1. Application for demolition and new construction at 425 cloverdale road, a property designated under part v of the ontario heritage act and located in the rockcliffe park heritage conservation district

DEMANDE DE DÉMOLITION ET DE NOUVELLE CONSTRUCTION AU 425, CHEMIN CLOVERDALE, PROPRIÉTÉ DÉSIGNÉE AUX TERMES DE LA PARTIE V DE LA LOI SUR LE PATRIMOINE DE L'ONTARIO ET SITUÉE DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE ROCKCLIFFE PARK

Committee recommendationS

That Council:

1. Approve the application to demolish 425 Cloverdale Road;

2. Approve the application for new construction at 425 Cloverdale Road, as per plans submitted by Sarah Murray, Nicholas Caragianis Architect on January 18, 2011;

3. Delegate authority for minor design changes to the General Manager, Planning and Growth Management Department; and

4. Issue the heritage permit with a two-year expiry from time of issuance.

(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act will expire on April 18, 2011)

(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.)

RecommandationS du comité

Que le Conseil :

1. approuve la demande de démolition de la propriété située au 425, chemin Cloverdale;

2. approuve la demande de construction d’un nouveau bâtiment au 425, chemin Cloverdale, conformément aux plans soumis par Sarah Murray, Nicholas Caragianis Architect, le 18 janvier 2011;

3. délégue au directeur général du Service de l’urbanisme et de la gestion de la croissance le pouvoir d’apporter des modifications mineures à la conception du nouveau bâtiment;

4. délivre un permis patrimonial devant expirer deux ans après la date de sa délivrance.

(Nota : Le délai réglementaire de 90 jours d’examen de cette demande, exigé en vertu de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario, prendra fin le 18 avril 2011.)

(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.)

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability dated 1 February 2011 (ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0037).

2. Extract of draft minutes, Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee meeting of 17 February 2011

Report to/Rapport au :

Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee

Comité consultatif sur le patrimoine bâti d’Ottawa

and / et

Planning Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme

and Council / et au Conseil

01 February 2011 / le 01 février 2011

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager, Directrice municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability, Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités

Contact Person/Personne-ressource : Richard Kilstrom, Acting Manager/Gestionnaire intérimaire, Development Review-Urban Services/Examen des projets d'aménagement-Services urbains, Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance

(613) 580-2424, 22379 Richard.Kilstrom@ottawa.ca

Rideau-Rockcliffe (13)

Ref N°: ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0037

SUBJECT:	Application for demolition and new construction at 425 cloverdale road, a property designated under part v of the ontario heritage act and located in the rockcliffe park heritage conservation district.

OBJET :	demande de démolition et de nouvelle construction au 425, chemin cloverdale, propriété désignée aux termes de la partie v de la loi sur le patrimoine de l'ontario et située dans le district de conservation du patrimoine de rockclifFe park

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee recommend that Planning Committee recommend that Council:

Approve the application to demolish 425 Cloverdale Road;

Approve the application for new construction at 425 Cloverdale Road, as per plans submitted by Sarah Murray, Nicholas Caragianis Architect on January 18, 2011;

Delegate authority for minor design changes to the General Manager, Planning and Growth Management Department; and

Issue the heritage permit with a two-year expiry from time of issuance.

(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act will expire on April 18, 2011)

(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.)

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité consultatif sur le patrimoine bâti d’Ottawa recommande au Comité de l’urbanisme de recommander à son tour au Conseil :

D’approuver la demande de démolition de la propriété située au 425, chemin Cloverdale;

D’approuver la demande de construction d’un nouveau bâtiment au 425, chemin Cloverdale, conformément aux plans soumis par Sarah Murray, Nicholas Caragianis Architect, le 18 janvier 2011;

De déléguer au directeur général du Service de l’urbanisme et de la gestion de la croissance le pouvoir d’apporter des modifications mineures à la conception du nouveau bâtiment;

De délivrer un permis patrimonial devant expirer deux ans après la date de sa délivrance.

(Nota : Le délai réglementaire de 90 jours d’examen de cette demande, exigé en vertu de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario, prendra fin le 18 avril 2011.)

