Designated Heritage Property Grant Program
The City of Kitchener wants your opinion on ways to improve our grant and tax rebate programs for eligible designated heritage property owners.

• Take the Heritage Grants Survey

• Take the Heritage Planning Survey

The City of Kitchener Designated Heritage Property Grant Program makes funds available to cover half of the cost of eligible conservation work up to a maximum of $3,000, subject to available funding. Grants will be awarded with priority given to conservation work that addresses the structural needs of the property.

For more information on the City of Kitchener
Designated Heritage Property Grant Program contact:

Planning Division
Development & Technical Services Department
6th Floor, Berlin Tower
City Hall, P.O. Box 1118
200 King Street West
Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4G7
Phone: 519-741-2426
Fax: 519-741-2624
E-mail: planning@kitchener.ca

The following conditions and administrative procedures serve as the operating guidelines for the Designated Heritage Property Grant Program:

Introduction
Owners of property in the City of Kitchener designated under the Ontario Heritage Act as having cultural heritage value or interest, may be eligible to receive grants toward the conservation of their property. The City of Kitchener Designated Heritage Property Grant Program is one component of the City's Heritage Planning function, assisting designated property owners with the conservation of Kitchener's cultural heritage resources. The following procedures and operating guidelines are to be used in administering the program.

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Definitions

(a) 'actual eligible project cost' means the cost of the project as
determined from invoices after the project is completed.

(b) 'applicant' means the owner of the property applying for a Designated Heritage Property Grant, or their agent, if authorised in writing by the owner to act as agent.

(c) 'City' means The Corporation of the City of Kitchener.

(d) 'estimated eligible project cost' means the cost of the project as
estimated on the Designated Heritage Property Grant Application.

(e) 'heritage attributes' means, in relation to real property, and to the buildings and structures on the real property, the attributes of the property, buildings, and structures that contribute to their cultural heritage value or interest.

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Eligibility for a Grant

The grant is only available:

(a) to projects for which all necessary approvals have been obtained; AND

(b) to properties that are designated:

i) under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, and for which the project conserves or enhances elements specified in the heritage attributes of the property, as determined by the City's Heritage Planner or designate; OR

ii) under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, and for which the project is conducted in accordance with design guidelines or policies as specified in the Heritage District Plan adopted by the Municipality, as determined by the City's Heritage Planner or designate.

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Grants
(a) The awarded grant amount for approved projects is one half the lesser of either the 'actual eligible project cost' or the 'estimated eligible project cost', from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $3000 per property per year.

(b) Eligible projects are outlined in Sections 7 and 8 below, and the City's Heritage Planner or designate shall determine whether a proposed project is eligible based on those criteria.

(c) Donated labour and materials will not be considered part of the
eligible project costs or part of the owner's matching contribution.

(d) The awarding of grants is subject to the availability of funding.

(e) Grants will be awarded with priority given to structural need and urgency of the project as determined by the Heritage Planner or designate, and thereafter in the order in which applications are received.

(f) A property owner may receive one grant per property per calendar year.

(g) All projects must follow good heritage conservation practice, as determined by the City's Heritage Planner or designate, and be completed within the calendar year for which the grant has been approved unless this deadline is extended by the City's Heritage Planner or designate at his or her discretion.

(h) Depending on the designation and the proposed projects to be
undertaken, Municipal Heritage Committee review of the grant application and/or Council approval of a Heritage Permit Application may also be required.

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Architects' and Engineers' Fees

(a) The grant may include one half of the cost of architects' and
engineers' fees to a maximum of nine hundred dollars ($900.00), for work directly related to proposed conservation projects.

(b) Eligible fees include work related to: preparation of drawings for reconstructed or restored elements such as porches, windows, doors, etc., for which the appearance can be clearly determined from documentary sources; solution of structural problems (e.g. foundation repairs, beam reinforcement); preparation of specifications for masonry repair, re-pointing or cleaning; paint analysis to document the historic paint colours for the building.

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Pre-Consultation
The property owner should consult with the City's Heritage Planner as early as possible in the process of planning a project. This pre-consultation may avoid ineligible proposals, delays in the processing of an application, and also establishes whether a Heritage Permit Application is required.

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Application and Grant Process

(a) Work on eligible projects shall not commence prior to the awarding of the Grant. Exemptions to this provision may be given by the City's Heritage Planner or designate at his or her discretion.

(b) The Applicant shall submit a completed Designated Heritage Property Grant Application, to the City's Heritage Planner or designate by March 31^st of the calendar year for which the Grant is requested unless such deadline is extended for all applicants by the City's Heritage Planner or designate at his or her discretion. This application shall include all details necessary for a full understanding of the proposed project (e.g. materials and methods to be used, dimensions, etc.). The City may request additional plans, specifications, documentary evidence, drawings or photos, where necessary to complete the Application. The approximate cost of the proposed work as identified by written estimates shall also be included with the application, and these estimates shall be attached to the Application.

(c) The Applicant shall ensure that the work to which the grant monies are proposed to be applied, comply with the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act and any other applicable legislation, by-laws, and regulations.

(d) Where required, a Heritage Permit Application shall be submitted to the City's Heritage Planner or designate together with the Designated Heritage Property Grant Application.

(e) The Applicant shall submit a non-refundable administrative fee, as determined by the Development and Technical Services Department.

(f) The City's Heritage Planner or designate shall determine which
Applicants receive a Grant in accordance with the provisions of this by-law.

(g) Applications will either be conditionally approved or refused. Refusal of grant applications may be based on the ineligibility of the project; the inability or lack of obtaining other necessary approvals; or the lack of funding. All Applicants will be advised in writing of the City's decision.

(h) Applicants who are conditionally approved to receive a grant that will be less than the maximum allowable grant for the project (i.e. less than one half of the 'estimated eligible project cost' to a maximum $3,000.00), will be contacted by the City and will be asked to confirm in writing if they still wish to proceed with the project.

i) If such Applicant advises the City in writing that they no longer wish to proceed with the project, or if they fail to respond to the City in writing before the response deadline to be communicated to the Applicant in writing, then the conditional grant approval is considered to have been withdrawn and the grant monies will be made available to other eligible Applicants in priority taking into consideration the structural need and urgency of the project as determined by the Heritage Planner or designate, and thereafter the order in which applications have been received.

ii) Applicants who respond to the City before the response deadline and confirm they do not intend to proceed with the eligible project, are permitted to re-apply for a grant for the same work in the following year and will not be subject to an administrative fee to make such application.

(i) If the Applicant has been conditionally approved to receive a grant equal to the maximum grant allowable for the project (i.e. one half of the 'estimated eligible project cost' to a maximum $3000) or has confirmed in writing that they still intend to proceed with the project even though they are receiving less than the maximum grant allowable; and such Applicant fails to complete the project and submit final invoices to the City by the end of the calendar year in which the application has been made or has not been granted an extension for the project by the Heritage Planner or designate, then such Applicant is deemed to have failed to comply with the program Administrative Procedures and Operating Guidelines; and

i) shall not be awarded that grant, and

ii) is prohibited from making a grant application for the same work in the following year of the grant program.

(j) The Grantee shall contact the City's Heritage Planner or designate forthwith concerning any changes to the project which are proposed during the course of the work, as well as upon completion of the project. The Grantee shall not proceed with any changes to the proposed project unless approved by the City's Heritage Planner or designate.

(k) The Grantee will permit the City's Heritage Planner or designate to take photographs of the property to document the condition of the building before and after the conservation work. In addition, the Grantee will permit the City to inspect the completed project to ensure conformity to the proposal submitted.

(l) Invoices for costs of the completed project shall be submitted to the City's Heritage Planner or designate to verify the eligible amount of the grant. Invoices must be submitted by December 31^st of the calendar year for which the grant has been conditionally approved unless such deadline is extended by the City's Heritage Planner or designate at his or her discretion.

(m) At such time as the City confirms that the conditionally approved project was completed in accordance with the requirements of the Designated Heritage Property Grant Program Administrative Procedures and Operating Guidelines, and in accordance with any applicable legislation, by-laws and regulations, the City's Heritage Planner or designate will direct that a cheque be issued to the Grantee equal to one half the lesser of either the 'actual eligible project cost' or the 'estimated eligible project cost', from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $3000.

(n) Should the Grantee fail to comply with the requirements of the
program administrative procedures or operating guidelines or supply false information, the Grantee shall be required to forthwith repay the entire Grant amount to the City. Failing immediate repayment, the Grant monies shall be deemed to be a loan, for which the amount of the loan together with interest (at the Prime Interest Rate as set out by the Bank of Canada as of the date of default, plus 2%) may be added by the City Clerk to the collector's roll and collected in like manner as municipal taxes, and such amount and interest shall be a lien or charge upon the land in respect of which the loan was made.

