Two heritage homes, two different results.
On Monday, city council considered heritage alteration permits for 215 Manitoba St. and 105 College Crt., ultimately voting four to two in favour of allowing the Manitoba Street home to be demolished and unanimously opposing demolition of the home on College Court.
A heritage assessment of the 1942 house at 215 Manitoba St. stated it lacks historical architectural features, is in poor physical condition and is deteriorating.
Coun. Bill Harper and Chuck Puchmayr opposed the demolition application while a heritage control period process is in place so staff consider the creation of a heritage conservation area in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood.
In June, council approved a one-year heritage control period, during which time homes built on or before Dec. 31, 1966 must receive a heritage alteration permit in order to be demolished. In September, council approved a process that included having applicants provide a heritage assessment and a review by a technical review panel.
The city’s community heritage commission and the technical review panel both supported the demolition of 216 Manitoba St.
“I can’t find a reason to not support this demolition permit,” said Coun. Patrick Johnstone. “It’s not an issue of it being a small house versus a large house, it has little heritage value. It lacks historical architectural features. It doesn’t make a contribution to the streetscape. It has limited associations with the types of things that are usually valued in a heritage house. The building is in terrible condition.”
Steve Norman, vice-president of the Queen’s Park Residents’ Association, said it pains the association’s executive to be dealing with demolition applications during a heritage control period.
“I have lived one house away from this property for 37 years. Much to my disappointment, I have watched the condition of the house slowly deteriorate over the years. I can sympathize with the owner wanting to build a new house but the problem seems to have been self-generated,” he said. “I am sure if the Galbraith House at Queens and Eighth had been through the city staff and committee process, it too would have been to the scrap heap. Thank goodness Ron and Marie Jang had a vision and the house was restored."
Council unanimously opposed the demolition of the 1951 house at 105 College Crt. A heritage assessment stated that most of the original features have been maintained and the house is in good condition.
“This particular house is in very good condition,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote. “Although it is not typically what you would consider a heritage home in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood, it does have historic value from a mid-century modern perspective.”
The community heritage commission didn’t support a demolition application for this home, but the technical review panel did.
Steve North, a member of the technical review panel, said the panel uses these guidelines to determine a recommendation to council: heritage value; integrity of the building; and the potential for achieving density while retaining heritage. As the process moves forward, he believes the majority of houses in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood would produce the same recommendations if reviewed under the same criteria.
“Unless we found out Wilfred Laurier lived in a particular house in New West, it’s hard to imagine how recommendations would be different,” he said. “The criteria for decision making may need to be broadened or maybe defined more clearly to provide specifics to substantiate the rationale for approval or denial of a request.”
North also suggested there should be additional input in the process from other stakeholder groups. He said it may provide an opportunity to come up with creative solutions to make retaining an original property attractive or beneficial.
