I have been following the controversy over the spot redevelopment of housing sites where a modern architectural style is inserted into a street of older houses. I have a solution.
The Heritage Committee should designate each street or block according to its dominant style. Thus we would have a classification of streets into arts and crafts, Scottish baronial, art deco/moderne, post-war bungalow, split-level, rancher etc.
Any new building would then have to conform in external features to the street designation.
There would of course be no restrictions on the internal layout which could be as modern or traditional as the owner wished. Only the outside character details and colours would be mandated.
A local example is that Oak Bay Avenue would obviously fall into the mock tudor category.
I showed the above to my wife. My opinion was that no one could possibly take it seriously.
She pointed out that the local senses of hyperbole, irony and satire were so poorly developed that there would be a real danger of it being adopted.
Joe Harvey
Oak Bay