Report to/Rapport au :
Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee
Comité consultatif sur la conservation de
l'architecture locale
and / et
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement
and Council / et au Conseil
14 March 2005 / le 14 mars 2005
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/
Directeur municipal adjoint,
Planning and Growth Management / Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne
ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager /Gestionnaire,
Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes
d’aménagement
(613) 580-2424 x 13242, grant.lindsay@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Local Architectural
Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Environment
Committee and Council:
1. Refuse the applications to demolish heritage buildings located within the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District, received on February 27, 2005 for 52-54 Bolton Street, 78-80 Bolton Street, 281-283 Cumberland Street, 287 Cumberland Street, and 207‑209 Murray Street
2. Refuse to issue a demolition permit for 52-54 Bolton Street, 78-80 Bolton Street, 281-283 Cumberland Street, 287 Cumberland Street and 207-209 Murray Street, until the owner has applied for and been given a permit to erect a new building on the site (Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter.18, Section 42.10).
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité sur la
conservation de l’architecture locale recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement et au Conseil :
1.
de refuser les demandes de démolition
d’édifices historiques situés dans le district de conservation du patrimoine de
la basse-ville Ouest, reçues le 27 février pour le 52-54, rue Bolton, le 78-80,
rue Bolton, le 281-283, rue Cumberland, le 287, rue Cumberland et le 207-209,
rue Murray;
2.
de refuser de délivrer un permis de
démolition pour le 52-54, rue Bolton, le 78-80, rue Bolton, le 281-283, rue
Cumberland, le 287, rue Cumberland et le 207-209, rue Murray jusqu’à ce que le
propriétaire ait soumis une demande de permis en vue d’ériger un nouvel édifice
à ces emplacements et que cette dernière ait été acceptée (Loi sur le
patrimoine de l’Ontario, L.R.O. 1990, chapitre 18, article 42.10).
BACKGROUND
The Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District was
designated by City Council in 1993 as a heritage conservation district under
Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The Heritage Conservation District Study
involved the analysis of the heritage character of the area, individual
analysis and scoring of each building in the District to determine its category
on the City's Heritage Reference List and the development of a "Heritage
Conservation District Plan" to guide the management of the heritage
conservation district.
The buildings that are the subject of this
application under the Ontario Heritage
Act are all part of the Lowertwon West Heritage Conservation District and
all were evaluated. A brief synopsis of each one follows (see also Heritage
Survey Forms, page 1, Documents 2-6):
52-54 Bolton Street
Category 3. This is a flat-roofed, two storey
double, with a carriage way, constructed in 1894. It was originally occupied
by Victor Lepage, a clerk and Jean
Baptiste Lepage, a draftsman. Heritage staff have toured it and confirmed that it
is in very poor condition. Retention of the front façade, including carriageway
would be supported in the context of a subsequent application to alter under
the Ontario Heritage Act.
78-80 Bolton Street
Category 2. This is a side-gabled, one and a
half storey double house with pedimented dormer windows. Its design reflects
the early vernacular tradition of Lowertown. It was occupied by a series of
labourers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Its present condition is
unknown.
281-283 Cumberland
Category 3. This is a two storey, side-gabled
structure constructed between 1861 and 1872. It was a residential dwelling with
a carriage maker in the rear year for many
years. It has been altered and had much of its original detail removed but it
retains the profile of an 19th century Lowertown dwelling. The structure may
have been built as a one storey building and had an additional storey added in
late 19th century. It is currently occupied.
287 Cumberland, Our Lady Girls' School
Category 2. This school was constructed in
1904, but there was a Roman Catholic Girls' School on the site as early as
1886. There was a boys' school, St. Brigid's, at the other end of the block.
Both schools were associated with the parish church, St. Brigid's on St.
Patrick Street. The building is a two storey brick structure with a flat roof
and stone window surrounds. It was re-roofed in 2000 and a permit to convert
the building to apartments was issued the same year. Currently unoccupied, condition unknown.
207-209 Murray Street
Category 2. This two storey, side gabled double
was constructed in the 1870s and displays the di-chromatic (red and white)
brick popular in Canada in that decade. The house was built by Stanislas Hotte,
who occupied one side and rented out the other. Like many Lowertown buildings,
there were light industrial uses in the rear yard - in this case, a carpenter's
yard. There was a fire in the building in the last two years, but the extent of
the damage and the condition of the building is not known.
