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1. APPLICATION TO ALTER 124 MANOR
AVENUE IN THE ROCKCLIFFE PARK HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT DESIGNATED UNDER
PART V OF THE ONTARIO HERITAGE ACT DEMANDE
VISANT À MODIFIER LA RÉSIDENCE SITUÉE AU 124, AVENUE MANOR, DANS LE DISTRICT
DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE ROCKCLIFFE PARK, AUX TERMES DE LA PARTIE V
DE LA LOI SUR LE PATRIMOINE DE L’ONTARIO |
Committee
recommendation
That Council
approve the application to alter 124 Manor Avenue according to plans by Julian
Smith and Associates Architects received on March 7, 2008.
Recommandation du Comité
Que le Conseil approuve la demande
de modification de la résidence située au 124, avenue Manor conformément aux
plans produits par Julian Smith and Associates Architects et reçus le 7 mars
2008.
Documentation
1.
Deputy
City Manager's report Planning, Transit and the Environment dated 28 March 2008
(ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0087).
2.
LACAC
Extract of Draft Minutes of 7 April 2008.
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'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
28 March 2008 / le 28 mars 2008
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
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee recommend
that Planning and Environment Committee recommend that Council approve the
application to alter 124 Manor Avenue according to plans by Julian Smith
and Associates Architects received on March 7, 2008.
(Note: City Council decision under the Ontario Heritage Act is
required on or before May 28, 2008.)
(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’urbanisme et de l’environnement de recommander à son tour au Conseil
d’approuver la demande de modification de la résidence située au 124, avenue
Manor conformément aux plans produits par Julian Smith and Associates
Architects et reçus le 7 mars 2008.
(Nota : le Conseil
municipal doit rendre sa décision au plus tard le 28 mai 2008, aux termes de la
Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario.)
(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 124 Manor Avenue is located within the boundaries of the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District, designated as a heritage conservation district under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1997. A location plan is included as Document 1 and photos of the building as Document 2. This report has been prepared because the consent of City Council is required before an addition to an existing building can proceed within the District.
The property is located on the east side of
Manor Avenue, one lot north of Maple Lane. The lot is surrounded on three sides
by single family dwellings. The existing two-and-a-half storey, brick house was
built c. 1915 by Christopher and Martha Donnelly and their sons. A veranda once
wrapped around the west and south sides of the house. Sometime after 1950, the
front veranda and upper deck were removed. At the same time, the red brick was
painted over, and the outbuilding was formally converted to a four-car garage.
The house and garage are not listed on the former Rockcliffe Park Heritage
Reference List.
The proposed intervention
involves the
removal of three additions and a separate garage structure. These will be
replaced with a new single-storey addition, which will wrap around the front,
side and rear (west, south and east sides) of the house. A second-storey
addition is proposed at the rear (east) of the house. A third floor shed dormer
will be added at the rear of the side gable.
An in-ground garage, main floor family room
and second floor master bedroom addition are proposed on the rear (east) side
of the house. The garage will be covered and landscaped with a “green” roof and
patio. Elevations are included as Document 3 and a plan of proposed additions
as Document 4.
The additions will be stucco clad, with wood
trim, in a colour palette sympathetic to the existing house. New windows and
doors will be painted wood, while the windows in the existing house will be
repaired and reused.
The existing brick will either be repainted
to a more sympathetic colour, or cleaned to its original red colour. Cedar
shingles in the gable ends will be repaired and painted, or replaced-in-kind.
Landscape Elements
There are three existing large trees on the
property. These will be retained and measures taken to protect the trunk and
roots during construction. Several border shrubs and small trees sit at the
front of the property. These will either be retained or replaced
post-construction.
The existing driveway, which bisects the
south side yard, will be re-oriented to the south side of the property.
Permeable pavers will be laid where the driveway runs adjacent to the large
trees. Asphalt will be used elsewhere.
The in-ground garage will be covered with a
green roof and patio so as to minimize its impact on the garden landscape.
Concrete retaining walls at the front of the property will be repaired or
replaced in kind and clad in limestone veneer. Concrete retaining walls at the
rear of the property will be repaired/replaced in kind.
A more complete history of the property and
description of the project is included as the Cultural Heritage Impact
Statement/Architect’s Statement included as Document 5.
