Renovating in Rosedale

Renovating in Rosedale does come with its own challenges. It’s incredibly important for anyone looking to tackle a project to be well aware of the rules surrounding the neighbourhood.

First and foremost, Rosedale is designated as a Heritage Conservation District (HCD). The intention of the HCD is to protect the alteration or demolition of historically significant properties.

Within an HCD neighbourhood there are certain tiers to establish the buildings that have higher historical significance: Level A, B, C and Unrated. Depending on the classified tier associated with the home, there are stronger restrictions in place for the alterations that can be made.

Here is a brief explanation of the four tiers:

Level A – Buildings that are individually outstanding and have potential national implications for their historical significance.
Level B – Buildings that are noteworthy and have citywide significance
Level C – Buildings that contribute to the historical character of an HCD neighbourhood
Unrated – Buildings that have no national, citywide or neighbourhood significance.

Rosedale is actually comprised of two distinct areas, North and South. Both sides have a tremendous link to the heritage community. North Rosedale for example, has a total of 51% of its homes that are considered to be rated heritage homes (either A, B or C) and 49% that are unrated. Meaning that approximately 51% of all north Rosedale residents are subject to specific heritage guidelines when looking to renovate.

If you are looking to renovate, the general rule is that you can’t alter the front façade of a home by doing things like painting the brick, stuccoing, or enclosing front porches. You can, however, renovate the interior and potentially add onto the back of a home if the size of the lot permits it. However, if you’re looking to build new, be prepared to face an incredible amount of resistance by the city, neighbourhood associations and their heritage committees, as it is virtually impossible to build a new home in an HCD neighbourhood.

It is incredibly important that anyone looking to renovate, contact the city’s heritage department to see what the home in question is classified as and what types of permits need to be in place to move forward with a project.