Wanna build a new house in town without paying for drawings of “all exterior elevations”? Forget about it. Not happening.

But if you plan on throwing up a 51,000-foot, six-storey-high commercial building in the middle of a highly protected area where four vintage buildings stood and break every heritage rule, well, that’s OK. Knock yourself out.

Against the tide, three councillors took the principled position a few days ago to try and halt Shaw Inc. — the real-estate development company that used to just put on plays — from doing just that. They failed.

In a six-to-three vote, our leadership gave the final green light to a modern complex that will forever, irrevocably, irreversibly change our landmark street. Not since 1847 when the Courthouse was built has anyone done this (and it’s a third the size). And the new Royal George will end up being, well, a giant box. With a fancy snout.

But nobody knows for sure. Because, weirdly, a rough sketch is the only thing the Shawmeisters delivered showing how their trophy will look in the context of our beloved 19th-century Queen Street and heritage hood.

Yikes.

In case you missed it, the Shaw wants a new theatre no larger than the one it just tore down but surrounded by a state-of-the-art complex that will give it oodles of office, rehearsal, commercial kitchen and food service space. The lobby alone will hold more than 300.

The $90 million edifice is being financed in large part by tax dollars. And as a charity, the Shaw pays no commercial income tax, no property taxes and sits on $40 million in investment assets.

Well, I asked the brave dissenters why they did what they did, knowing pro-Shaw sentiment flows largely in the opposite direction in NOTL. Actually, it gushes. People love it. At least, until this thing is built and towers over us.

“My concern has always been the mass and scale of the proposal,” says Sandra O’Connor. “The total floor space increases close to five times to 51,000 square feet. There will be no significant increase of theatre seats — the space is mainly for theatre related activities and accessibility.

“This will set a precedent for Queen Street. It will not preserve the heritage character of the heritage conservation district.”

Andrew Niven shares O’Connor’s dismay at the lack of a comprehensive to-scale model.

“During the council meeting, I asked if the additional renderings and streetscape materials (that would be released afterward) were exactly the same as what the committee reviewed,” he says. “The response was that they would be ‘generally’ the same, which raised a concern for me.

“For a significant landmark within the Queen-Picton heritage conservation district, I felt it was important to understand the final design intent and how the building would integrate into its surrounding.”

Gary Burroughs, the third dissenting vote, provided the sketch published here.

“My concern regarding the Royal George has always been about the massing, and the effect on the streetscape of our main street,” he states. “I only recently received the ‘drawing’ (whatever it should be called). Maybe the “heritage battle” has been lost, but my concerns haven’t changed.”

Everyone, including these three, vow support for the Shaw. But not this building.

As for those who want to run the town this fall after the October election, Coun. Erwin Wiens voted for the Shaw to proceed. Vaughn Goettler wavers.

“If I were lord mayor, I would have made sure that heritage was top of mind from the very beginning of this project, rather than being treated as an afterthought. The leadership of the current council did not do this, which is why we’re in a situation now where the revitalization of the George is controversial and divisive, instead of being celebrated.”

Andrea Kaiser would also have voted no.

“While I support the redevelopment of the Royal George Theatre and recognize its importance to Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Shaw Festival, based on the information available to me publicly, I would not have supported approving the heritage permit at this juncture,” she states.

By the way, O’Connor and Burroughs are standing for re-election.

Good.

Garth Turner is a NOTL resident, journalist, author, wealth manager and former federal MP and minister. garth@garth.ca