ANALYSIS
The Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District was designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1997. The Heritage Conservation District Study contains Management Guidelines that are intended to protect and enhance those elements in the Village that contribute to its heritage character as defined in the Study. The Guidelines are not prescriptive, rather, they outline the principles to be applied to future development, based on past experience. They are intended to guide the evolution of the Village as a picturesque landscape of buildings set in informal grounds, and where the soft landscape in particular ties together and make sense of, the irregular road layout, the diverse lot arrangements, and the eclectic mix of building styles. The Guidelines relevant to this application stress that:
4. Any application to construct a new building or addition should be reviewed, with consideration of its potential to enhance the heritage character of the Village. New construction should be recommended for approval only where the siting, form, materials and detailing are sympathetic to the surrounding natural and cultural environment.
New buildings and additions should be of their own time, but should also harmonize with the existing cultural landscape. They should also be sited and designed so as to retain the existing topography. The use of natural materials should be encouraged.
As proposed, the additions to 124 Manor Avenue respect the character of the existing building and its setting.
The Rockcliffe Park Residents Association heritage sub-committee reviewed the elevations and landscape plan for this property and supported the project. A copy of the full text of the group’s comments is included as Document 6.
Landscape/ Site Plan
The District Plan describes the landscape of the area as follows:
Soft landscaping features include tree cover over the entire Village area, and the use of shrubs, hedges and other plantings to provide subtle delineation of private space while allowing visual continuity and flow from one property to another. With a pattern of generous front and side yard setbacks, the plantings become equally important streetscape elements as the individual building facades.
The Recommendations in Section IV.1.iv) .2 Soft and hard landscape, state that “Existing trees, shrubs and other plantings should be protected and enhanced through appropriate maintenance, protection and replacement.
The landscape plan is included as Document 7. The removal of the surface parking to an underground location will create a more functional amenity space in the south side yard. Further, this proposal allows for the retention of existing significant landscape features, most notably the large mature trees located in the south yard.
The proposed landscape and site plans are consistent with the cultural heritage landscape of the heritage conservation district and reflect the goals of the Heritage Conservation District Plan.
The Department has no objection to this application because of the care taken to preserve the character of the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District as defined in the Heritage Conservation District Plan through the enhancement of the landscaping features and the construction of additions in a manner that respects the cultural heritage value of the original building and its landscaped setting.
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 meetings and were provided with comment sheets to be returned to LACAC.
The Councillor is aware of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The Rockcliffe Park Residents Association heritage sub-committee reviewed the elevations and landscape plan for this property and supports the project. A copy of the full text of the group’s comments is included as Document 6.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS
This application was completed
within the 90-day time period prescribed by the Ontario Heritage Act.
Final day for City
Council consideration of this application is May 28, 2008.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map
Document 2 Photographs
Document 3 Elevations
Document 4 Additions/Site Plan
Document 5 Cultural Heritage
Impact Statement/Architect’s
Statement
Document 6 Rockcliffe Park Residents Association
Comments
Document 7 Landscape Plan
DISPOSITION
City Clerk's Branch, Council and Committee Services to notify the agent (Julian Smith/Heather McArthur, 206 James Street, Ottawa, Inc. K1R 5M7), the owner (Andrew McDougall, 124 Manor Avenue, Ottawa, Ont.) and the Ontario Heritage Trust (10 Adelaide Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3) of City Council's consent to alter 124 Manor Avenue in the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District.
ELEVATIONS DOCUMENT
3
ADDITIONS/SITE PLAN DOCUMENT
4
Date: 13 March 2008
To: The Council
City of Ottawa
Re: Application
for Permit under the Ontario Heritage Act
124
Manor Avenue, Village of Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa
The attached application requests permission to alter an existing single-family dwelling located in the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District. The alterations include the removal of three (3) existing additions of various vintage and the removal of a separate garage structure. These removals will be replaced with an in-ground garage, and two levels of living space on the main and second floors.
Existing Conditions
The subject property is located on the east side of Manor
Avenue, one lot north of Maple Lane. The lot is roughly square (30.5m x 29.1m)
and is surrounded on three sides by single family dwellings. Hugging the north
property line, the existing two-and-a-half storey, brick veneer house was
constructed c. 1915. The brick is currently painted cream with black trim and
black shutters. The gable ends of this L-shaped house face the street and a
generous south side yard, respectively. The narrow proportions, design and
exterior detail of the house are typical of brick residences built elsewhere in
Ottawa during this time period, albeit less commonly found in Rockcliffe.
Heritage Character
Population growth led to the establishment of a Police
Village in 1908. The house at 124 Manor is situated in the former subdivision
known as Connaught Commons. This parcel of land was subdivided from the MacKay
estate in 1911 and purchased, in large part, by William C. May and Emma Badgley
May. The May’s began selling off several lots, including Lots 61 and 62 (now
124 Manor Avenue), which were purchased by Christopher and Martha Donnelly in
1913.
