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3. Application
for Demolition and New Construction in the Rockcliffe Park Heritage
Conservation District at 89 Placel Road. DEMANDE DE DÉMOLITION DE
L’IMMEUBLE EXISTANT ET DE CONSTRUCTION D’UN NOUVEL IMMEUBLE AU 89, CHEMIN
PLACEL, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE ROCKCLIFFE PARK |
Committee
recommendationS
That Council:
1.
Approve the
application to demolish the existing house at 89 Placel Road;
2.
Approve the
application for new construction at 89 Placel Road in accordance with plans by
Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc. as received on December 14, 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 the date of issuance.
(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for
consideration of this application under the Ontario
Heritage Act will expire on March 14, 2012)
(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 maison située au 89, chemin Placel.
2.
approuve la demande de construction
d’une nouvelle maison au 89, chemin Placel, conformément aux plans produits par
le cabinet Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc., qui ont été reçus le 14
décembre 2011.
3.
délégue au directeur général du
Service de l’urbanisme et de la gestion de la croissance le pouvoir d’approuver
les modifications mineures à la conception.
4.
délivre le permis en matière de
patrimoine, qui expirera deux ans après sa date de 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 14 mars 2012.)
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 17 January 2012 (ACS2012-ICS-PGM-0019).
2
Extract of draft minutes 15, Ottawa Built Heritage
Advisory Committee meeting of 2 February 2012
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
17 January 2012 / le 17 janvier 2012
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 : John Smit, Manager/Gestionnaire,
Development Review-Urban Services/Examen des
projets d'aménagement-Services urbains,
Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de
la croissance
(613) 580-2424, 13866 John.Smit@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory
Committee recommend that Planning Committee recommend that Council:
1.
Approve the
application to demolish the existing house at 89 Placel Road;
2.
Approve the
application for new construction at 89 Placel Road in accordance with plans by
Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc. as received on December 14, 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 the date of issuance.
(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this
application under the Ontario Heritage
Act will expire on March 14, 2012)
(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 :
1.
d'approuver la demande de démolition
de la maison située au 89, chemin Placel.
2.
d’approuver la demande de
construction d’une nouvelle maison au 89, chemin Placel, conformément aux plans
produits par le cabinet Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc., qui ont été reçus
le 14 décembre 2011.
3.
de déléguer au directeur général du
Service de l’urbanisme et de la gestion de la croissance le pouvoir d’approuver
les modifications mineures à la conception.
4.
de délivrer le permis en matière de
patrimoine, qui expirera deux ans après sa date de 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 14 mars 2012.)
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
89 Placel Road is a one-storey single-family house constructed in 1955 and located in the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District. The Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District (HCD) was designated in 1997 under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. Placel Road features mainly low one-storey postwar bungalows with prominent garages, which is typical of this section of Rockcliffe Park (east of MacKay Lake) that was mainly developed after the Second World War.
This report has been prepared because new construction in heritage conservation districts requires City Council approval.
DISCUSSION
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.”
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:
- Any application to demolish an existing
building should be reviewed, 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.
89 Placel Road is a one-storey building with a hip roof built in 1955.
The garage is located on the south side of the building and projects into the
front yard. The garage contains two doors and is also capped with a hip roof.
The entrance is centred on the main portion of the building. A large picture
window is located just north of the entranceway. The building is considered to
be of little heritage significance and was not included on the former Village
of Rockcliffe Park’s list of significant buildings. For these reasons, the
Department does not object to the demolition of the building.
Recommendation 2:
The Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District Study contains guidelines for the management of development in the district. The guidelines related to buildings and landscape 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 8).
The proposed building will be the residence for the New Zealand High Commissioner and has been designed to provide the necessary functions of an official residence. The building is a two storey building with a flat roof and an attached garage at the side of the house. The building has been designed in a contemporary manner than incorporates natural materials including stained cedar for the cladding. The garage is located at the front of the building but is disguised through its cladding in cedar to match the cladding of the house itself.
The buildings on Placel Road are a mix of bungalows and two-storey buildings. The houses to the north and south of 89 Placel Road are both bungalows. The proposed building at 89 Placel Road has been designed so that the two-storey mass of the building is at the back, the front portion of the building is one and two storeys and the garage is one storey. Moreover, the two‑storey portion at the front of the house features significant glazing and an architectural screen to minimize its appearance at the street.