BACKGROUND

425 Cloverdale Road is a two storey single family house in Rockcliffe Park. The Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District (HCD) was designated in 1997 under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. This section of Cloverdale Road has an eclectic mix of housing styles as is typical throughout Rockcliffe Park (Documents 1 and 2).

The Rockcliffe Park HCD was designated for its cultural heritage value as an early planned residential community first laid out by Thomas Keefer in 1864.

The district is also important for its historical associations with Keefer and his father-in-law, Thomas MacKay, the founder of New Edinburgh and the original owner of Rideau Hall. The picturesque nature of the village also contributes significantly to the cultural heritage value. The Statement of Heritage Character (Document 8) notes that today the “Village of Rockcliffe Park is a distinctive community of private homes and related institutional properties within a park setting.”

This report has been prepared because demolition and new construction in heritage conservation districts requires City Council approval.

DISCUSSION

Recommendation 1:

The Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District Study contains guidelines for the management of development in the district. The following guideline is applicable to the application to demolish the existing house on this site:

Any application to demolish an existing building should be review, with consideration of its historical and architectural significance, its contribution to the streetscape, and the appropriateness of the proposed development. Demolition should be recommended for approval only where the existing building is of little significance and the proposed redevelopment is sympathetic to the surrounding environment.

425 Cloverdale Road is a two-storey single family dwelling built in 1950 for the Fraser family (Document 2). The house is clad in stucco and has faux half timbering detailing. The house was not added to the listed buildings in the Rockcliffe Park HCD at the time of designation. While the building is representative of the trend of post-war development in Rockcliffe it is considered to be of little significance to the cultural heritage value of the HCD. For these reasons, the Department does not object to the demolition of this building.

Recommendation 2:

This application includes plans for a new single family house. The guidelines related to buildings and landscapes applicable to this proposal are as follows:

Section iv) Buildings

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.

5. New buildings and additions should be of their own time, but should also harmonize with the existing cultural landscape. They should be sited and designed so as to retain the existing topography. The use of natural materials should be encouraged.

Section v) Soft and Hard Landscape

1. The dominance of soft landscape over hard landscape should be recognized as an essential feature of the past history and present character of the Village.

2. New buildings, fences and other landscape features or alterations and additions to existing buildings and features, should be designed and sited so as to protect and enhance significant qualities of the existing landscape.

The complete Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District Study was previously distributed to all Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee (OBHAC) members and is on file with the OBHAC Co-ordinator (Document 9).

The proposed house is a two and a half storey single family house with a detached garage at the rear of the property (Documents 3, 4, 5). The house has a hipped roof and a number of hipped roof bays on all elevations. The front façade of the house is symmetrical featuring a central entrance with paired columns and a canopy with a bell cast roof clad in metal. The north and south elevations feature a large rounded bay with significant glazing. The material palette for the house includes a cut stone veneer foundation, aluminum clad wood windows with muntin bars, and composite shingle cladding and trim. This house has been designed to draw on building types and elements found throughout Rockcliffe Park while maintaining a contemporary approach by using the curved bays with significant glazing on the north and south facades as well as the use of modern, yet sympathetic materials.

The landscape plan includes the preservation of the sugar maples and oaks on this site. Invasive Norway Maples will be removed to allow existing trees to survive and flourish. Additional species will be introduced to the lot including Red Oak and Balsam Fir. The garage will be located at the rear of the property and as such a driveway is required along the north side of the lot to reach the garage at the rear. This is a significant amount of hard landscaping on the lot; however, plantings will be made along the north lot line to mitigate the impact of this hard surfacing. Additional plantings will be made along the south property line abutting the small park at the corner of Cloverdale Road and Buena Vista Road. The low, gentle slope of the lot down towards Cloverdale Road and the existing circular driveway will be retained (Document 6).

The Department supports this application because the proposed house at 425 Cloverdale Road is sympathetic to the eclectic architectural styles found throughout Rockcliffe Park. The Landscape Plan is consistent with the richly landscaped sites typical of Rockcliffe Park. Significant trees are being maintained and protected and additional landscaping will enhance the site.

Recommendation 3:

Occasionally, minor changes to a building emerge during the working drawing phase. This recommendation is included to allow the Planning and Growth Management Department to approve these changes.