The Donnelly’s and their sons built the house at 124 Manor
Avenue circa 1915. Building restrictions accompanied the purchase of the land.
These restrictions limited construction to “one
single detached dwelling house” whose outer walls, to the height of the
first storey, “must consist of brick,
brick veneer, stone or cement”[1].
In addition, the house could not be situated within 15 feet of the adjoining
street, nor could any outbuilding be situated within 40 feet of the street.
It is interesting that the building restrictions were
applicable to each full lot, and did not provide direction on situating the
buildings relative to the side and rear lot lines. Since the Donnelly’s had
purchased two full lots, they would have been in their right to erect two
houses on their property. This may explain why the existing house is situated
so close to the north lot line; perhaps to allow the flexibility of building a
second house on the south lot and selling it off.
In their early years at 124 Manor Avenue, the Donnelly’s
engaged in some small-scale agricultural activity, including dairy activity and
tending an apple orchard.
The influx of new residents to Rockcliffe Park led to the
displacement of the Donnelly’s grazing lands and a shift in business focus from
agriculture to delivery of household staples, garbage collection and road
clearance. The garage at the rear of the property may have been used as part of
the dairy operation. However, it is more likely that the building served as
storage for the Donnelly’s trucks and later as a simple garage for subsequent residents
of 124 Manor Avenue.
As mentioned above, the Donnelly’s were permitted to build
as close as 15 feet of the street. This was a pattern perhaps somewhat atypical
of this period of development in Rockcliffe (1908-1925). Even so, the house at
124 Manor is sited towards the front of the lot. In addition, the house sits on
a rise of land on the Manor Avenue streetscape, which makes visible its
distinct and prominent gable end both along the streetscape, and in particular
from the corner of Manor Avenue and Maple Lane. Despite its unusual siting, the
richness and continuity of soft landscaping is evident in historic photos of
the house, which consistently show trees and shrubs as prominent features. This
landscape pattern continues today.
A generous veranda once wrapped around the west and south
sides of the house. Sometime after 1950, the front veranda and upper deck were
removed. At the same time, the red brick was painted over, and the outbuilding
was formally converted to a four-car garage when its sides were covered with
clapboard and painted.
The house and garage are not listed on the former Rockcliffe
Park Heritage Reference List.
Ownership Timeline
1913-1933: Christopher Donnelly, dairyman and Martha
Donnelly, wife
1933-1936: Christopher Donnelly passes away, Martha Donnelly
assumes sole ownership
1936-1948: Thomas Brooks, Gentleman
1948-1950: David Stuart Gillies, Engineer and widow
1950-1977: Frances Elizabeth Drury, wife of David Kingmill
Drury, Investments Dealer
1977-2006: Kenneth Jones, Medical Doctor and Elizabeth
Jones, wife
2006-present: Courtel-McDougall
Heritage Conservation:
Proposed Renovation
Renovations are proposed to the single-family home located
at 124 Manor Avenue, in the Village of Rockcliffe Park. This west-facing house
hugs the north property line of a square lot. The proposal includes the removal
of three additions of various size and vintage, and removal of a separate
garage structure. These will be replaced with a new single-storey addition,
which will wrap around the front, side and rear (west, south and east sides) of
the house. A second-storey addition is proposed at the rear (east) of the
house. An in-ground attached garage will also be located at the rear of the
house.
Additional renovations are proposed for the second and third
floors of the house. These involve the renovation of interior spaces and the
addition of a third floor shed dormer at the rear of the side gable. These
changes will not alter the exterior appearance of the house as viewed from the
street.
The existing front door opens directly into the main hall of
the house. The owners would like to introduce a thermal break by creating a
vestibule with both interior and exterior doors. A covered porch will lead to
the front door. A main floor dining room addition will be located adjacent to
the entry vestibule, at the south-west corner of the house. The articulation of
this combined one-storey addition will be reminiscent of the wrap-around porch
that once stood in this location.
An in-ground garage, main floor family room and library, and
second floor master bedroom addition are proposed on the rear (east) side of
the house. This proposed addition will make the house more functional and the
property more enjoyable, by expanding the prime living space on the main floor
and facilitating access to the south side yard. The removal of the surface
parking to an underground location will further contribute to creating a more
functional amenity space in the south side yard, while also retaining the
verdant landscape character on this side of the lot. The in-ground garage will
be covered and landscaped with a “green” roof and patio.
