Report to: Development Services Committee Meeting Date: September 14, 2010
SUBJECT: Request for Demolition of
Dwelling
15 Rouge Street, Markham
Joseph DiMartino
File:
Building Permit Application 10-119109 DP
PREPARED BY: Regan Hutcheson, Manager-Heritage Planning,
ext 2089
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the staff report titled
“Request for Demolition of Dwelling, 15 Rouge Street, Markham Village Heritage
Conservation District” dated September 14, 2010, be received;
2)
THAT Council does not support
the demolition of the dwelling at 15 Rouge Street located within the Markham
Village Heritage Conservation
District
3)
And that Staff be authorized
and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
To recommend that Council not support the demolition of the
existing dwelling at 15 Rouge Street, Markham Village.
Owner of the property proposes to
demolish a dwelling at 15 Rouge Street
The owner of the property wishes to demolish a 1 ½ storey
dwelling constructed circa 1944, located on the south side of Rouge Street,
east of Main Street South in Markham Village.
The property is located within a
heritage conservation district
As the property is designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, the review by Heritage Markham is
required and the approval of Council is necessary to permit the demolition of
the existing dwelling. The subject property has a frontage of 28.3m (93ft) and
a depth of 39.3m (129ft). Zoning is R1 under By-law 1229, as amended. The Official Plan land use designation is
Urban Residential.
Owner has applied to sever the
property into two lots
In June 2010, the applicant applied to the Committee of
Adjustment to sever the existing lot into two parcels each with an approximate
area of 6040 sq ft. with a frontage of 46.5 feet. Variances were required for
lot frontage and lot area, as the minimum frontage in the by-law is 60ft and
the minimum lot area is 6,600 square feet. In the application, it was indicated
that the existing dwelling was to remain on the retained parcel. Heritage Markham supported the severance and
variances subject to obtaining a Heritage Conservation Easement on the existing
dwelling.
In commenting to the Committee of Adjustment, Planning
staff recommended approval of the severance and variances conditional upon withdrawal
of the demolition permit within 30 days of the decision of the Committee of
Adjustment and executing a Heritage Easement Agreement with the Town to protect
the dwelling. The applicant submitted a
demolition application a few days after the Heritage Markham meeting. The Committee of Adjustment has deferred its
decision on the severance and variances pending a decision on the demolition
permit application. The applicant did
not agree with the heritage conditions as he had decided to demolish the
existing dwelling, based on his opinions concerning its physical condition and
design value, in order to replace it with a new dwelling.
Heritage Markham does not support the
demolition
Heritage Markham members attended a site visit to the
property on August 3, 2010 to examine the interior and exterior of the
building, and at the committee meeting on August 11, 2010 recommended that
demolition not be supported. The
Committee supported retention citing the heritage district plan policy of
retaining Type B buildings, the building’s unique architecture in the Markham
context and the fact that the dwelling is complementary in scale, massing,
height and materials with most of the existing dwellings on Rouge Street
notwithstanding the recently constructed dwelling immediately to the east.
A number of local residents also attended the site visit and
both the July 14 and August 11 Heritage Markham meetings to express their
support for the removal and replacement of the dwelling, based on the condition
of the existing building and bringing into question its compatibility with the
emerging character of development on the street.
Dwelling is of contextual heritage
value- District Plan
The existing dwelling is identified as being of contextual
heritage value (Type B) in the Markham Village Heritage Conservation
District. These buildings help
contribute to the ambience of the heritage district and are considered an
integral and valuable part of the area. The
Heritage District Plan policy for demolition of Type B buildings is:
“Generally there will be an opposition to the
demolition of Type B buildings particularly if the building is deemed to be
relatively significant in terms of adding to the overall heritage character of
the area.”
There are only 3 Type A- Heritage buildings on Rouge
Street so Type B buildings such as this help strengthen the heritage
district. This dwelling is an example of
the Bungalow style. According to “Ontario
Architecture – A Guide to Styles and Building Terms 1784 to the present”, many
bungalow styles are modest, often not elaborate in composition, suited to
smaller budgets, noted for simplicity of construction and lack of applied
ornament. The style and design of this
specific dwelling is unique in Markham (stucco cladding with a clipped gable
roof).
Dwelling is small in size and needs
repair
Heritage Section staff has visited the property and the
building appears to need some repair. The
building is 1140 sq feet in size, has small rooms, limited headroom clearance
on stairwells and has foundation issues resulting in some water in the
basement. A front veranda, dormers and
rear addition could be added to the building to provide much needed additional
floor space and headroom for the stairway.
An extract from a 20th Century Plan Order Book is attached as
Appendix C to illustrate this style of architecture.
Demolition is not supported; if supported by Council, conditions
are recommended
Staff and Heritage
Markham do not support the demolition and would prefer if the dwelling was
retained with appropriate additions as buildings of this scale and massing are
complementary to the heritage character of the area. However, if Council chooses to support demolition,
the following conditions are recommended:
·
The applicant obtain site plan approval for
replacement dwellings that comply with the Markham Village Heritage
Conservation District Plan and are of a scale and massing compatible to the
neighbourhood prior to the issuance of the demolition permit;
·
The applicant advertise the availability of the
dwelling for relocation (but not to Markham Heritage Estates) and/or salvage of
materials to try to divert the materials from landfill;
Not applicable at this time.
Not applicable at this time.
The preservation of compatible older buildings within
heritage conservation districts aligns with the Town of Markham’s Strategic
Priority of Managed Growth.
The demolition request was reviewed by Heritage Markham,
Council’s advisory committee on heritage matters.
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
Appendix ‘A’ Photos
of Dwelling
Appendix ‘B’ Sketch
Illustrating Proposed Severance and Building Footprint
Appendix ‘C’ Illustration
from 20th C Plan Book- Similar House
FIGURE 1
FILE PATH: Q:\Development\Heritage\PROPERTY\ROUGE\15\DSC report
Sept 14 2010 demo.doc
APPLICANT:
Joe DiMartino
85 Lee Avenue
Markham, ON L3R
8G2
905-305-1390 tel 905-305-6115 fax
Email -
LOCATION
MAP
Appendix A
Photo of Dwelling
