Prince of Wales Armoury DC1 Historic Designation

1.         Area of Application

This DC1 District shall apply to a portion (0.86 hectares) of Block 4D, Plan 4494 KS, located east of 105 Street and north of 108 Avenue, Hudson' s Bay Reserve as per the map included an Appendix A.

2.         Rationale

To provide a District to accommodate the development of the Prince of Wales Armoury building, including the development in it of the City Archives and various complementary commercial, recreational and other uses which may be of a community nature or are related to the historic nature of the building, to ensure that development complies with the objectives of the Central McDougall Area Redevelopment Plan.  The District in also applied to the Armoury site as it is designated as an Historical Resource by the Province of Alberta under the Alberta Historical Resources Act.

3.         Uses

The following uses are prescribed pursuant to Section 710.3 of the Land Use Bylaw:

a)       Business Support Services

b)       Community Recreation Services

c)       Public and Private Education Services

d)       Public Libraries and Cultural Exhibits

e)       Government Services

f)       Health Services

g)       Indoor Participant Recreation Services

h)       Minor Amusement Establishments

i)        Minor Eating and Drinking Establishments

j)        Outdoor Participant Recreation Services of a temporary nature only

k)       Private Clubs

l)        Professional.  Financial and Office Support Services

m)      Natural Science Exhibits

n)       Convenience Retail Stores not to exceed 90 m2.

o)       Daytime Child Care Services

p)       Other uses consistent with the rationale of this District, to the satisfaction of the Development Officer, and consistent with the designation of the Prince of Wales as an historic resource under the Alberta Historical Resources Act.

4.         Development Criteria

The following development criteria shall apply to the prescribed uses pursuant to Section 710.4 of the Land Use Bylaw:

a)       Notwithstanding the approval of the Minister of Culture, all development in this District shall meet the requirements set forth in this District and the regulations contained in Bylaw No. 5996, as amended, where not superseded by the development criteria of this District, to the satisfaction of the Development Officer.  The Development officer will consult with the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Heritage Officer, where appropriate.

b)       The development and general site layout shall be substantially in accordance with the site plan and building elevations illustrated in Appendix B.

c)       Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with the parking layout as approved in Development Permit Application 91001792, as approved on August 15, 1991, and in accordance with Section 66 of the Land Use Bylaw for any further development.

d)       Notwithstanding the approval of the Minister of Culture, all developments in this District shall be of a community service nature or complementary to the historic nature of the Armoury of Archives, to the satisfaction of the Development Officer in consultation with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Heritage Officer.

e)       All uses, excepting Outdoor Participant Recreation Services, are to be developed in the interior of the Prince of Wales Armoury building only, to the satisfaction of the Development Officer in consultation with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Heritage Officer.

f)       Signs shall be allowed in this District, as provided for in Schedule 79 J and in accordance with the general provisions of Sections 79.1 to 79.9 inclusive of the Land Use Bylaw.  Notwithstanding Section 710.4 of the Land Use Bylaw, prior to the issuance of any Development Permits for any new external signage on the site, the developer shall establish comprehensive signage criteria for the signs and shall submit these for the approval of the Development Officer, in consultation with the Heritage Officer.  The design, placement and scale of the signs shall be to the satisfaction of the Development Officer, in consultation with the Heritage Officer, to ensure that signage does not detract from the overall appearance of the Armoury, is not obtrusive and does not conflict with the historic theme of the Armoury.  In addition, individual business identification signs located on the facade shall be similar to each other as to proportion, construction materials and placement.  Balloon signs and roof signs shall not be permitted.

g)       Notwithstanding the approval of the Minister of Culture, all development in this District shall comply with the objectives of Policy 4.5 of the Central McDougall Area Redevelopment Plan, to the satisfaction of the Development Officer in consultation with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Heritage Officer:

i)        the provision of adequate old site parking;

ii)       hours of operation;

iii)       noise created by the proposed function;

iv)      litter created by the use of the building; and

v)       traffic circulation.

h)       Daytime Child Care Services shall be developed in accordance with Section 93 of the Land Use Bylaw.

