HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-17-074 - Notice of Intention to Demolish/Remove - 1664 Huron Road
REPORT TO:Heritage Kitchener
DATE OF MEETING: September 5, 2017
SUBMITTED BY:Brandon Sloan, Manager of Long Range & Policy Planning,
519-741-2200, ext. 7648
PREPARED BY:Leon Bensason,Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning,
519-741-2200, ext. 7306
WARD(S) INVOLVED:Ward 5
DATE OF REPORT:August 15, 2017
REPORT NO.:CSD-17-074
SUBJECT:Notice of Intention to Demolish
1664 Huron Road
Demolition of south addition and removal of original farmhouse
RECOMMENDATION:
That,in accordance with Section 27(3) of the Ontario Heritage Act, the written Notice of
Intention to Demolish dated August 15, 2017 to demolish the south addition and to
removeand relocate the original farmhouse located on the property municipally
addressed as 1664 Huron Road, be received for information and that the notice period
run its course.
Location Map: 1664 Huron Road
7 - 1
BACKGROUND:
The Community Services Department is in receipt of aNotice of Intention to Demolishthe south
addition and to remove and relocate the existing stone farmhouse at 1664 Huron Road (see
Appendix ‘A’), submitted by the South Kitchener District Park Development Project Manager
andthe Interim Director of Facilities Management on behalf of the City of Kitchener.
th
Aerial image showing original 19C. stone residencewith
south addition and other structures located at 1664 Huron Road
th
The 16.8 hectare property municipally addressed 1664 Huron Road, contains a vacant mid-19
century 1½ storey stone residencewith one storey addition, two out buildings, a community
garden and agricultural land. The property is Listedon the City’s Municipal Heritage Register as
a non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest.The cultural heritage resource of
th
primary interest on the property is the original mid-19century stone residence.
Ontario Heritage Act Provisions
Part IV, Section 27(3), of the Ontario Heritage Actprovides certain protections to properties
Listed as non-designated property on the City’s Municipal Heritage Register (author’s bold
emphasis):
Restriction on demolition, etc.
(3)If property included in the register under subsection (1.2) has not been designated under
section 29, the owner of the property shall not demolish or remove a building or
structure on the propertyor permit the demolition or removal of the building or structure
unless the owner gives the councilof the municipality at least 60 days notice in writing
of the owner’s intention to demolishor remove the building or structure or to permit the
demolition or removal of the building or structure.
7 - 2
Per the Act, Council has 60 days from August 15, 2017(date of receipt of the Notice of Intention
to Demolish), to act, if it so chooses, on this Notice of Intention to Demolish.The 60 days
provides Council with the time it requires to issue a Notice of Intention toDesignate the property
as a means of preventing the demolitionand removal.
North and west elevations of the stone farmhouseto be removed and conserved
East and north elevations of the farmhouse to be removed and conserved
7 - 3
REPORT
Site Plan Application
A Site Plan Application is currently being processed to facilitate development of the South
Kitchener District Park (SKDP)on the propertymunicipally addressed as 1664 Huron Road. The
property is proposed to be modified from its existing current use to a municipal park. The park is
proposed to include a mix of active and passive outdoor recreational amenities as well as indoor
athletic facilities. Efforts to maximize recreational space and address site constraints, including
grading and storm water management requirements, have resultedin a proposed park design
requiringthe removal of the existing stone residencein its current location. Specifically, the
existing residence is located where one of two soccer fields are proposed to be built.
Heritage Impact Assessment
In compliance with Official Plan policyand the Provincial Policy Statement, a Heritage Impact
Assessment (HIA) wasundertaken. The HIA, prepared by Stantec Consulting Ltd., evaluated
the subject property and concluded that the existing stone residence built c.1860 has design or
physical value and historical or associative value, is worthy of conservation, and meets the
criteria for heritage designation.In addition, abuilding condition assessment undertaken by
Tacoma Engineers, concluded that the existing stone building consists of two distinct portions:
the original stone farmhouse, and a single storey stone addition to the building’s south. The
exterior stone walls of the original farmhouse were found to be generally in fair condition, while
the exterior of the south addition was found to be in poor condition with large cracks and
substantial bowing in the south wall elevation. With consideration given to the building condition
assessment, the HIA examined four alternative mitigation options as follows: restoration and
retention in situ; retention in situ as a ruin; relocation; and finally documentation, salvage and
commemoration.
View of south elevation of the farmhouse to be removed and conserved
and of the rear addition to be demolished
Relocation of the original portion of the stone farmhouse, which would consist of demolishing
the one storey south addition, dismantling the original stone structure,storage of the heritage
materials, and reconstructing the stone building as part of a new amenity structure within the
Park; was identified by the consultant as the preferred mitigation option. Such option was
7 - 4
favoured as it serves to retain the heritage attributes; does not disconnect the residence from
the site and its history; and maintains the recreational amenities of the SKDP as proposed in the
site plan.
