Nine of the 11 people who spoke at a public hearing to get input on a bylaw that would require a higher standard for boarding up buildings in Fort Langley voiced support for the change.
A report to the Monday (Sept. 17) night hearing said the “Heritage Property Maintenance Standards Bylaw 2018 No. 5376” is to establish “minimum standards of maintenance for protected heritage property that is designated as protected by a heritage designation bylaw or is within a heritage conservation area.”
The regulations include a clause that would require sheets of quarter-inch “polycarbonate clear boarding” instead of plywood in “the case of property located in a heritage conservation area, including but not limited to protected heritage property, where it is necessary for any reason, including but not limited to reasons provided for under this bylaw, to board up windows … in order to protect the heritage character and heritage value of the heritage conservation area.”
The regulations come in the wake of a long-running dispute between Fort Langley builder Eric Woodward and the municipality that has seen several buildings shut down and boarded up.
Woodward, who is now running for a seat on Langley council, recently had the plywood covered with historic photos.
READ MORE: Fort Langley’s boarded up buildings ‘filthy, unsightly,’ says health inspector
READ MORE: Historic photos cover up boarded-up buildings in Fort Langley
One of the bylaw supporters, business owner Jasmine Marjanovic, said the boarded-up buildings have hurt Fort Langley.
“It is hard enough to run a small business anywhere, but way harder under these circumstances,” said Marjanovic.
“Everything I have learned about downtown revitalization and creating a healthy business environment points to the importance of “beautification.”
Boarding up buildings on main street with ugly plywood is the opposite of ‘beautification,’ in my opinion.”
One of the opponents, former mayor Kurt Alberts, filed a written submission that said that he agrees something must be done about “super ugly” boarded-up buildings, but what he referred to as the “plywood bylaw” was the wrong way to go about it because it only applies to heritage areas.
“I am opposed to the bylaw singling out properties under the guise of heritage,” Alberts said.
“Deliberately making a neighbourhood “super ugly” should not be allowed anywhere in the Township. (That has) nothing to do with heritage. Please change the bylaw to show respect for all areas of our Township.”
The bylaw is expected come back to council for a vote on Oct. 1.
dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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