General Guidelines for Rehabilitation

 

The General Guidelines for Rehabilitation are intended to assist in applying accepted principles and practices to the conservation of historic resources. One of the most commonly used standards are the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, of which these guidelines are derived. In a manner consistent with accepted practice, City Policy C-450 requires that the standards be used in conjunction with the guidelines to ensure that the basis for a clear and consistent interpretation of the guidelines is provided to assist owners of historic resources throughout the rehabilitation process. The following guidelines and the referenced standards shall apply to the Edmonton Drill Hall/Prince of Wales Armoury (the "Municipal Historic Resource") and any rehabilitation or maintenance work undertaken with respect to the Municipal Historic Resource at any time.

1.         Compatible Uses

Wherever possible, the uses proposed for a Municipal Historic Resource shall be compatible with the existing building such that only minimal changes are required to the building. The use of a Municipal Historic Resource for its original purpose is desirable.

2.         Original Character

The original distinctive qualities and character of the Historic Resource shall not be destroyed. The removal or alteration of any historical materials or features shall be avoided whenever possible.

3.         The Historic Period

The Municipal Historic Resource should be recognized as a product of its own time. Alterations which are not based on historical fact or which recreate an earlier or a later appearance shall be discouraged.

4.         Witness to Change

Changes to the Municipal Historic Resource may have occurred over time. These alterations are evidence of the history and development of the building. Because this evolution may have acquired a significance in its own right, alterations to the original building should be recognized and respected where indicated.

5.         Style and Craftsmanship

Distinctive stylistic features and examples of skilled craftsmanship of the Historic Resource shall be preserved and treated sensitively.

6.         Repair and Replacement

Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced whenever possible. Where replacement is necessary, the new material should match the original as to material composition, colour, texture, design, etc. The repair or replacement of architectural features shall be based on a sound knowledge of the original characteristics of the feature. Such knowledge shall be based on historical or pictorial evidence and not upon conjecture.

7.         Cleaning

In all cases, surface cleaning shall be undertaken with the gentlest means available. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that damage historic buildings shall not be undertaken without thorough testing prior to use on a building. Sandblasting is NOT recommended on brick, stone or wood. In all instances, it should be ascertained that a building exterior is really in need of cleaning prior to undertaking the work.

8.         Reversibility of Intervention

When the introduction of new elements or materials are necessary to stabilize or preserve the historic resource, alterations shall be undertaken such that the new materials, should they fail, may be removed at a later date without damage to the original fabric of the Historic Resource. Where this is not possible (i.e. use of epoxy or other permanent interventions) only those methods and materials which have been thoroughly tested and found satisfactory in situ, shall be used.

9.       Recording

Prior to undertaking any alterations, particularly in cases where alterations may threaten the building fabric (underpinning, moving structures), the applicant/owner shall provide notice to the City Planning Department's Heritage Program to enable measures to be taken to provide a complete and accurate record of the architectural features of the Historic Resource. Measured drawings and photographs of details may prove invaluable if major features are damaged or lost during the subsequent repair work. Any historic resource, which is the subject of an application to unsympathetically alter or demolish such resource, shall be professionally recorded.

10.     Original Construction Details

In some historic structures, poor construction details or inappropriate materials resulted in rapid deterioration of certain building elements. In these instances, accurate reconstruction of the original detail will inevitably result in the failure of the element. Therefore, reconstruction should be undertaken in such a fashion as to duplicate the original appearance as closely as possible while using details based on sound construction practice.

11.      Codes

At no time should the life and safety of occupants of a Municipal Historic Resource be deemed of lesser importance than the preservation of the original fabric of the Municipal Historic Resource. The required life and safety standards are those required by the current Alberta Building Code. However, notwithstanding these Code requirements, where the essential character of the structure is threatened by changes for Code reasons, every effort shall be made to achieve an equivalent safety standard by alternate means so as to minimize the impact on the historic fabric.

12.      Rehabilitation

Prior to undertaking any rehabilitation work, the scope of work and a schedule of alterations should be prepared. This schedule should include phasing of alterations where necessary due to program or budget restrictions. The type and timing of both short and long term maintenance work shall also be included.

13.      Signs

As a general rule signs should be limited to signs which were originally present on the building. In instances where new uses or interpretive functions dictate the use of additional signs, these new elements should be integrated into the general design of the project. The size, typeface, graphics, and materials should be chosen to suit the period of the Municipal Historic Resource wherever possible. Avoid installing new signs such that the repair, replacement or removal of the signs damages the original fabric of the structure.

14.      Alterations and Additions to Historic Resources

Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing historic resources shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not diminish the overall historic character of the resource and such design is compatible with the size, scale, colour, material and character of the resource, neighbourhood or environment.