Recommendation 4:

The Ontario Heritage Act does not provide any timelines for the expiry of heritage permits. A two-year expiry date is recommended to ensure that projects are completed in a timely fashion and according to the approved heritage permit.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

CONSULTATION

Heritage Ottawa is aware of the applications.

Neighbours within 30 metres of the property were notified of the application and offered the opportunity to provide written or oral submissions.

The Rockcliffe Park Residents’ Association Development Review Subcommittee was consulted on this application and had the following comments:

The expanse of asphalt along the north property line is excessive.
Although we would prefer natural materials, the material selection is of high quality
The Hardy Board shingles should be cut evenly across the bottom
The asphalt roof shingles are too 'busy' - we suggested a more uniform shingle, perhaps in a lighter colour
The soffit material should be determined and should be a natural material
We felt that the fake eyebrow window was unnecessary
The windows would be improved with true divided lights

The committee also voiced some concerns regarding the siting of the new house in relation to the siting of the existing house. The new house will be slightly further forward on the lot than the existing house.

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

Councillor Clark is aware of the application.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:

There are no legal/risk management implications associated with this report.

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective F 2: Respect the existing urban fabric, neighbourhood form and the limits of existing hard services, so that new growth is integrated seamlessly with established communities.

The City wants to protect the qualities and characteristics that define what is unique and special about each community while accommodating new growth.

Review applications as part of the development and infrastructure approval process for neighbourhood compatibility and the preservation of unique identities of our communities and villages

Objective E8 : Operationalize the Ottawa 20/20 Arts & Heritage Plan.

2.1.2 Identify and Protect Archaeological and Built Heritage Resources, Streetscapes, Public and Symbolic Civic Places and Cultural Landscapes

2.1.2.2 The City will preserve distinct built heritage, streetscapes and cultural heritage landscapes that serve as landmarks and symbols of local identity in both urban and rural districts, as outlined in the Official Plan.

TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no direct financial implications associated with this report.

APPLICATION PROCESS TIMELINE STATUS

This application was completed within the 90-day time period prescribed by the Ontario Heritage Act.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Location Map

Document 2 Current Conditions

Document 3 Elevations

Document 4 Renderings

Document 5 Site Plan

Document 6 Landscape Plan

Document 7 Cultural Heritage Impact Statement

Document 8 Statement of Cultural Heritage Value

Document 9 Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District Study and Plan (Previously distributed to all Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee (OBHAC) members and on file with the OBHAC Co-ordinator)

DISPOSITION

City Clerk and Solicitor Department, Legislative Services to notify the property owner and the Ontario Heritage Trust (10 Adelaide Street East, 3^rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of Council’s decision.

LOCATION MAP DOCUMENT 1

CURRENT CONDITIONS DOCUMENT 2

Aerial View

Bird’s Eye View

Existing House

Streetscape view looking north

Streetscape view looking south

ELEVATIONS DOCUMENT 3

RENDERINGS DOCUMENT 4

SITE PLAN DOCUMENT 5

LANDSCAPE PLAN DOCUMENT 6

CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT DOCUMENT 7

STATEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE VALUE DOCUMENT 8

i) Description

The Village of Rockcliffe Park is a planned residential community first laid out in 1864 by Thomas Keefer. It was created as a partial subdivision of the large estate belonging to his father-in-law, Thomas McKay. Development occurred slowly, but in 1908 a Police Village was created, and by 1926 the Village of Rockcliffe Park had been incorporated. The boundaries established in 1908 have remained intact, and the present Village of Rockcliffe Park is a distinctive community of private homes and related institutional properties within a park setting, still true to the spirit of Keefer’s original vision.

ii.) Reasons for Designation:

The Village of Rockcliffe Park is proposed for designation as a heritage district because of:

The significance of its original design intentions;
The continuity in its evolution;
The richness of its current urban condition;
Its relationship with its wide setting, and
The importance of its historical associations.

