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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-10-166 - Demo Control - 399 and 411 Queen St SKITC~IV R ' • ' Development & Technical5ervices Report To: Council Date of Meeting: September 20, 2010 Submitted By: Alain Pinard, Interim Director of Planning Prepared By: Garett Stevenson, Planning Technician (519-741-3400 x 3158) Ward(s) Involved: West -Victoria West (Ward 6) Date of Report: September 15, 2010 Report No.: DTS-10-166 Subject: DEMOLITION CONTROL APPLICATION DC10/09/Q/GS 399 & 411 QUEEN STREET SOUTH POLOCORP INC. ~~ }~ ~~ ~~~ ~$ ~~ 85 ~ ~ ~~~ s9 1U 13-15 ~- 307 ~~ 1715 c $ ~ 5!340342 ~~` ~~ ~[ 350 ~~ ~ 380 Subject Property ~ ~}~ Subject Property 411 Queen St S 399 Queen Street South (the Barra Castle) 109-~~~ 117 ~~ 480 432 434 X38 399411 488 482 429 10 14 18 447 20 $ 24 8 474 455 `~!~ 4A4 ~~ 11 ~{ C,Yj~~lD ~`~~ 473 97 ~'T ~R A4 f~ ~`~ 21 479 Map 1: Location Map ~~ 379 3A9 152 158 15A-180 184 18A 170-172 ~ c~ 178 O ~~~ 181-183 1b0 ~ 185 3-1 RECOMMENDATION: That Demolition Control Application DC10/09/Q/GS requesting permission to demolish the remaining front portion of the building municipally addressed as 399 Queen Street South (commonly known as the Barra Castle) as well as the demolition of the building municipality addressed as 411 Queen Street South, owned by Polocorp Incorporated, legally described as Plan 397 PT Lot 5, be approved, without conditions. BACKGROUND: The Department of Development and Technical Services has received an application requesting the demolition the remaining portion of a building municipally addressed as 399 Queen Street South (commonly known as the Barra Castle) as well as the demolition of the building municipality addressed as 411 Queen Street South. Although the buildings are separately addressed, the property has consolidated The buildings are currently vacant and do not contain any habitable residential dwelling units. The property is located within the Victoria Park Area Heritage Conservation District. The subject property is designated as Mixed Use and Open Space in the Mill Courtland Secondary Plan and zoned Commercial Residential Two (CR-2) and Existing Zone (E-1) in the City's Zoning By-law. The site is subject to Zoning By-law Amendment ZC09/05/COK/HH, a City-initiated amendment to implement Mixed Use Corridor zoning to the lands within the Queen Street South Mixed Use Corridor which is currently under appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board. The Owner is requesting the demolitions to prepare the site for future redevelopment at a later date. At this time no applications have been filed for the redevelopment of the property. Front View: 399 Queen Street South (remaining portion of the Barra Castle) 3-2 REPORT: Planning Comments Under the Planning Act, the purpose of Demolition Control is to maintain residential properties within the municipality and to prevent their premature or unjustified removal. Planning staff advises that from past experience demolition is not always followed by timely redevelopment, even if a building permit is issued. In order to ensure timely redevelopment, Planning staff often recommend that a condition requiring the owner to obtain a building permit be included in the approval of Demolition Control. Upon issuance of a building permit, a demolition permit may be issued subject to a significant fine if reconstruction has not been significantly completed within 2 years. This condition is not being recommended for this application as the applicant has indicated that a development application is imminent. There are structural issues with the building at 399 Queen Street South. Seven criteria, as outlined in Council Policy I-1010, are used to evaluate the appropriateness of an application to demolish a residential property in circumstances where no building permit will be issued for a new building on the site. 1. Property Subject to the Ontario Heritage Act The subject property is located within the Victoria Park Area Heritage Conservation District and is therefore subject to the policies and guidelines found within the Victoria Park Area Heritage Conservation District Plan. The proposed demolitions required the submission of a Heritage Permit Application. Report DTS-10-157 recommended approval of Heritage Permit Application HPA-2010-V-016. The recommendations of DTS-10-157 were approved by Council at the 3-3 Front View: 411 Queen Street South September 7, 2010 meeting. While the demolition of 399 Queen Street South (Barra Castle) would represent the loss of a City landmark, Heritage staff is of the opinion that refusal of the request for demolition is unreasonable, given the information provided in the three separate structural assessments. While City staff acknowledge that the policies of the Victoria Park Area Heritage Conservation District Plan strongly discourage demolition, staff are in agreement with the HIA that No. 411 Queen Street South has little remaining heritage value and does not contribute positively to the Queen Street streetscape. Staff are of the opinion that the demolition of 411 Queen Street South will not have a detrimental impact on the character defining attributes of the heritage conservation district. 