The HIA was presented to the Heritage Kitchener Committee on March 7, 2017. Committee
members were in strong support of conserving the original stone building. Some members
expressed support for retaining the building in situ, citing concerns for loss of context; while
other members were in favour of relocating the building and incorporating the structure within a
future amenity building to be built within the Park, as recommended in the HIA. Minutes of the
March 7, 2017 Heritage Kitchener meeting are attachedto this report as Appendix ‘B’. In
reviewing the findings and conclusions of the HIA, City staff agreed with the heritage consultant
that the existing stone building does not retain contextual value, and that there would be no loss
of heritage value if the south addition is removed and the original building is relocated. While
retention in situ could be considered more favourable from a pure preservation perspective, it is
staff’s opinion that mitigation through removal and relocation elsewhere on the property
effectively balances and achieves multiple considerations of public interest.
While the HIA and Tacoma building assessment specifically examined the relocation option with
the view that theoriginal building be dismantled and then re-builtwithin the proposed SKDP;
heritage staff requested that further investigation be undertaken to examine the feasibility of
moving the stone farmhouse building intact. Moving the building intact would preserve evidence
of the original construction, materials and design, but could also introduce complexity and risk.
In order to address this issue, along with interest in providing further guidance on conservation
methods, a Conservation Plan will be prepared in two phases.
The first phase Conservation Plan (CP1) is to be submitted for review and approval prior to site
plan approvalin principle, so that appropriate conditions of final approval can be applied to
ensure implementation of conservation objectives. CP1 will provide guidance on the sequence
of activities to be undertaken related to the conservation of the stone farmhouse in advance of
grading and construction. This will include further evaluation by a qualified Engineer in
determining the preferred means of relocating the historic stone farmhouse (i.e. safe removal of
the south addition, disassemblyof the original farmhouse, storage of materials and
reconstruction, ormoving the original stone building intact); as well as defining specifications
and timelines for proper storage and/or relocation. A second phase Conservation Plan (CP2)
will be prepared by a qualified heritage consultant as part of a future site plan process. It is
expected that CP2 will be made a condition of planning approvals for the development of Phase
2 of the SKDP, and address issues relating to how the heritage attributes and building materials
will be used in the construction of a new amenity building serving the SKDP. Work on finalizing
CP1 is nearing completion,and recent inspections undertaken by Tacoma Engineers and a
house moving company suggest the original farmhouse is a good candidate to be moved intact.
The Notice of Intention to Demolish has been brought forward at this time given the City would
like to commence preliminary grading in the areawhere the farmhouse is currentlylocated.
Council’s Options
Under the Ontario Heritage Act, Council does not approve or refuse an owner’s Notice of
Intention to Demolish.Rather, Council’s options includethe following (author’s bold emphasis):
7 - 5
1.request further information;
2.receive the Notice of Intention to Demolish, allowing the notice period to run its
course, at the end of which the Building Division may issue a demolition permit as
early as October 14, 2017; or
3.Council may issue a Notice of Intention to Designate, at which point Council would have
the authority to deny demolition.
In this case, City staff recommendOption #2 above asthe appropriate course of action(i.e.
receive for information the Notice of Intention to Demolish and allow the notice period to run its
course).
City staff are of the opinion that no action to designate the property is warranted at this time.
The purpose of any heritage designation in this context, would be to prevent the demolition of
the south addition and removal of the farmhouse in its current location.The approvedHeritage
Impact Assessment established that there would be no loss of heritage value if the stone
farmhouse were to be removed and relocated elsewhere on the property.Demolition is to be
limited to the south addition which was determined to be in poor conditionoverall.Larger stones
from the south addition are expected to be salvaged for future use. The original stone
farmhouse will be removed and proposed to be conserved by integrating the structure into the
SKDP in the form of a new amenity building.The recommended and preferred approach to
remove the farmhouse (by dismantling, storage and rebuilding, or by moving the farmhouse
intact before being rehabilitated) is to be identified in CP1 and will be formally considered for
approval by the Director of Planning. It is staff’s recommendation that a heritage designation be
brought forward for Council considerationafter the stone farmhouse has been rehabilitated and
integrated within a new amenity building serving the SKDP.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the City’s strategic vision
through the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
N/A
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM - This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the
Heritage Kitchener committee meeting.
CONSULT - Heritage Kitchener has been consulted regarding the subject Notice of Intention to
Demolish.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Alain Pinard, Director of Planning
APPENDIX A:Notice of Intention to Demolish, dated August 15, 2017
APPENDIX B:Minutes of the March 7, 2017 Meeting of Heritage Kitchener
7 - 6
7 - 7
7 - 8
7 - 9
