Lacasse, owner of the McLean House at 10 rue Principale, has proposed that the city freeze, for a limited time, property taxes of recently renovated heritage buildings to give the owner a break after spending to restore their buildings. Costs to renovate or simply bring a heritage building up to code can be costly.

Mayor Pedneaud-Jobin realizes that this situation is unappealing and actually deters heritage renovations.  “When Mr Clemann started renovating the British Hotel, our tools to help him were few and that’s a problem,” the mayor told the Bulletin.

“I realize it costs a lot to restore a heritage building, but the city cannot have different tax rates for different properties. The only exception is the Architectural installation and integration plan (PIIA) which offers tax credits per unit to builders (in the downtown core). Targeting only one house represents a challenge,” explained the mayor. “I’ve talked to (Deschênes councillor) Richard Bégin about this question; he’s very interested in helping heritage building owners.” The councillor for Ward 3 has been President of the Fédération Histoire Québec since 2005.

A tax-freeze as incentive has existed in Oregon and, despite challenges, the Special Assessment of Historic Property Program has been regarded as an effective tool for historic preservation and a justifiable tax incentive program.

Oregon “used to have a freeze of assessed values and now it’s a little more complicated. It’s a special assessment of each property value. It’s recalculated down to a lower amount, called a changed property ratio,” explained Joy Sears of the State Historic Preservation Office.

Since the Oregon program’s inauguration in 1975, more than a quarter of eligible properties have signed on. State officials have handled more than 2,050 participants, which is about 20% of the eligible properties.