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Eligible/Ineligible Projects

(a) Eligible projects fall into three general categories:

i) The preservation of existing architectural elements which are significant and either designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act or referenced in the policies or design guidelines of the Heritage Conservation District Plan adopted by Council for property designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. Eligible projects may include the repair of deteriorated original elements such as doors and windows, masonry, roofing materials (save for asphalt shingle roofs), and other significant features;

ii) The restoration of significant architectural features which still exist but which are beyond preservation or repair and either designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act or referenced in the policies or design guidelines of the Heritage Conservation District Plan adopted by Council for property designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. Eligible projects may include accurate restoration of original building features using materials, sizes and detail that match the original; and

iii) The restoration of significant architectural features which have been lost, but for which appearances can be clearly determined from documentary sources. Documentary sources must relate directly to the property for which funding is requested and not merely to similar properties. The documentation must be in the form of historic drawings, photographs or other sources clearly showing or describing the feature(s) to be restored.

(b) Ineligible projects include but are not limited to:

i) Projects of a non-historic nature such as the introduction of new features (a building addition or storm windows for example), or work on existing features that are not specifically identified in the heritage attributes or which are not regarded as having heritage significance;

ii) Work in which the quality is unsatisfactory, poor or defective with minor and/or major problems such as a paint job which fails because of improper surface preparation, or masonry joints which have been cut out using power tools or other inappropriate methods;

iii) Short-term, routine maintenance such as minor repairs (repairing a broken step or a broken window), painting (other than as specified in section 9.(a)(vii)) or the repair of non-original siding or roofing materials;

iv) Landscaping; and

v) Repair, replacement or installation of asphalt shingles.

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Explanatory Notes on Eligible/Ineligible Projects

The following is a list of eligible project types along with some common exclusions and limitations.

(a) Exterior Work

i) The Preservation and Restoration of Original Roofing and Siding Materials such as: repair and replacement where necessary of wood clapboard or board-and-batten; repair and re-pointing of masonry buildings; stucco repair; repair or replacement of original roofing materials (slate, wood shingles, tile, etc.) except for asphalt shingles; the removal of a modern or non-historic material (aluminium siding, asphalt shingles, etc.) and replacement with materials matching the original where they can be documented (except for asphalt shingles).

(ii) Repair, Re-pointing and Cleaning of Masonry only if the materials and methods used are in keeping with good heritage conservation practice and will not cause harm to the historic masonry, as determined by the City's Heritage Planner or designate. Masonry work using non-reversible materials such as epoxies and application of water-repellent coatings is ineligible. Cleaning of masonry buildings may be eligible if, in the opinion of the City's Heritage Planner or designate, it is necessary for the building's preservation and if it is carried out using suitable materials and methods.

(iii) Stucco such as the restoration of stucco where it is demonstrable that the stucco had been an historic exterior finish for the structure.

(iv) Preservation and restoration of wooden storm or screen windows if the historical evidence of the use of storm windows can be documented. The storm or screen windows must be replicas of the original in both style and materials.

(v) Preservation and repair of stained glass, including the repair of lead or copper cames and wooden frames or the restoration of the stained glass lights. The installation of lexan, Plexiglas or other synthetic materials to protect stained glass windows is ineligible.

(vi) Preservation or restoration of gutters and down pipes only where these items are considered by the City's Heritage Planner or designate to be a significant architectural feature of the building. Installation of gutters and downpipes made of materials such as plastic, vinyl or aluminium is ineligible.

(vii) Painting of the Exterior in Documented Historic Colours but any property may receive one grant only for exterior painting in documented original colours. After this initial grant, subsequent maintenance will be the owner's responsibility. Colours must be documented for the individual building, such as through paint analysis. Consult the City's Heritage Planner for technical information regarding painting. Fees for professional paint analysis may be an eligible cost (see section 5. above).

(b) Interior Projects
Interior projects are eligible only if they conserve features specifically referred to in the heritage attributes.

(c) Structure
Eligible projects include work necessary to restore the building to structural soundness, such as the correction of serious structural faults that threaten a building's structural integrity. Routine maintenance or structural work to accommodate modern renovations is not eligible. Applications for structural work will be given priority over other applications, subject to available funding.

(d) Bridges
Bridges such as repairs required to restore the structural integrity of a bridge or preservation and restoration of its decorative elements, for example repairs to railing, newel posts, trusses, arches, abutments, or piers executed in the original materials.

(e) Cemeteries
Cemeteries such as preservation and restoration of grave markers, tombs, mausolea, dead houses, significant stone walls, wrought iron gates and fences. As for other heritage resources, the above-mentioned significant features must be cited in the heritage attributes to be eligible for a grant.

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