Report to/Rapport au :

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee

Comité consultatif sur la conservation de l'architecture locale

and / et

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Comité de l’agriculture et des questions rurales

and Council / et au Conseil

24 October 2007 / le 24 octobre 2007

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe,

Planning, Transit and the Environment/Urbanisme, Transport en commun et Environnement

Contact Person/Personne Ressource : Grant Lindsay, Manager / Gestionnaire, Development Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement

(613) 580-2424, 13242 Grant.Lindsay@ottawa.ca

Rideau (21)

Ref N°: ACS2007-PTE-APR-0199

SUBJECT:	Heritage designation OF 1128 MILL STREET, THE AYERS BUILDING, under part iv of the ontario heritage act

OBJET :	DÉSIGNATION PATRIMONIALE DU 1128, RUE MILL, L’ÉDIFICE AYERS, EN VERTU DE LA PARTIE IV DE LA LOI SUR LE PATRIMOINE DE L’ONTARIO

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee recommend that Council approve the designation of the Ayers Building at 1128 Mill Street under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest and Description of Heritage Attributes, attached as Document 4.

(Note: Approval to Alter this property under the Ontario Heritage Act must not be construed to meet the requirements for the issuance of a building permit.)

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité consultatif sur la conservation de l’architecture locale recommande au Comité de l’agriculture et des questions rurales de recommander à son tour au Conseil d’approuver la désignation de l'édifice Ayers situé au 1128, rue Mill en vertu de la partie IV de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l'Ontario conformément à l’énoncé des raisons motivant la désignation de biens ayant une valeur ou un intérêt sur le plan du patrimoine culturel et à la description des attributs patrimoniaux ci-joints comme document 4.

(Nota : L’approbation de la demande de modification aux termes de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario ne signifie pas pour autant qu’elle satisfait aux conditions de délivrance d’un permis de construire.)

BACKGROUND

The building at 1128 Mill Street is located in the historic Dickinson Square precinct adjacent to Watson's Mill in the former village of Manotick ( Documents1 and 2).

In October 2007, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) requested the heritage designation of 1128 Mill Street under the Ontario Heritage Act. This request followed the recommendations of a Best Use Study prepared in June 2006 for the RVCA by Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Limited. Recommendation 3 of that Report stated as follows :

"RVCA should request a heritage designation for the Ayers Building (the only remaining building on the site that is not designated as a heritage structure). This will complete the heritage designation of all structures on the site and enhance the likelihood that the uses of the building will remain appropriate, and the buildings themselves will not be jeopardized."

DISCUSSION

Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act gives municipalities the authority to designate properties of cultural heritage value. In order to be designated, the City's Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) considers the designation and makes a recommendation to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee or Planning and Environment Committee as appropriate and City Council. The Act requires that a statement of the property's cultural heritage value or interest, including its heritage attributes, be prepared and published in a local newspaper. The Official Plan states that, "Individual buildings, structures and cultural heritage landscapes will be designated as properties of cultural heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act."

CONSULTATION

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, owner of the Ayers Building has requested the heritage designation with the support of the local community and the Ward Councillor. A press release from the RVCA on October 11, 2007 is included as Document 3 and described on their website at :

http://www.rideauvalley.on.ca/news/2007_releases/heritage.pdf

The request for the heritage designation of the Ayers Building is supported by the Dickinson Square Heritage Management Inc. (DSHMI); a community coalition of local organizations that use the Square. Each organization has a representative on the Board of Directors. DSHMI includes :

· Kiwanis of Manotick

· Manotick Art Association

· Manotick BIA

· Manotick Horticultural Society

· Manotick Messenger

· Rideau Historical Society

· Rideau Seniors’ Centre

· Watson’s Mill Manotick Inc.

DSHMI attended LACAC on October 11, 2007 to advise LACAC of the request for heritage designation and their desire to see the buildings on the Square remain in public ownership.

The process for conducting the "Best Use Study: Dickinson Square" cited earlier which recommended heritage designation of the Ayers Building involved extensive public consultation through interviews and a public meeting.

Councillor Glenn Brooks sits on the RVCA and supports the heritage designation of the Ayers Building which he considers of .. "utmost importance to the Village of Manotick and the City."

Following approval of the recommendations in this report by Council, a "Notice of Intention to Designate" is published in the Citizen and Le Droit in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act. Anyone wishing to object to the proposed designation may do so within thirty days of the publication of the "Notice." If there are objections, a Conservation Review Board hearing is scheduled to hear them and report to Council. Following the hearing Council can either uphold the designation or withdraw it.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The cost of the statutory advertising in the "Ottawa Citizen" and "Le Droit" shall be paid out of account number 112762-502210.

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

N/A

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Location Map

Document 2 Aerial view of RVCA properties in Dickinson Square

Document 3 RVCA Press Release

Document 4 Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest and Description of Heritage Attributes

Document 5 Heritage Survey and Evaluation Form

DISPOSITION

City Manager's Office, City Clerk's Branch, to notify the property owner (The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, 1128 Mill Street, Box 599, Manotick, Ontario K4M 1A5) and the Ontario Heritage Trust (10 Adelaide Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of Council's decision to designate 1128 Mill Street under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

Planning, Transit and the Environment Department, Planning Branch to advertise the Notice of Intention to Designate and subsequent Notice of the passage of the designation by-law.

City Manager's Office, Legal Services Branch to prepare the designation by-law and submit it to City Council for enactment and register the by-law on title following passage by Council.

