HomeMy WebLinkAboutHK - 2020-01-07 - Item 1 - Summary Draft Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) - 50-52, 56 Weber St W & 107 Young StDate:December 16, 2019
To:
Members of Heritage Kitchener
From:
Leon Bensason, Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning
cc:
Subject:50-52 & 56 Weber Street West, 107 Young Street
Draft Heritage Impact Assessment
The Planning Division is in receipt of a draft Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA)
dated December 6,2019 prepared by MHBC Planning Ltd.,regarding a
proposal to demolish the existing buildings located on 50-52 & 56 Weber Street
West and 107 Young Street; and to redevelop the subject properties with a 42-
unit, 6 storey multiple residential building. The subject properties are located
within the Civic Centre Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District.
The applicant’s heritage consultant will be in attendance at the January 7, 2020
meeting of Heritage Kitchener to present the draft HIA and answer questions.
Heritage Planning staff will be seeking the committee’s input and comments
which will be taken into consideration as part of staff’s review of the HIA and
the processing of related Heritage Permit and Planning Act applications. A
motion or recommendation to Council will not be required at the January
meeting. It is anticipated that a staff report regarding Heritage Permit
applications seeking the consent of Council to demolish the existing buildings,
will be prepared for consideration by Heritage Kitchener on February 4, 2020.
A copy oftheExecutive Summary from the draft HIA isattached to this memo.
The full draft HIA will be made available under separate cover on the City’s
websitetogether with the January 7, 2020 meeting agenda.
________________________________
Leon Bensason, MCIP, RPP, CAHP
Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning
Acknowledged By: Brandon Sloan, Manager of Long Range & Policy Planning
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HERITAGEIMPACT
ASSESSMENT REPORT
Phase I & II
50-52 Weber Street West, 56 Weber Street West & 107 Young
Street, City of Kitchener
Date:
December 5, 2019
Prepared for:
Prepared by:
MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited (MHBC)
200-540 Bingemans Centre Drive
Kitchener, ON N2B 3X9
T: 519 576 3650
F: 519 576 0121
Our File: ‘17191A’
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Heritage Impact Assessment Report Phase I & II
50-52 Weber Street West, 56 Weber Street West, and 107 Young Street, City of Kitchener, ON
Executive Summary
MHBC Planning, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture (“MHBC”) was retained by
to undertake a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for three (3) properties located at 50-52 Weber
Street West, 56 Weber Street West and 107 Young Street, City of Kitchener. The subject lands are located
north of the downtown core within the Civic Centre Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District
(CCNHCD). As such, the subject lands are designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. The
Owner proposes to redevelop the site to a six (6) storey multiple residential building. The buildings at 50-
52 & 56 Weber Street West and 107 Young Street are proposed to be demolished.
This report concludes the cultural heritage value of each property as follows:
50-52 Weber Street, “The Cottage” has representative design value as a representative Ontario
Gothic Revival Cottage and contextual value for its location in CCNHCD;
56 Weber Street, “The Motz House” has representative design value as a Queen Anne building,
historical associations with John and William J. Motz and Henry J. Shoniker and contextual
value in CCNHCD;
107 Young Street, “The Craftsman House” has representative value as Arts and Craft/ Craftsman
house, its historical association with architect C. Knetchel and contextual value in CCNHCD.
While the HCD generally discourages demolition, the subject lands are within the Weber Street Policy
Area of the CCNHCD. The Plan does consider that change will occur within the Weber Street corridor.
While the loss of cultural heritage resources is discouraged, the HCD Plan recognizes that redevelopment
may occur in compliance with the Official Plan. The proposed development is consistent with policies for
increasing density along the Weber corridor in the City of Kitchener Official Plan and the Zoning By-law.
Impacts
This report concludes that heritage impacts, due to the proposed development, are as follows:
Moderate impact of demolition of 50-52 Weber Street as an early representation of a Gothic
Revival Cottage and identified as a Category ‘B’ building;
Minor impact of demolition for 56 Weber Street which is identified as a Category ‘C’ building;
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Heritage Impact Assessment Report Phase I & II
50-52 Weber Street West, 56 Weber Street West, and 107 Young Street, City of Kitchener, ON
Moderate impact of the demolition of 107 Young Street from the CCNHCD which is identified as
a Category ‘C’ building.
Potential impact of land disturbances to the foundation of 48 Weber Street West as the distance
between new construction and the adjacent building is approximately 3.3 metres.