The existing property features a number of mature trees. The proposed landscape plan includes the retention of a large number of these trees, but the construction of the new dwelling will require the removal of nine trees on the property, three of which are 0.5m in diameter or greater. These three trees will require the issuance of a distinctive tree permit by Forestry Services. A large sugar maple at the front of the property will be retained through the construction of the new dwelling. The pavers around the tree will be pervious and structural accommodations will be made to prevent soil compaction and root damage during the construction phase and beyond. The following measures should be taken to protect the tree:
· Under the guidance of an arborist, erect a fence at the critical root zone (CRZ) of trees where the CRZ is established as being 10 centimetres from the trunk of a tree for every centimetre of trunk diameter at breast height. The CRZ is calculated as DBH X 10 cm.;
· Do not place any material or equipment within the CRZ of the tree;
· Do not attach any signs, notices or posters to any tree;
· Do not raise or lower the existing grade within the CRZ without approval;
· Tunnel or bore when digging within the CRZ of a tree;
· Do not damage the root system, trunk, or branches or any tree;
· Ensure that exhaust fumes from all equipment are not directed towards any tree canopy.
The proposed landscape plan is complex, including a variety of distinct areas using various soft and hard materials. At the front of the property an accessibility ramp will be incorporated into the design, with plantings in the void created by the switchback. Leading from the front yard are walking paths on both the north and south sides of the property. The rear of the property features a wooden deck, a central lawn, a sunken sculpture garden, a variety of new trees and existing trees and a paved area to be used for entertaining. A cedar hedge is proposed for the northern edge of the property. A fence is proposed to surround the rear perimeter of the property for security reasons.
The proposed dwelling is of its own time, is sympathetic to the eclectic character of Rockcliffe Park and uses natural materials. The existing landscape will be cleaned up and enhanced through the landscape plan that has been designed to mitigate the impact of hard landscaping on the character of the lot and the streetscape. For these reasons, the Department supports this application.
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
Neighbours within 30m of the property were notified by letter of the proposal.
Heritage Ottawa is aware of the proposal.
The Development Review Subcommittee of the Rockcliffe Park Residents’ Association reviewed the proposal and is opposed to the requirement for a variance to the Floor Space Index.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)
Councillor Peter Clark is aware of the application.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no legal implications associated with this report.
RISK
MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no risk management implications associated with this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no direct financial implications.
ACCESSIBILITY IMPACT
N/A
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS (optional)
N/A
TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS
N/A
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.
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 Existing Conditions
Document 3 Site Plan
Document 4 Elevations
Document 5 Renderings
Document 6 Landscape
Plan
Document 7 Statement of Heritage Character
Document 8 Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District Study (on file with OBHAC Co-ordinator)
DISPOSITION
City Clerk and Solicitor Department, Legislative
Services to notify the applicant property owner and the Ontario Heritage Trust
(10 Adelaide Street East, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3)
of Council’s decision.
.
ELEVATIONS DOCUMENT
4
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 18th 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 19th 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 feel 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-19th 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.
Advisory Committee extract of draft Minutes 15 2 february 2012 |
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Comité consultatif sur le patrimoine
bâti d’ottawa extrait de l’Ébauche du Procès-verbal 15 le 2 fÉvrier 2012 |
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Application
for Demolition and New Construction in the Rockcliffe Park Heritage
Conservation District at 89 Placel Road
DEMANDE DE DÉMOLITION
DE L’IMMEUBLE EXISTANT ET DE CONSTRUCTION D’UN NOUVEL IMMEUBLE AU 89, CHEMIN
PLACEL, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE ROCKCLIFFE PARK
ACS2012-ICS-PGM-0019 Rideau-Rockcliffe (13)
REPORT RECOMMENDATION:
That the Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee recommend that
Planning Committee recommend that Council:
1.
Approve the
application to demolish the existing house at 89 Placel Road;
2.
Approve the
application for new construction at 89 Placel Road in accordance with plans by
Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc. as received on December 14, 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 the date of issuance.
(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this
application under the Ontario Heritage
Act will expire on March 14, 2012)
(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.)
The committee received a comment sheet dated 24 January 2012 from Trevor and Louiselle Pinnacle stating they have no objections to this application.
The report recommendation was moved by Virendra Sahni and CARRIED as presented.