LOCATION PLAN AYERS BUILDING 1128 MILL STREET DOCUMENT 1

AERIAL VIEW OF RVCA PROPERTIES IN DICKINSON SQUARE DOCUMENT 2

RVCA PRESS RELEASE DOCUMENT 3

STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUE OR INTEREST

AND DESCRIPTION OF HERITAGE ATTRIBUTES DOCUMENT 4

Description of Property – The Ayers Building, 1128 Mill Street, Manotick

The Ayers Building is a two storey brick building located at the intersection of Mill Street and Dickinson Street in the former village of Manotick. The building is part of Dickinson Square which forms a unique historic precinct anchored by Watson's Mill, Dickinson House, the Carriage Shed and Weaver's House. This precinct is located on and adjacent to the Rideau Canal, a World Heritage Site.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The cultural heritage value of the Ayers Building lies in its role as an early commercial structure in Manotick, included within the Dickinson Mill complex. It was constructed for the Union Bank in 1902 and served as a bank until 1963. The building is part of a unique historic precinct which encompasses four designated heritage buildings and the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site.

The Ayers building cultural heritage value also lies in its simple Italianate details common to small scale commercial building constructed in the late 19th and early 20th century across Canada.

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key attributes that express the heritage value of the Ayers Building as a small scale Italianate commercial building include its:

· decorative brickwork including window and door surrounds

· round arched windows and doorways

· brick and stone string courses

· quoins and stylized pilasters

· decorative cornice

· strategic location on Mill Street opposite the Dickinson House and Dickinson Square

The one-storey addition at the west side and interior are not subject to this designation.

HERITAGE SURVEY AND EVALUATION FORM DOCUMENT 5

HERITAGE SURVEY AND EVALUATION FORM
Address	1128 Mill Street				Building name			Ayers Building
Construction date	1902				Original owner			Union Bank of Canada

PHASE ONE EVALUATION
Potential significance		Considerable		Some			Limited		None
Design				2
History				2
Context		3
Phase One Score		7 / 9
Phase Two Classification		1	2			3				4

Design or Physical Value

prepared by Stuart Lazear

month/year October/2007

Architecture (style, building type, expression, material, construction method)

Commercial Italianate

The Ayers Building was originally built as a branch of the Union Bank. It is a small, two-storey red brick structure with a flat roof. It is distinguished by a series of round arched windows and doorways on the ground floor with attractive brick surrounds. Other decorative details include brick and stone string courses on the front façade, stylized brick pilasters and quoins and a decorative cornice.

Craftsmanship/Artistic merit

The Ayers Building is a well-crafted brick building, constructed by local mason, Charlie Dore, known to have constructed two other buildings in Manotick, a house across the road and another at the corner of John and Dickinson Streets.

Technical/Scientific merit

N/A

Summary

Sources

Larry Ellis, Manotick

Historical and Associative Value

prepared by Stuart Lazear

month/year October 2007

Date of construction (factual)

1902

Themes/Events/Persons/Institutions

Manotick developed as a mill town located adjacent to a reliable water supply that powered its mills. The land that the Ayers Building is on was part of the original Dickinson - Currier land holdings of 1863 known as Mill Square. The growth of Manotick was such that the bank was constructed in 1902 to house the Union Bank. The building is typical of small commercial buildings constructed around the turn of the century, two stories, designed to provide living quarters on the upper floor for the manager. It was customary, as a safety precaution, for the manager to live on the premises.

The remains of the old walk-in bank vault on the main floor were converted to washrooms and a small kitchenette. The original apartment on the second floor was converted to offices and again to one large open area

FRANK E. AYERS, P.Eng

Notes on Frank Ayers by Charles Billington, RVCA, October 23, 2007

Director of Planning and Works for the City of Ottawa, September 1965

Mr Ayers was asked by Board of Control to look into the matter of establishing a Conservation Authority around Ottawa; after much research, Mr Ayers recommended the establishment of a new Conservation Authority with the logical focus being the Rideau River watershed; started working with the other municipalities in the watershed

March 31, 1966 Order in Council from Ontario formalizing the Rideau Valley CA

Mr Ayers was the founding member from the City of Ottawa and remained a continuous appointee and continuous member of the Board of Directors from 1966 – 1987 when he retired; outstanding service to the environmental community for 22 years

Mr Ayers served as Chair of the RVCA for one year in 1973

Mr Ayers was considered the local expert on matters of Conservation Authority structure and function in relation to municipalities

Community History

Mill Square was the commercial centre of Manotick for many years, providing local employment and milling services to the town. Presumably because of the economic importance of the area, the Union Bank built a branch here in 1902. The Union Bank of Canada received its charter in 1886, operated 329 branches from Quebec to Western Canada and was eventually absorbed by the Royal Bank of Canada in 1925.

Banking continued in this location until the Royal Bank moved to its present location on Main Street in 1963. The Kiwanis Club of Manotick purchased the building for use as the Manotick Public Library, the library eventually outgrew this location and the building was then sold to a real estate company.

The present owners, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, purchased the building in late 1978. By then it was showing signs of its age and the Authority undertook major renovations with the dual aim of preserving the historical integrity of the building, while maximizing its efficiency as an office for some of its staff. Work was completed for the official opening on Dickinson Day 1980.

The former Union Bank building was re-named for Frank E. Ayers in recognition of his contribution to the initial creation of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and his role as a member and past chair of the Board of the RVCA.

Designer/Architect

Not known

Summary

Sources

History of Ayers Building by Larry Ellis

Notes on Frank Ayers by Charles Billington, RVCA, October 23, 2007

Contextual Value

prepared by Stuart Lazear

month/year October 2007

Community Character

The Ayers Building provides an interface between the historic precinct of Dickinson Square and the Rideau canal and the residential character of Mill Street which links to Main Street and the commercial core.

Context/Links to Surroundings

Landmark

While not a landmark to the same extent as Watson’s Mill, the Ayer’s Building functions as a visual cornerstone marking an edge to the historic Dickinson Square precinct of which it is a part.

Summary