DIDSBURY - The new owner of the former United Church manse has pulled her request to have the building designated a municipal historic resource.
The designation would have allowed building owner Michelle Milne to receive some compensation for any approved changes made to the manse within set guidelines. It's those guidelines that ultimately led Milne to revoke her request for designation.
The house was originally built in 1933 to be used as a private residence before being purchased by the United Church to be used as the church manse.
Christofer Atchison, manager of legislative and development services, said the town designates municipal historic resources based on an application by the landowner.
"There are no changes or upgrades that are required just because it has become designated; however, if the landowner were to look at changes to the property in the future, there are certain restrictions that the landowner would be required to follow," said Atchison.
According to the minister of culture and tourism Alberta website, there are three different designations for heritage buildings: provincial, registered and municipal. The site says that designation helps to recognize the significance of historic resources and provide them with the protection necessary to ensure their conservation. It also makes site owners eligible for grants from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation for conservation work.
Milne purchased the property in April of this year and moved in shortly after. She acknowledges that there is considerable work to be done on the place.
"I have a roof that's leaking and windows that are rotten," said Milne.
Milne said she filled out the final part of the application for heritage status the same day she went to the council. She said she looked at both the provincial and municipal status levels.
"I was more interested in the municipal one because my understanding is that the municipal one comes with less rigid restrictions and obligations but at the same time provides matching funds from the province for maintaining the things they deem historic," she said.
Milne said she had a representative from Calgary come out and look at the house and do a site visit. She was told the roof and the windows were the main elements that were viewed as historic and she could receive matching grants to restore them.
"She told me most people will have a five-year plan and budget it out and say ëhey, we'll do this in the first year and we get a matching grant of up to 50 per cent,' that way you can be eligible for more funding," said Milne. "For me it's clear that it needs urgent work done because the roof leaks and windows won't seal. These are things I need to get done before the snow flies. The roof is the priority and the biggest expense. The roof became more expensive as time went on."
Milne was told she would have to put expensive cedar shingles on her roof, not the much cheaper cedar shakes, to be eligible for the grant matching.
"She had said to me that the grant is for up to 50 per cent but there's no guarantee it would be 50 per cent," said Milne. "She said the program has been remarkably successful and with more and more people becoming aware of the program - we have a fixed pool of money but more and more applicants. She said you will get some money but we can't guarantee how much."
Milne said she retracted her application at the council meeting because the cost of fixing her roof with the cedar shingles was more than she was prepared to spend. She was also worried she would have to make similar costly repairs to her heritage windows.