2. Architectural and Historical Value Heritage Planning staff believe that feasible options have been investigated and considered, and that unfortunately conservation through restoration or rehabilitation is not viable. Any future development proposals on the lands will require the submission of a Heritage Permit Application supported by a Heritage Impact Assessment. 3. Condition of the Dwelling Three separate structural assessments have been undertaken in regard to the current condition and restoration of the front portion of 399 Queen Street South (Barra Castle) including a City commissioned independent assessment. All conclude that the building has significant structural deficiencies. Of the existing building materials, only a portion of the original exterior concrete wall may be salvageable (estimates range from 40 to 50 percent salvageable). The exterior stucco cannot be salvaged and as identified in the 2009 HIA, most of the exterior detailing will have to be replicated through reconstruction. The HIA establishes that the two storey building located closest to Queen Street (No. 411 Queen Street South) was originally built as a residence in the latter part of the 19th century. Several additions have been added and the building was converted to house commercial activities. More recently, the building was the subject of an unfinished renovation. The original cladding has been either covered or removed and replaced with a rendered stucco finish. Castellation has been applied to the front portion of the building, likely in an attempt to mimic the Barra Castle building adjacent and behind it. 4. Impact of Demolition on Abutting Properties, streetscape, and Neighbourhood Stability It is Planning staff's opinion that removal of the buildings will have a temporary impact on the streetscape of Queen Street South. Future redevelopment of the property will be subject to a Heritage Impact Assessment and Site Plan Approval. These processes will influence the design of any new buildings on the site. Consideration for streetscape impacts and enhancement opportunities will be considered, in compliance with the Mixed Use Corridor Design Guidelines. 5. Timeframe of Redevelopment Although no formal application has been filed for the redevelopment of the site, it is anticipated by Planning Staff and through discussions with the Owner that a formal site plan application will be submitted in the very near future. 6. Proposed Use In Terms of Zoning and Compatibility with Adjacent Properties The subject property is designated as Mixed Use Corridorwith a portion of the site is designated as Open Space in the Mill Courtland Secondary Plan. The site is subject to Zoning By-law 3-4 Amendment ZC09/05/COK/HH, aCity-initiated amendment to implement Mixed Use Corridor zoning to the lands within the Queen Street South Mixed Use Corridor. The subject site is zoned CR-2 with Special Regulation 1 R. Staff recommended a zoning of MU-1 (Low Intensity Mixed Use Corridor) with special regulations, which was appealed and will go before the Ontario Municipal Board. The City cannot issue a building permit for new construction until the final zoning of the property is determined. Once the final zoning is in place, all new development will have to comply with the zoning regulations set forth. Any new development will require the submission and approval of a Heritage Impact Assessment, which will address compatibility of any redevelopment with surrounding properties and the policies and guidelines of the Victoria Park Area Heritage Conservation District. 7. Neighbourhood Consultation All property owners within 60 metres of the subject property will receive notice of the Development and Technical Services meeting dealing with this application for information only. Heritage Comments The subject property is located within the Victoria Park Heritage Conservation District and is therefore subject to the policies and guidelines found within the Victoria Park Heritage Conservation District Plan. The proposal to demolish the remaining (front) section of the building known as the Barra Castle and a two storey building at the property municipally addressed 393-411 Queen Street South required the submission of a Heritage Permit Application. The proposed demolition of 411 Queen Street South had been contemplated by the applicant when the vision for the redevelopment of the subject property was identified and expressed to Committee and Council in 2009. While City staff acknowledge that the policies of the Victoria Park Area Heritage Conservation District Plan strongly discourage demolition, staff are in agreement with the HIA that No. 411 Queen Street South has little remaining heritage value and does not contribute positively to the Queen Street streetscape. Staff are of the opinion that the demolition of 411 Queen Street South will not have a detrimental impact on the character defining attributes of the heritage conservation district. Three separate structural assessments have been undertaken in regard to the current condition and restoration of the front portion of 399 Queen Street South (Barra Castle) including a City commissioned independent assessment. All conclude that the building has significant structural deficiencies. Of the existing building