Report to: Development Services Committee Report Date: June 22, 2010
SUBJECT: Request
for Demolition of Dwelling
21
Maple Lane, Unionville Heritage Conservation District
PREPARED BY: Regan
Hutcheson, Manager, Heritage Planning, ext 2080
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the staff report titled “Request for Demolition of
Dwelling, 21 Maple Lane, Unionville Heritage Conservation District” dated June
22, 2010 be received;
2)
That Council has no objection to the demolition of the
dwelling at 21 Maple Lane, Unionville subject to the following conditions:
a. The
applicant to advertise in the local newspapers the availability of the dwelling
for relocation (but not to Markham Heritage Estates) and/or salvage of
materials to promote diversion of materials from landfill;
b. The
applicant or future owner obtain Site Plan Approval for a new dwelling which
complies with the Unionville Heritage Conservation District Plan prior to the issuance
of a demolition permit; and
c. The
applicant or future owner work with staff to retain mature trees on the
property.
3)
That the applicant be notified of Council’s decision as
per the requirements of the Ontario Heritage Act;
4)
That this item be sent to Council on June 22, 2010;
5)
And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all
things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Not applicable
The purpose
of the report is to obtain Council’s direction regarding an application to
demolish a house within the Unionville Heritage Conservation District.
The property is located in the Unionville Heritage
Conservation District
The dwelling
at 21 Maple Lane is a one-storey, wooden-sided building that appears to have
been constructed c. 1930 and according to the owner was relocated to this
property in the early 1950s. Prior to
this, the property was vacant and used as a bowling green.
The property
is located in the Unionville Heritage Conservation District and is classified
as a type ‘B’ property in the heritage district plan. Class B properties in the district are
defined as those “that are important in terms of contextual value – they may
not be of significant historical or architectural value, however, they
contribute to the visual character of the village landscape”.
The property is partially designated Special Policy
Area
A small
portion of the rear of the property is designated as Special Policy Area. This designation is given to lands within a
floodplain on which there is existing development that forms an integral part
of an existing flood prone community.
The Provincial Policy Statement states that Special Policy Areas are
intended to provide for the continued viability of existing uses (which are
generally on a small scale) and address the significant social and economic hardships
to the community that would result from strict adherence to provincial policies
concerning development. The property is
also within the TRCA screening zone and any new development would be reviewed
by the Conservation Authority.
A site
visit was arranged to view the dwelling
The owner of
the dwelling arranged a site visit on April 22, 2010 to allow Heritage Section
staff to see the property and view inside the dwelling. The findings included:
Heritage Markham comments
Heritage
Markham reviewed the application on June 9, 2010 and indicated no objection to
the demolition subject to the conditions as recommended in this staff report.
Demolition request must be reviewed by Council
As the
property is located within a heritage conservation district, the property is ‘designated”
and the demolition permit application (Building Code Act) is also considered an
application as per Section 42 of the Ontario
Heritage Act. According to the
Act, the owner must apply to the municipality for a Heritage Act permit to
demolish the building. Council may give
the applicant:
a) the permit
applied for;
b) the permit
applied for with terms and conditions attached
c) notice that
the council is refusing the application for the permit
As per the Act, Council has 90 days
to make a decision on demolition requests.
The deadline for Council’s decision is August 11, 2010.
The subject dwelling is compatible with existing
historic building stock
Most of the
dwellings built circa 1920-1950s in the Unionville Heritage Conservation
District are identified as Class ‘B’ properties. They are
generally compatible in terms of contextual value- they fit well into the neighbourhood
due to their construction materials, size, scale and
massing. Many do not possess historical or
architectural value, however they contribute to the
heritage/village-like character of the area.
Normally
staff request that these types of dwellings be retained and restored with an
appropriate addition and do not support demolition. However, after viewing this specific
property/building, its form of construction, its internal and exterior
features, and its current size, it would appear that the building possesses
only minimal cultural heritage value and demolition could be supported subject
to conditions.
If demolition is supported by Council, staff
recommends conditions
Any new
dwelling on the property will not only be subject to heritage approval as per
the Ontario Heritage Act, but also
site plan approval as per the Planning
Act and review by TRCA. The heritage
conservation district plan provides detailed design guidelines for new
buildings.
If demolition
is supported, staff recommends that it be subject to the following terms and
conditions as per Section 42(4) of the Ontario
Heritage Act:
1) The applicant
to advertise in the local newspapers the availability of the dwelling for
relocation (but not to Markham Heritage Estates) and/or or salvage of materials
to promote diversion of materials from landfill;
2) The applicant
or future owner obtain Site Plan Approval for a new dwelling which complies
with the Unionville Heritage Conservation District Plan prior to the issuance
of a demolition permit; and
3) The applicant
or future owner work with staff to retain mature trees on the property.
None
Not
applicable
Environment:
If demolition is approved, it is recommended that mature trees on the property
be retained and protected. It is also
recommended that the applicant advertise the availability of the dwelling for
relocation and/or salvage or materials in the local newspapers to promote
diversion of materials from landfill.
Heritage
Markham was circulated this application for comment
RECOMMENDED BY:
____________________________ ______________________________
Biju Karumanchery, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Senior
Development Manager Commissioner
of Development Services.
Figure 1 Location Map
Figure 2 Area Context
Figure 3 Air photo
Figure 4 Photograph
File path: Q:\Development\Heritage\PROPERTY\MAPLELN\21\DSC june
22 2010 demo.DOC
FIGURE 1
APPLICANT: John
Shepley
261
Alder Road
Ingersoll,
ON N5C 3Z2
519-485-6274
John.shepley@sympatico.ca
OWNER: Cathy
Smelser
261
Alder Road
Ingersoll,
ON N5C 3Z2
519-485-6274
LOCATION MAP: