The cross on the front of All Saints church may be removed by a future owner.

Although View Royal formally recognized the 56-year-old church as having heritage significance, along with St. ColumbaB次元官网网址檚 church, and listed it on a new heritage registry last spring, that doesnB次元官网网址檛 protect the building from being altered. It only stops it from being demolished.

The cross came into question at a Dec. 13 council meeting, in light of a religious group considering the buying of the church on the condition that the cross comes down.

Director of development services Lindsay Chase said the Town would have to create a bylaw to give the church heritage designation if it wanted a say in alterations.

B次元官网网址淭he proposed alterations are sympathetic to the original look of the building,B次元官网网址� Chase said, explaining the arms of the cross can be removed, and, if needed replaced, without damaging the building.

The interested buyer, the Church of Christ, intends to leave in place the vertical beam of the cross, which is embedded in the steeple, and not make any alterations to the church interior.

B次元官网网址淛ust removing the (arms of the cross) would satisfy the needs of my client,B次元官网网址� said real estate agent Gord Hoshal of Permberton Homes, who represents a Church of Christ congregation, which has outgrown its current meeting place at White Eagles Hall in Victoria.

Neil Duazo, head deacon at the church, said his denomination does not believe in displaying a cross on its churches. So, the group wanted to be sure it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 run into problems removing the cross if the purchase went through.

Council voted unanimously in support of assuring the buyer that the cross could be removed.

B次元官网网址淭his is a relatively simple question to facilitate a sale,B次元官网网址� Coun. David Screech said. B次元官网网址淲e have no say in the issue. All we can do is reassure them we wonB次元官网网址檛 get in the way.B次元官网网址�

Duazo isnB次元官网网址檛 sure his group will go through with the purchase of the All Saints building, as it is currently considering several properties.

Last December View Royal created a new zoning category for All Saints and St. ColumbaB次元官网网址檚 churches to limit the permitted uses for the properties. The zone permits, for example, government offices and preschools, but removed several uses council deemed inappropriate B次元官网网址� including public utility, public transportation centre and public works yard.

Council is not currently pursuing a bylaw for heritage designation for the churches, which were among several in the region disestablished and listed for sale by the Anglican Diocese last year.

B次元官网网址淲e werenB次元官网网址檛 going to give the churches heritage designation unless the buildings are in peril,B次元官网网址� Screech said.