The other component of the Study, the Heritage Conservation District Plan, has been used by staff since the creation of the District when considering applications and new development within the District.
ANALYSIS
Heritage Conservation Districts are created to
preserve the character of neighbourhoods and areas that convey a special sense
of time and place. The City Council Approved Official Plan, provides for the
creation of heritage conservation districts through policy 2.5.5.1 and 2.5.5. 2
which states that "The City will provide for the conservation of cultural
heritage resources for the benefit of the community and posterity ... groups of
buildings, cultural landscapes and areas of the City will be designated as
Heritage Conservation Districts under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act."
The City Council approved Lowertown West
Heritage Conservation District Plan also has guidelines regarding demolitions
in the District. Section 7.5.4 of the Guidelines states that "As a general
principle, demolition of structures within the District will not be recommended
for approval by City Council."
The 2005 Provincial Policy Statement issued
under the authority of Part 3 of the Planning Act, which came into force on
March 1, 2005 also addresses the issue of the demolition of designated heritage
resources stating that:
2.6 Cultural Heritage and Archaeology
2.6.1 Significant built heritage resources and
significant cultural heritage landscapes shall be conserved.
In addition, all of the buildings, except Our
Lady School, contain rental housing units. The City has policies regarding the
demolition of rental housing units. Section 4.5.5 of the City Council Approved
Official Plan, states that "Applications for demolition of housing units
will not be approved unless replacement units are provided." This policy enforces the Demolition Control
policies established through Section 33
of the Planning Act that allow Council to refuse to issue a demolition permit
unless a building permit has been issued. The entire former City of Ottawa is a Demolition Control area.
Recommendation 2
When Council refuses an application to demolish
a building under the Ontario Heritage Act, Section 42 (10) of that Act
gives Council the authority to refuse to issue a demolition permit until
"the owner has applied to council under this section and been given a
permit to erect a new building on the site .." This ensures the preservation of designated buildings threatened
with demolition indefinitely.
Given the policies and guidelines above, the Department
does not support the applications for the demolition of these buildings. The
buildings have all been scored according to Council-approved guidelines and
have been placed in Category 2 or 3, each is an integral part of a streetscape
that contributes to the heritage character of the District that is being
protected.
The Department has not received applications for replacement buildings, nor have cultural heritage impact statements on the condition of the structures been received. As there are no plans for replacement buildings and no evidence (apart from 52-54 Bolton) that the condition of the existing structures warrants their removal, the Department can not support the demolitions. Furthermore, the removal of the existing heritage buildings on the sites would continue to make it difficult to achieve the aims of the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District to preserve the integrity of the District and to manage change in such a way as to enhance the character of the District.
CONSULTATION
Adjacent property owners and residential tenants were
notified by letter of the date of the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory
Committee (LACAC) and Planning and Environment Committee tee meetings and were
provided with comment sheets to be returned to LACAC.
The Lowertown West Residents’ Association was informed of the project.
Heritage Ottawa was informed of the proposed demolitions.
Georges Bédard, the Ward Councillor, is aware of these applications.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map, Bolton Street
Document 2 Location Map, Cumberland and Murray Streets
Document 3 Heritage Survey Form (HSF), page 1, 52 - 54 Bolton Street
Document 4 HSF, page 1, 78-80 Bolton Street
Document 5 HSF, page 1, 281-283 Cumberland Street
Document 6 HSF, page 1, 287 Cumberland Street
Document 7 HSF, page 1, 295 Cumberland Street
DISPOSITION
The Corporate Services Department, City Clerk's Branch, to notify the applicant/ agent (Arnell Goldberg, Goldberg, Stronick and Stroud, 307 Gimour St., Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0P7); the owner (Claude Lauzon, 274 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 7E6) and the Ontario Heritage Foundation (10 Adelaide Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of City Council’s decision regarding the demolitions at 52-54 Bolton, 78-80 Bolton, 281-283 Cumberland, 287 Cumberland and 207-209 Murray Street.
HERITAGE SURVEY FORM (HSF), PAGE 1, 52-54 BOLTON STREET Document 3
HSF, PAGE 1, 78-80 BOLTON STREET Document
4
HSF, PAGE 1, 281-283 CUMBERLAND STREET Document
5
HSF, PAGE 1, 287
CUMBERLAND STREET Document
6
