Report to / Rapport au:

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee /

Comité consultative sur la conservation de l’architecture locale

Planning and Development Committee /

Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’aménagement

and Council / et au Conseil

July 22, 2002 / le 22 juillet 2002

Submitted by / Soumis par: Ned Lathrop, General Manager / Directeur général

Development Services Department / Services d’aménagement

Contact / Personne-ressource: Grant Lindsay, Manager, Development Approvals / Gestionnaire, Approbation des demandes d’aménagement

244-5300 ext. 1-3242, grant.lindsay@ottawa.ca

Ref N°: ACS2002-DEV-APR-0171

SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION IN THE LOWERTOWN WEST HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT AT 203-205 ST. ANDREW STREET

OBJET: DEMANDE DE CONSTRUCTION AUX 203-205, RUE ST. ANDREW, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE LA BASSE-VILLE-OUEST

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend that Planning and Development Committee and Council approve the application for new construction in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District at 203-205 St. Andrew Street, according to plans filed by Hubert Wieczorek received on July 22, 2002, included as Document 3.

(Note: Approval of this application 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’urbanisme et de l’aménagement et au Conseil municipal d’approuver la demande de construction aux 203-205, rue St. Andrew, dans le district de conservation du patrimoine de la Basse-Ville-Ouest, conformément aux plans déposés par Hubert Wieczorek et reçus le 22 juillet 2002 (document 3 ci‑annexé).

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

Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee Recommendation – 20 August 2002

LACAC supports the staff recommendation with the new plans submitted on 20 August 2002:

BACKGROUND

The Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District was designated as a heritage conservation district under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1994. This report has been prepared because the consent of City Council is required before new construction within a heritage conservation district can proceed.

The site of the proposed building is an empty lot. The original 203-205 St. Andrew Street was a Category 3 building that underwent extensive changes during the 20^th century that resulted in the loss of much of its original fabric (Document 2). In the late 1990s, the building burnt, resulting in extensive fire damage, which prompted the issuance of a Fire Marshall’s order for demolition. On October 2001, a demolition permit was issued to the owner of the structure, pursuant to the Fire Marshall’s order and it was legally demolished.

In 2001, the current owner of the property submitted two applications to enable him to proceed with the construction of a new house on the site; an application for minor variances to the Committee of Adjustment and an “Application for new construction under the Ontario Heritage Act.” The Committee of Adjustment granted the variances, but a group of neighbours appealed its decision. Subsequent to the filing of the Appeal, the staff report recommending that Committee and Council approve the plans for the house under the Ontario Heritage Act was rejected by Council as follows:

That Council approve:

1. That this matter be referred back to staff in order to determine whether the applicant will submit an application that more closely reflects the scale, massing, height and footprint in keeping with the character, scale and details of the Heritage Conservation District; and failing that Committee and Council reject the application for demolition and new construction.

Staff met with the applicant and developed a plan that reflected the requirements of both City Council and the community – it was lower in height, with a smaller footprint and a design more consistent with the character of Lowertown West than the plan that had been rejected by City Council. After finalizing this plan for a building, staff organized a meeting with concerned neighbours and the applicant in October 2001. At that meeting, the applicant presented the new plans for the house to discover whether there was a consensus on the new design. As a result of the meeting, all the neighbours who had originally complained about the project, except one, agreed to the revised drawings. Because one objector remained, an Ontario Municipal Board hearing was scheduled for the property. The hearing took place on July 10, 2002. The Chair of the hearing, after hearing the evidence presented, delivered a verbal opinion, based on the revised drawings, to allow the variances requested. Now that the variances have been approved, the applicant has submitted this application to fulfill the requirements of the Ontario Heritage Act.

DISCUSSION

The proposed building is a three storey, flat-roofed, brick, semi-detached structure. The window type will be confirmed at the LACAC meeting. The application complies with the Guidelines for Infill Buildings contained in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study that state:

1. Infill buildings must respect the scale, setbacks, architectural design and materials of neighbouring buildings.

2. Small-scale development, working within existing lot division, should be encouraged.

3. Contemporary design should contribute to and enhance the continuing architectural evolution of the District. Infill buildings should not attempt to appear older than they are.

4. Infill buildings should contribute to the streetscape as outlined in Section 7.4 – Streetscape Guidelines.

The proposed building complies with the Guidelines. It is a red brick, rectangular building with a flat roof and a simple cornice, consistent in its simple style, setback, materials and height with other buildings found throughout the neighbourhood. It is a semi-detached structure, as was the building on the site demolished in 2001 under Fire Marshall’s orders. Very plain in character, it does not appear to be older than it is, nor does it overwhelm the modest buildings along the street.

In addition, the building complies with the pertinent streetscape guidelines for Lowertown West which state that residential construction on east-west streets should:

1. Maintain the building front yard setback line established by the existing neighbourhood buildings on the street.

2. Maintain the general overall height of buildings as established by the existing neighbourhood buildings on the street.

As the building’s front yard setback matches those of its adjacent neighbours, and the building is within the range of building heights in the vicinity of St. Andrew and Cumberland Streets, the proposed project complies with these guidelines.

CONSULTATION

Adjacent property owners and residential tenants were notified by letter of the date of the LACAC and Planning and Development Committee meetings and were provided with comment sheets to be returned to LACAC. This is in accordance with the municipal public participation policies of the former City of Ottawa.

The Lowertown West Community Association has been informed of this project.

Councillor Madeleine Meilleur supports this project.

The plans were finalized in consultation with the neighbours, who all agreed to them, except for the residents of 207 St. Andrew, who continued to object to the plans.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

This application was received on July 22, 2002. It was processed within the 90 day timeline established under the Ontario Heritage Act for the processing of heritage applications.

ATTACHMENTS

Document 1 - Location Map, 203-205 St. Andrew Street

Document 2 - Heritage Survey and Evaluation Form, 203-205 St. Andrew Street

Document 3 - Elevations, 203-205 St. Andrew Street

DISPOSITION

The Department of Corporate Services, Secretariat Services Branch, to notify the applicant, Hubert Wieczorek, 368-31 Besserer Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6G9 and the Ontario Heritage Foundation, 10 Adelaide Street East, 3^rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3 of City Council’s decision.

Location Map, 203-205 St. Andrew Street Document 1