iii.) Original Design Intentions

The Village of Rockcliffe Park is a rare and significant approach to estate layout and landscape design adapted in Canada from 18^th Century English precedents. McKay had adopted this approach in his initial development of the estate, and the original McKay villa and grounds survive as Rideau Hall, the estate of the Governor General of Canada, on the western boundary of the village. When, in 1864, Keefer advertised his Park and Villa lots for private residences, he focused on the picturesque qualities of the scenery, and the importance of curving roads, extensive plantings, and naturalistic settings as key features in any future development. Lots were sold as components of the larger Estate, implying a cohesive landscape approach- purchasers were enjoined from erected anything that would be “inconsistent with the maintenance of the Estate as a park for private residences.” Tree planning on road fronts was an immediate requirement on purchase, and commercial and industrial uses were explicitly banned. This type of ‘suburban’ or borderland development is also a reflection of a particularly North American response to rapid industrialization and urbanization in the 19^th Century, with its emphasis on healthy living in a rural or country setting.

iv.) Continuity in Evolution

The Village of Rockcliffe Park today is a remarkably consistent reflection of the ideas set out by Keefer. Although development of the residential lots has taken place very gradually, the ideas of Estate management, of smaller lots as part of a larger whole, of picturesque design, of residential focus, have survived as controlling aspects of the Village’s form and character. This has been in part somewhat fortuitous and unconscious- the cumulative effect of precedent and example.

The early estates such as the MacKay villa and Rockcliffe were followed quickly by Birkenfels and Crichton Lodge, which in turn inspired smaller estates on Buena Vista, Mariposa, and Acacia and later Crescent Road. These types of properties continue to establish a Rockcliffe image, which is continually translated by architects and designers into individual variations on the theme. The strong landscape setting is able to embrace a rich diversity of lot and building sizes and configurations.

However, the continuity has also been provided by an active effort by overseers and residents. In the early years, Thomas Keefer and his associates developed special arrangements to control public and private initiatives as Trustees of the MacKay Estate. Later this effort fell to the overseers of the Police Village and then the councillors of the incorporated Village. Considerable energy has been spent by every successive generation to manage development and change, through formal and informal reviews and by a variety of by-laws, planning directives, and special designations. In most communities such initiatives have focused on economic development and minimum property standards; in Rockcliffe there is an extraordinary effort to maintain the scenic qualities, the park setting, the natural features and plantings, the careful informality of streets and services. This continuity of vision is very rare in a community where development has occurred on such a relatively large scale over such a long time period.

v) Current urban condition:

The Village of Rockcliffe Park has combined public and private initiatives to create an unusually rich urban landscape. The deliberately curved roads, without curbs or sidewalks, and the careful planting of the public spaces and corridors, together with the careful siting and strong landscaping of the individual properties, create the apparently casual and informal style so integral to the picturesque tradition. The preservation and enhancement of topographical features including the lake and pond, the dramatic Ottawa River shoreline, the internal ridges and slopes, and the various outcroppings, has reinforced the design intentions. The architectural design of the residences and associated institutional facilities is similarly deliberate and careful, but in the casual elegance and asymmetry of the various English country revival styles which predominate throughout the Village. The generosity of space around the homes, and the flowing of this space from one property to the next by continuous planting rather than hard fence lines, has maintained the estate qualities and park setting envisioned by Keefer. This informal elegance has been a consistent theme throughout the long process of development from the mid-19^th Century to the present. There are relatively few examples of the strict neo-classicism that would suggest a more geometric ordering of the landscape.

There is also a set of community practices, intangible rituals that are both public and private, which continue to make sense of this environment- individual and collective outdoor activities, pedestrian and vehicular movement, areas of congregation and encounter, areas of dispersal and isolation. The urban landscape is also sustained by a variety of ongoing planning regulations, reflected most particularly in the current Official Plan and related zoning by-law.

vi.) Relationship with its wider setting:

The Village of Rockcliffe Park has an important and integral association with its larger setting, as a result of patterns of historical development. With the Rideau Hall estate there is a symbiosis that dates back to Keefer’s original vision of the village set within the larger grounds of this original villa. With Rockcliffe Park, there is a deliberate relationship again defined by Keefer, who saw the park as a natural extension and highlighting of the village’s picturesque setting. This relationship was further strengthened with the expansion of the park to the east, and with the addition of the Rockeries. Beechwood Cemetery has also served as a compatible landscape boundary to the southeast from the earliest period of settlement through to the present. These various border areas create important gateways to the village, and help establish its particular character. The views to and from the Ottawa River, the Beechwood escarpment, and the other park areas are integral to the picturesque quality of the Village. These extensions also form an integral part of the Village’s environmental ecosystem. It is unusual to have the internal character of a neighbourhood so strongly reinforced by adjacent land uses; it once again reflects the foresight of the original planners.

