In 2023, after previous attempts to develop a heritage by-law for the Town of Saint Andrews, council made the decision to establish a Heritage Committee. The goal of the committee was to research and create a set of guidelines which would be the framework for a protective by-law for the town’s at-risk heritage structures.

The committee, consisting of volunteers from the town, represented some exceptionally talented experts in the field – from a wide-range of specializations including heritage preservation, urban planning, architecture, design, legal, real estate, and education. This volunteer group spent eight months researching guidelines from other communities, like the ones previously noted, and reviewed the impact of different by-laws and their degree of regulation. They then took some best practices to develop a set of guidelines for Saint Andrews, with a focus on the unique needs of the town and local residents.

The end result was set of guidelines being presented to town council that met the following criteria:

1. Protecting What Matters – The guidelines presented are focused on what is important, the preservation of select heritage defining elements which make a building of heritage significance to the town.
2. Investment Sensitive – That the guidelines not be a financial burden to any owner of a heritage structure, ensuring that required materials to maintain them can be both cost-effective and relevant to preserve the look and feel of the structure.
3. Pre-Defined as Important – That properties not be randomly added to the list of heritage structures by a committee. Instead, relying on the pre-defined list established by the Province of New Brunswick several years ago.
4. A House is a Home – That the guidelines shouldn’t keep someone from making their house unique to them, such as the colour of paint they choose. After all, a house is also a home.
5. Prevents Buy and Bulldoze – That the guidelines make it extremely difficult for a perfectly usable heritage structure to be acquired, demolished, and either left as vacant land or replaced – something that other communities have struggled with in recent years.

In addition, the committee evaluated where and how the guidelines should be implemented. There were several options on the table. In the end, the committee settled on the establishment of a formal Heritage Preservation Area that aligns with the original Town Plat, currently recognized federally as the boundary of the Saint Andrews National Historic District. This means that the preservation area is bound by the Water to the south, Prince of Wales to the North, and all blocks between Harriet and Augustus Streets.

Consideration was given to limiting the guidelines to the Water Street Commercial Business District and making them more restrictive, given the significance of the streetscape. However, the committee took three major realities into consideration.

1. The majority of the structures of heritage significance in Saint Andrews, roughly 86%, are located in the residential zone and not on Water Street.
2. The existing secondary municipal plan already provides significant restrictions to protect the streetscape and heritage structures along Water Street.
3. The National Historic District designation for the town incorporates the entirety of the original Town Plat, not simply Water Street. Not protecting heritage properties within this zone could result in the town losing this important designation and draw for visitors.

As such, the committee opted for a set of fair and reasonable guidelines for the broader Heritage Preservation Area, with the Water Street Commercial Business District having additional protections through the Secondary Municipal Plan.