A longtime heritage advocate is proposing to create a “heritage win” by relocating homes to a large lot on Queens Avenue.
Steve Norman lives in a 5,596-square-foot 1910 house at 218 Queens Ave., which is on a 22,617-square-foot lot facing Queens Avenue in the front and Manitoba Street at the rear. With the city having adopted a heritage conservation area bylaw and design guidelines for the Queen’s Park neighbourhood, he’s hoping to subdivide his property into three lots and relocate two heritage houses to the two new lots, where they would be restored and designated as heritage homes.
“The program that I have undertaken has been about 20 years in the making,” he said. “The critical factor was the passage of the heritage conservation area bylaw. This will lead to stabilization of the neighbourhood. I was not interested in moving two houses on to the property, even though they would be designated, when they could be overshadowed by new houses that would not necessarily fit the surrounding heritage styles.”
Norman recently applied to the city for a temporary-use permit, which will allow heritage houses to be moved and stored on the site while he negotiates a heritage revitalization agreement with the city.
“I must take advantage when the situation presents itself,” he said.
The temporary-use permit, which will be in place for three years but can be renewed for another three years, will allow the homeowner to act quick if heritage homes become available, as they’re usually available on short notice and not usually for an extended period of time.
“The heritage revitalization … will require that those houses be fully restored on the exterior,” he said. “This is an expensive project but it will produce a significant heritage win for the city.”
Council recently approved a temporary-use permit for the property.