The proposed development of the subject lands will have an overall minor impact on the HCD based on
the following rationale:
Weber Street is a principle street within the CCNHCD Study (2007) however, the CCNHCD Plan
(2007) does acknowledge anticipated development and also that the size and scale of heritage
buildings on Weber Street “is generally larger than the rest of the district”;
None of the buildings located on the subject lands are identified as a Group ‘A’ in the architectural
summary. Group ‘A’ buildings are noted as being of ‘major heritage importance’;
56 Weber Street is considered Group ‘C’ as the type of architecture is well represented in the
District ( approximately 10.5% of buildings (40 buildings) in the District are Queen Anne); there
are better conserved examples within the interior of the District;
50-52 Weber Street is considered Group ‘B’ due to its early representation of a Gothic Revival
Cottage; the building is modestly constructed in this style but has been altered throughout the
years, some of which is unsympathetic to the heritage character of the house;
107 Young Street is considered Group ‘C’, and is described as a ‘vernacular’ building; 40.61% of
the buildings (147 buildings) in the district are identified as ‘vernacular’; and,
The subject lands are not identified as being located within a Heritage Corridor as identified in
Map 9, Cultural Heritage Resources.
Alternative development scenarios have been reviewed as part of the HIA. Alternatives that retain the
buildings 50-52 and 56 Weber Street West and 107 Young Street have been evaluated, however, their
retention would have less impact on heritage resources than would the proposed development.
Retaining all buildings significantly limits the amount of intensification that could occur on site.
This report has concluded that the proposed new building is generally compatible with the CCNHCD Plan
(2007) policies in Sub-section 3.3.5.2 and guidelines in Sub-section 6.9.4 specific to the Weber Street
corridor. It has been determined that the proposed development’s scale, mass, setbacks and orientation
complies with the CCNHCD Plan (2007) and Section 12.C.1.26 of the Official Plan regards change
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Heritage Impact Assessment Report Phase I & II
50-52 Weber Street West, 56 Weber Street West, and 107 Young Street, City of Kitchener, ON
management and redevelopment in an HCD as well as City other policies within the City’s Official Plan,
Zoning By-law.
Adjacent heritage buildings to the east of the subject lands- 48 Weber Street West, Windermere
Apartments- and to the west (non-contiguous) -96 Young Street/58-60 Weber Street West- are of a
similar scale and mass of proposed development and thus, it is does not pose an impact to these
buildings.
Implementation Recommendations
If one or more of the buildings are removed, it is recommended that heritage building material be
salvaged. The following list outlines identified building material that should be salvaged as part of a
selective demolition relevant to each building:
Brick and stone elements of the exterior (107 Young Street)
All windows with leaded-glass (107 Young Street)
Original door on front elevation (107 Young Street)
Hand hewn beams (50-52 Weber Street)
Original window frames (50-52 & 56 Weber Street)
Original door frames (56 Weber Street)
Brackets (56 Weber Street)
Salvaged heritage building material is recommended to be reused on site where feasible and/ or given to
the City at no cost for re-use, archival, display or commemorative purposes pursuant to 12.C.1.32 of the
Official Plan. Commemoration of a removed cultural heritage resource is strongly encouraged by the City
(12.C.1.4.2, Official Plan). Commemoration for the removal of 56 Weber Street, “The Motz House” meets
12.C.1.4.2 (c) as it has historical associative value. It is suggested that the incorporation of the names
Motz and Shoniker in the landscape design such as:
Hardscaping, memorial entry way with surname inlay (i.e. Motz’ Corner)
Seating created with salvaged wood with name plaques;
Art display which includes a photo of the Motz Family and Home.
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Heritage Impact Assessment Report Phase I & II
50-52 Weber Street West, 56 Weber Street West, and 107 Young Street, City of Kitchener, ON
If demolition is approved for any of the buildings included in the proposal, it is recommended thatthis
report be deemed by the City as archival documentation to support the demolitions pursuant to
12.C.1.33-34 of the City of Kitchener’s Official Plan. It is also recommended that this report, including all
supplementary reports to this HIA, should be made available to the Kitchener Public Library for
reference.
It is recommended that a Cultural Heritage Protection Plan be established for 48 Weber Street West as
it is in close proximity of the new construction. The CHPP should include the following:
Preconstruction inspection of building foundation;
Detailed description of measures to be undertaken to protect the building from physical
damage during construction activities;
A Vibration Monitoring Report outlining the measures to be implemented to measure
vibration impacts;
Certification from a qualified engineer that the drainage, footings and foundation plans
have been designed to avoid causing negative impacts.
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