Dear Editor:
Re: Demo on Hold for 1937 city house, the Record, Dec. 8
For more than two years, residents, city staff and council have been looking for ways to preserve what residents in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood have identified as being “important” – the retention of heritage homes, streetscapes and green space and since June 2016, the city has been working towards a conservation area for Queen’s Park.
Of the almost 600 houses in Queen’s Park, many are smaller houses – part of the diversity of the neighbourhood and part of what gives the neighbourhood its charm.
Conservation of the neighbourhood is not about saving only the big houses. All of the old houses and streetscapes have something to contribute to the neighbourhood. Our experience has been where houses have been demolished they are usually replaced by bigger houses, generally not well designed and do not fit in.
At this time, before the conservation plan is completed, it is prudent for city council not to be approving demolitions of any heritage properties – modest or otherwise. We need the whole spectrum of houses and we are working hard to enhance this valuable asset.
Maureen Arvanitidis, president, Heritage Preservation Society of New Westminster