materials, only a portion of the original exterior concrete wall may be salvageable (estimates range from 40 to 50 percent salvageable). The exterior stucco cannot be salvaged and as identified in the 2009 HIA, most of the exterior detailing will have to be replicated through reconstruction. The cost to restore and repair is estimated to be between $275 and $335 per square foot; roughly double the original estimate identified in the 2009 HIA and twice the suggested cost of reconstruction. While the demolition of the Barra Castle would represent a significant loss of a City landmark, staff are of the opinion that refusal of the request for demolition is unreasonable. The current condition of the building requires intervention. Such intervention, even with a view toward conservation, would result in the salvage of a very limited amount of the building at best, and of material that is not currently exposed to public view or necessarily of primary heritage interest. The financial viability of undertaking such effort, with the cost being twice the estimated cost of reconstruction, is questionable. Staff believe that feasible options have been investigated and considered, and that unfortunately conservation through restoration or rehabilitation is not viable. 3-5 Development and Technical Services Report DTS-10-157 recommended approval of Heritage Permit Application HPA-2010-V-016. The recommendations of DTS-10-157 were approved by Council at the September 7, 2010 meeting. Heritage Planning Staff note that any future development proposals on the lands will require the submission of a Heritage Permit Application supported by a Heritage Impact Assessment. Engineering Comments Both the sanitary and the water connections to this property where newly installed last year when Queen Street South was reconstructed. If these connections are not large enough, they must be capped and replaced at the Owner's expense. If there are any redundant driveways, they need to be closed or moved all at the Owner's expense. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: No new or additional capital budget requests are expected with this recommendation. COMMUNICATIONS: Preliminary circulation of the demolition control application was undertaken from September 1, 2010 to September 9, 2010 to internal agencies. All comments that were received from internal agencies are attached as Appendix B. An information letter will be circulated to all property owners within 60 metres of the subject property in advance of the Development and Technical Services Committee Meeting dealing with the subject application. CONCLUSION: Planning staff is satisfied that the proposed demolitions are justified as there are structural issues and there will only be a temporary impact on the streetscape as new development is anticipated in the near future. It is Planning staff's opinion that the standard two year redevelopment condition should not be applied to this application and that an unconditional approval be granted for the demolition of both buildings. The Owner has not finalized redevelopment plans for the property and is not in a position to obtain a building permit for the future redevelopment. The site is currently subject to aCity-initiated zone change application which has been appealed. The buildings proposed for demolition are uninhabitable. Heritage Permit Application HPA-2010-V-016 was approved by Council at the September 7, 2010 meeting. Planning staff recommend that Demolition Control Application DC10/09/Q/GS requesting permission to demolish the remaining front portion of the building municipally addressed as 399 Queen Street South (commonly known as the Barra Castle) as well as the demolition of a building municipality addressed as 411 Queen Street South, owned by Polocorp Incorporated, legally described as Plan 397 PT Lot 5, be approved, without conditions. REVIEWED BY: Della Ross, Manager of Development Review ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, Interim General Manager Develo ment and Technical Services De artment Attachments: • Appendix "A" -Demolition Plan • Appendix "B" -Internal agency comments 3-6 ®TS Rep®rt N®. ®TS ®t ~ o `~~ ~ Appendix " ~ " ~~ r` `~ i ~° ~ ,' J g o 3-7 ®TS Rep®rt N®. ®TS d i~ ~ i~~; Garett Stevenson appendix "~; " From: Dan Kerr Sent: Friday, September 03, 2010 11:28 AM To: Garet[ Stevenson Cc: Linda Ceoper Subject: FW: Internal Circulation: 393-399 Queen Street South (Barra Castle) & 411 Queen Street South Demolition Control Applpication Attachments: Internal Circulation 379 Queen Street South Demo Middle-Rear-Annex.pdf; DC10-09-Q-GS Demo Plan.pdf; 393-411 Queen Street South Location Map.JPG, 399 Queen Street South Frant View.JPG; 399 Queen Street South Rear View.JPG; 411 Queen Street South Front View.JPG; 411 Queen Street South Side View.JPG; 399 Queen Street South Front View2.JPG Hi Garett, Here are our comments for the above noted properties : -Both the sariitary and the water connections to this property where newly installed last year when the this road was reconstructed. (f these connections are not large enough, they must be capped and replaced at the owners expense. If there are any redundant driveways, they need to be closed or moved all at the owners expense. Dan 3-8