vii.) Historical Associations

The most important historical associations of the village as a whole are with the MacKay/Keefer family, major players in the economic, social, cultural and political development of Ottawa. The village today is a testament to the ideas and initiatives of various key members of this extended family, and their influence in shaping this key piece of Canadian landscape. Additional associations have occurred more randomly throughout the history of the village, as people of regional, national, and international significance have resided here and made this community their home base. Such associations are in some ways more private than public, and are an aspect of the village that is preserved more in the intangible continuities and oral traditions of village life than in the stones and mortar of monuments and plaques.

There are also specific associations with individuals who, whatever their prominence elsewhere, have made special contributions within the Village at a public and private level. These people have been part of an unusual form of self-governance, which has blurred the lines between formal and informal participation in the affairs of the Village.

Ottawa built heritage

Advisory Committee

extract of draft Minutes 3

17 February 2011

Comité consultatif sur le patrimoine bâti d’ottawa

extraite de l’ébauche du Procès-verbal 3 - le 17 fÉvrier 2011

Application for demolition and new construction at 425 cloverdale road, a property designated under part v of the ontario heritage act and located in the rockcliffe park heritage conservation district

ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0037 Rideau-Rockcliffe (13)

Lesley Collins, Heritage Planner, provided a brief PowerPoint presentation outlining the application and staff’s recommendations.

She noted that the existing house at 425 Cloverdale Road, a two-storey single family dwelling built in 1950 that is clad in stucco and has faux half timbering detailing, was not added to the listed buildings in the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District (HCD) at the time of designation. While the building is representative of the trend of post-war development in Rockcliffe it is considered to be of little significance to the cultural heritage value of the HCD, and as such staff does not object to the demolition of this building.

The application for new construction is to build a two and a half storey single family house with a detached garage at the rear of the property. It has been designed to draw on building types and elements found throughout Rockcliffe Park while maintaining a contemporary approach. A considerable expanse of driveway is required along the north side of the lot to reach the garage at the rear and to allow for the most practical use, but landscaping will be used to mitigate the impact of this hard surfacing. The low, gentle slope of the lot down towards Cloverdale Road and the existing circular driveway will be retained. Staff supports the application because the proposed house is sympathetic to the eclectic architectural styles found throughout Rockcliffe Park and the landscape plan is consistent with the richly landscaped sites typical of the area.

Ms. Collins noted the committee had received correspondence on February 15^th from the Development Review Subcommittee, Rockcliffe Park Residents' Association, who has expressed concern with the proposed setback of the new house. They indicate in the letter that they would support the application if the main wall of the front elevation of the proposed building were not located any closer to the street than the main wall of the front elevation of the existing building, lining up with its adjacent neighbour.

Ms. Collins confirmed for members that the difference in setback is 6.5 feet, that the setbacks along the street are varied, and that the proposed setback is well within the zoning requirements for the area.

Andrea Laurin, the property owner and Sarah Murray, Nicholas Caragianis Architect were present to answer the committee’s questions about the application. Ms. Murray indicated that the landscaping plan has been slightly revised and that an interlock design will be used to break up the expanse of asphalt. When asked why consideration was not being given to saving and altering the existing house, Ms. Laurin indicated it is in somewhat of a state of disrepair and has no real value. Ms. Murray also advised that it would not be feasible to try to rebuild on the existing foundation given its age and likely condition considering that the majority of the land slopes toward the house.

The committee supported the application for demolition as the existing house has no significant cultural heritage value. They supported the application for the proposed house as it is in keeping with the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District Study guidelines and sympathetic to the surrounding properties, noting that no minor variances would be required.

Moved by Pierre Maheu:

That the Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee recommend that Planning Committee recommend that Council:

1. Approve the application to demolish 425 Cloverdale Road;

2. Approve the application for new construction at 425 Cloverdale Road, as per plans submitted by Sarah Murray, Nicholas Caragianis Architect on January 18, 2011;

3. Delegate authority for minor design changes to the General Manager, Planning and Growth Management Department; and

4. Issue the heritage permit with a two-year expiry from time of issuance.

(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act will expire on April 18, 2011)

(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.)

CARRIED