The heritage board and the owners of St. George’s Anglican Church on the west side of Saint John have been given two weeks to get together and talk out the issue that is the property’s heritage designation.
David McCashion is one of the owners and wants that designation removed, saying that the heritage laws are affecting the viability of their business plan and contends that heritage is expensive. The nearly 200-year-old building is home to a wedding chapel and a restaurant.
“The heritage is working against us, it definitely is,” McCashion told Common Council during a public hearing on Monday evening. “From insurance to cost of restoring this building which it needs.”
The heritage board has recommended denial of removing the heritage designation — as it has done two other times with this property, located at 100 Watson Street, in recent years. Chair Bob Boyce says its removal would reduce the importance of the area.
“Within the heritage area on King Street West it’s a cornerstore or a centerpiece of that heritage area as the most significant building in that heritage area.”
Boyce also notes that the board is baffled by the application: “in the sense that the owners have not applied to do any work to this property other than to put up to the two signs for which they received approval, therefore they haven’t been denied approval to do any work.”
The matter has been tabled for two weeks.
This church was built back in 1821.
