Report to: Development Services Committee Date of Meeting: February 6, 2007
SUBJECT: ELIGIBILITY
OF JOHN KOCH HOUSE FOR RELOCATION TO MARKHAM
HERITAGE ESTATES – 10044 HIGHWAY 48
PREPARED BY: George
Duncan, Senior Heritage Planner, Extension 2296
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT Council resolve the vacant
heritage house known as the “John Koch House” be declared eligible for
relocation to Markham Heritage Estates due to its cultural heritage
significance as an excellent example of a Pennsylvania-German dwelling with an
intact “gross doddy” addition and it precarious state of long-term vacancy and
deterioration.
And that Staff be authorized and
directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The John Koch House, a significant example of a Pennsylvania
German farmhouse featuring an intact “gross doddy” addition, has been vacant
and deteriorating for some time. It is on
a site owned by Petro Canada,
and is outside of the current urban boundary.
Because of the building’s significance and threatened state, Heritage
Markham and Heritage Section staff recommend that the Koch House be declared
eligible for relocation to Markham Heritage Estates, where it can be preserved
and restored.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Not applicable
The John Koch House is listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage
Buildings
This house is listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings. The property owner is Petro Canada. Research to date suggests the house was built
c.1865 by John Koch as a home for his future retirement on a small parcel of
land that was later partitioned off of the farm when it was sold to Jacob
Wideman. The frame, one and a half
storey house is an excellent, but rapidly deteriorating, example of a
Pennsylvania German dwelling with an intact “gross doddy” addition. The “gross doddy” was the 19th
century equivalent to today’s “granny flat.” Cladding is the original board and
batten. The interior, though damaged by
vandals, still retains most of its original woodwork. A detailed research report is attached as
Appendix ‘A.’
The house is vacant and in a
state of severe neglect
This house has been
in a state of neglect for some time now.
It became vacant in early 2006 when the tenants moved out. The roof is leaking, the front verandah has
collapsed, windows are broken, and the interior has been subject to
vandalism. In response to a Property
Standards complaint, the owner has been compelled to board up the windows and
doors and otherwise clean up the property.
Petro Canada, the property owner, does not intend to repair and
re-tenant the house
In October 2006, Heritage
Section staff met on-site with a representative of Petro Canada, who indicated that his company does not
intend to use or re-tenant the building, and in fact intends to bring forward a
demolition permit application at a future date.
In the meantime, they agreed to secure the house and clean up the
property.
Development in this area will not likely occur for some time
The subject land is
zoned rural residential, and is an agricultural area outside of the Town of Markham’s urban boundary. It is unlikely that development will occur
for some time, and the house, already in a state of advancing deterioration,
may not then be in a condition to restore and incorporate into future
development plans. On-site preservation
at a future date, in the absence of information about the form of development
that will occur, is therefore a questionable option.
The Markham Heritage Estates Study identified this house as a candidate
for relocation to Markham Heritage Estates
The Markham Heritage Estates Study, 2004, identified this house as a candidate for
eligibility for relocation to Markham Heritage Estates. The justification is the building’s heritage
significance, the severe nature of neglect, and the fact that development is
not imminent and may not be in a form compatible with the preservation of the
heritage house (see excerpt from the Heritage Estates Study, Appendix ‘B’).
Heritage Markham recommended that the John Koch House be
declared eligible for relocation to Markham Heritage Estates
At its meeting of November
8, 2006, Heritage
Markham recommended that the John Koch House be declared eligible for
relocation to Markham Heritage Estates in order to ensure its significant
heritage attributes, both exterior and interior, may be preserved before
additional deterioration occurs (see Extract Appendix ‘C’).
Building Eligibility
Criteria
The
building eligibility criteria for Markham Heritage Estates provide that:
- only significant heritage buildings which are
threatened and cannot be retained on their
original sites are eligible for the heritage
subdivision;
- buildings should be listed on the Markham
Inventory of Heritage Buildings;
- buildings must be located within the present
boundaries of the Town;
- buildings located in heritage conservation
districts and study areas will generally not be
considered; and
- only those structures classified as Group 1
or 2 will be considered suitable candidates.
Council
amended the above criteria on December
8, 1992 in order to clarify the matters to be considered when
evaluating the “threat of loss” of a heritage building. Three of these additional criteria would
appear to be relevant to this situation:
d) the
extent to which the building is vacant and threatened with loss through lack of
security provisions, active vandalism, and inadequate care and maintenance of
important architectural details and significant building fabric;
e) the
extent to which enforcement of relevant by-laws and regulations of the Town and
other authorized public agencies could prove effective in overcoming the threat
of loss;
g) the
extent to which provision could be made for maintaining the building
satisfactorily on its present site, or relocating the building to another
secure location on the original property, in the immediate vicinity or to some
other location in Markham deemed
appropriate by Council.
The John Koch House satisfies each
of the above criteria for eligibility for relocation to Markham Heritage
Estates.
The
John Koch House satisfies all of the Town of Markham’s criteria for
eligibility for relocation to Markham Heritage Estates. The house is located within Markham, is not in a heritage
district and is listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings.
Research
and site investigations have shown that the building is significant and is
threatened on its original site due to its vacant, deteriorating state. The owner does not intent to repair or
re-tenant the house, and has no immediate plans for redevelopment of the
property. A number of private
individuals have expressed interest in taking on the relocation and restoration
project at Markham Heritage Estates.
Given
the threatened state of the building, and that development of the property may
not occur in time to enable on-site preservation of the building, staff are of
the opinion that its approval for eligibility for relocation to Markham
Heritage Estates is timely and appropriate.