The proposed two-storey addition at the rear of the house is
designed to minimize the visual impact on the south side yard, and to maintain
the legibility of the original L-shaped house, as viewed from the street. An
early photo of the house shows a similar expansion towards the rear of the
property. Although the proposed rear addition effectively eliminates the rear
yard amenity space, and is quite close to the north lot line, it is a
reasonable solution to expanding the house, without compromising the legibility
of the mass and form of the original L-shape and while preserving and enhancing
the landscaped setting.
The materials and design of the proposed addition are of
their own time. Colours will be selected to harmonize the addition with the
existing character of the house and surrounding landscape. The additions will
be stucco clad, with wood trim, in a colour palette sympathetic to the existing
house. New windows and doors will be painted wood, while the windows in the
existing house will be repaired and reused. The existing brick will either be
repainted to a more sympathetic colour, or cleaned to its original red colour. Cedar
shingles in the gable ends will be repaired and painted, or replaced-in-kind
Landscape Elements
There are three (3) existing large trees on the property.
These will be retained and measures taken to protect the trunk and roots during
construction. Several border shrubs and small trees sit at the front of the
property. These will either be retained or replaced post-construction.
The existing driveway, which bisects the south side yard,
will be re-oriented to the south side of the property. Permeable pavers will be
laid where the driveway runs adjacent to the large trees. Asphalt will be used
elsewhere.
As mentioned above, the in-ground garage will be covered
with a green roof and patio so as to minimize its impact on the garden
landscape. Concrete retaining walls at the front of the property will be
repaired or replaced in kind and clad in limestone veneer. Concrete retaining
walls at the rear of the property will be repaired / replaced in kind.
A detailed landscaping plan for the rest of the property is
in development.
Zoning Requirements
This project requires relief from the front, side and rear
yard setbacks and relief from the Floor Space Index ratio. The other zoning
requirements are not affected.
The front yard setback requirement relates to the enclosed
single-storey extension built on the footprint of the historic veranda. The
main façade of the brick house, which will still read as the primary façade, is
in line with the more recent house to the north. The one-storey extension will
be in line with the veranda on this neighbouring property. It is felt that the
relief will be in keeping with the historic character of the property.
The side yard (north) setback requirement relates to the
rear addition. The house is already a non-conforming use, sitting almost on the
property line. The new rear addition steps in from this property line and
provides a more generous side yard than the present house.
The rear yard setback requirement relates to the underground
garage and the two-storey addition. Again the existing setbacks are
non-conforming, with the current garage sitting right on the property line. The
new garage will have more of a setback, and will be largely invisible because
it is almost entirely underground and covered with a green roof. The two-storey addition is placed in the
area of previous rear additions.
The requests for relief related to setbacks are also related
to protecting the mature trees and large open south garden on the property,
which are distinctive features of the site and the streetscape. The front yard
veranda does not extend fully to the north end of the property. This was done
to protect the large tree at the northwest corner of the site. The in-ground
garage and its curved access driveway are designed to avoid the two large trees
in the centre of the property and at the southwest corner. The additions to the
house are set in the areas of previous additions, where there are no large
trees.
The request for relief on Floor Space Index Ratio is
considered very minor – from 40% permitted to 40.4% proposed. The proposal
could be redesigned to accommodate this 0.4% difference, but the footprint was
designed with standard 16 foot and related dimensions to reflect traditional
building practice, and therefore the request is being made to allow this small
variation.
Conclusion
The intent of this project is to maintain the two key
features of the property – the turn-of-the-century brick house with its typical
L-shaped Ontario vernacular style, and the rich landscape with its three very
large trees, border shrubs, and wide south garden. The brick of the house will
be either cleaned to its original red colour or repainted to a more sympathetic
red-brown colour.
The new additions are designed to create a contemporary
family home within the areas traditionally associated with the house - small
one-storey additions to the west and south, and a two storey addition at the
rear. Many possibilities were examined for the garage, including rehabilitating
the current four-car garage. There were a number of problems with this
approach. The structure is in such bad
condition, with a collapsing roof, that almost all of it would have been
replaced in any major restoration. The location required a driveway on top of
the root system of the tree in the centre of the yard. Furthermore, the
location, right on the property line, limits the advantage of the large south
garden for neighbouring properties to the east. Any new above-grade garage had
significant visual impact on the streetscape. The in-ground solution was
therefore considered to be the most sympathetic.
It is hoped that the project will meet with the approval of
the various review agencies.
Sincerely,
Julian Smith
Principal
Julian Smith & Associates, Architects
