APPLICATION TO ALTER 52-54 BOLTON STREET IN THE LOWERTOWN WEST HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

dEMANDE EN VUE DE MODIFIER LA PROPRIéTé SITUéE AU 52‑54, RUE BOLTON, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE LA BASSE-VILLE OUEST

OBHAC RECOMMENDATIONS

The Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee recommends that Planning Committee recommend that Council:

1. Approve the alteration of 52-54 Bolton Street in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District according to plans submitted by Douglas Hardie Architect on December 17, 2010 and included as Documents 7 and 8.

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

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

(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act will expire on March 15, 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 CCPBO

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 modification du 52-54, rue Bolton dans le District de conservation du patrimoine de la Basse-Ville Ouest, conformément aux plans qui ont été soumis par Douglas Hardie le 17 décembre 2010 et qui font l’objet des documents 7 et 8.

2. de délivrer le permis en matière de patrimoine qui expirera deux ans après la date de délivrance.

3. de déléguer au directeur général, Urbanisme et de la Gestion de la croissance, le pouvoir d’apporter de légères modifications à la conception.

(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 15 mars 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 24 December 2010 (ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0023).

2. Extract of draft minutes, Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee meeting of 20 January 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

24 December 2010 / le 24 décembre 2010

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 Vanier (Ward 12)

Ref N°: ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0023

SUBJECT:	Application to ALTER 52-54 BOLTON STREET in the lowertown west heritage conservation district

OBJET :	dEMANDE EN VUE DE MODIFIER LA PROPRIéTé SITUéE AU 52‑54, RUE BOLTON, DANS LE DISTRICT DE CONSERVATION DU PATRIMOINE DE LA BASSE-VILLE OUEST

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

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

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

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

(Note: The statutory 90-day timeline for consideration of this application under the Ontario Heritage Act will expire on March 15, 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 :

2. de délivrer le permis en matière de patrimoine qui expirera deux ans après la date de délivrance.

3. de déléguer au directeur général, Urbanisme et de la Gestion de la croissance, le pouvoir d’apporter de légères modifications à la conception.

(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 15 mars 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.)

BACKGROUND

This report has been prepared because the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA) requires that City Council approve all alterations within a heritage conservation district following review by its municipal heritage committee. An application under the OHA has been received to alter the building located at 52-54 Bolton Street, located in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District, created in 1994, By-law 1994-92. A location map is included as Document 1.

52-54 Bolton Street is a flat-roofed, two-storey building constructed in 1894 as a double house with a central carriageway. The brick facade features ornate hood moulds surrounding the segmentally-arched windows and a decorative cornice. The building was evaluated as a Category 3 building in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study which means that it contributes to the heritage character of the Bolton streetscape. The Heritage Survey and Evaluation Form is included as Document 2.

The building has been vacant for almost 10 years and the interior has deteriorated as the ground floor was partly exposed to the elements. The brick façade has survived in good condition. A previous application under the OHA to demolish the building was refused by City Council.

DISCUSSION

Recommendation 1

The Heritage Character Statement for the area contained in the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study describes the area as “…a rich collection of residential buildings which demonstrate the early history of Lowertown and its gradual evolution through time. This evolution through time is a crucial characteristic of the area, and it requires a recognition of the heritage importance of both the earliest buildings and later buildings.” The full text of the Heritage Character Statement is included as Document 3. The complete study was distributed separately to Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee (OBHAC) and is on file with the Committee Co-ordinator.

The building at 52-54 Bolton is specifically profiled in the Study as an example of the flat-roofed double house in Lowertown. The specific extract from that study is included as Document 4.

Guidelines

The Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study Guidelines for additions and infill construction in the District state:

7.5.5 Guidelines for Infill Buildings

Infill buildings may be either additions to existing structures or new structures on vacant lots.

Recommendations:

1. Infill buildings must respect the scale, set-backs, architectural design and materials of neighbouring buildings.

2. Small scale development, working within existing lot divisions, 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.

7.4.1 Streetscape Guidelines- Residential Streets ( East West)

Recommendations:

These recommendations apply to both new buildings as well as additions and alterations to existing buildings on the street.

Maintain the building front yard setback line established by the existing neighbouring buildings on the street.
Maintain the general overall height of buildings as established by the existing neighbouring buildings on the street.
When development takes place across several property lines, encourage the articulation of the original lot divisions in the façade of the new buildings so that the buildings read as a combination of smaller elements.

Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada

The Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada was adopted by City Council in 2008 to be considered together with other Council-approved, area-specific guidelines such as those described above for Lowertown. The following Guidelines are applicable to this project:

Constructing a new addition to retain as many of the historic materials as possible and to ensure that the character defining features are not obscured, damaged, or destroyed, or the heritage value undermined.
Designing an addition in a manner that draws a clear distinction between what is historic and what is new.
Considering the design for an attached exterior addition in terms of its relationship to the historic place as well as the historic district or neighbourhood. Design for the new work may be contemporary or may reference design motifs from the historic place. In either case, it should be compatible in terms of mass, materials, relationship of solids to voids, and colour, yet be distinguishable from the historic place.
Placing a new addition on a non-character-defining portion and limiting it size and scale in relationship to the historic place.

This application proposes to retain and restore the brick front façade in situ together with a portion of the existing structure behind to ensure the stability of the façade. The front verandah will be reconstructed using the “ghost” of pre-existing verandah posts to inform the design. The red paint will be removed from the brick. The prolonged neglect of the interior of the building makes it impossible to retain more of the original fabric. Photos of the collapsed floor from February 2005 are included as Document 5. A three storey addition will be constructed behind the façade with a small penthouse den located in the middle of the roof. There will be one apartment on each floor. The balcony for the second floor unit will be hidden entirely behind the existing cornice and the third floor will be set back three metres from the front facade so additional height as seen from Bolton Street will have minimal impact. A more detailed description of the project is included in the Heritage Rationale-Cultural Heritage Impact Statement included as Document 6. Perspectives are included as Document 7 and elevations as Document 8.

The proposed alteration conforms to the “Guidelines” contained within the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study and the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada and is supported by the Department of Planning and Growth Management.

Recommendation 2

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.

Recommendation 3

Occasionally minor changes to a building emerge during the design and construction phase. This recommendation is included to allow for minor design changes faithful to the character of the building as described in this application to be approved internally, rather than by initiating another heritage approval process.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

CONSULTATION

Adjacent property owners were notified of this project by letter of the date of the Ottawa Built Heritage Advisory Committee and Planning Committee meetings and were provided with comment sheets to be returned to OBHAC.

Heritage Ottawa is aware of this application.

The Lowertown West Community Association is aware of this application.

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

Councillor Mathieu Fleury has no objection to this 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 communities 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 E 8 : 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 Heritage Survey Form

Document 3 Heritage Character Statement

Document 4 Profile of 52-54 Bolton from the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District Study

Document 5 Interior Photos from February 2005

Document 6 Heritage Planning Rationale – Cultural Heritage Impact Statement

Document 7 Elevations

Document 8 Perspectives

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

HERITAGE SURVEY FORM DOCUMENT 2

HERITAGE CHARACTER STATEMENT DOCUMENT 3

This Heritage Character Statement provides a summary of the reasons for designation of Lowertown West as a Heritage Conservation District.

The original plan for settlement of Bytown included both Upper Town and Lower Town, with Upper Town planned as a more institutional centre and Lower Town as the residential and commercial core. Lower Town grew quickly and included commercial properties in the Byward Market area and residential sections east and west of King Edward. The residential neighbourhood west of King Edward and north of the market is now known as Lowertown West.

Lowertown West comprises the oldest area of residential settlement in the City of Ottawa. The area was the civilian centre of Ottawa from the British survey of the townsite in 1826 until the turn of the twentieth century. From about 1890 to the mid-1970s growth occurred in other areas of the city at the expense of Lowertown, and much of the urban fabric east of King Edward and north of Boteler was demolished during urban renewal. Urban renewal commenced with zoning changes in the 1950s and demolitions throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

The Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District encompasses all of the remaining older buildings of Lowertown west of King Edward, with the exception of the area now designated as the Byward Market Heritage Conservation District and a number of isolated buildings south of Murray Street. The District includes a number of significant early institutional buildings, many of which are already designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, including the Basilica and the Elizabeth Bruyere Centre, and a rich collection of residential buildings which demonstrate the early history of Lowertown and its gradual evolution through time. This evolution through time is a crucial characteristic of the area, and it requires a recognition of the heritage importance of both the earliest buildings and later buildings. It also requires awareness that many of the incremental alterations which have occurred to the earlier buildings reflect later historical and social trends which contribute to the historical record of the neighbourhood. The history of Lowertown West is the history of generations of Ottawa’s working people, both French-and English-speaking, and the physical record of that social history, represented by both the institutions and the residential buildings, is a major cultural resource for the City of Ottawa

PROFILE OF 52-54 BOLTON FROM THE LOWERTOWN

WEST HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT STUDY

DOCUMENT 4

INTERIOR PHOTOS FROM FEBRUARY 2005 DOCUMENT 5

HERITAGE PLANNING RATIONALE – CULTURAL HERITAGE

IMPACT STATEMENT DOCUMENT 6

ELEVATIONS DOCUMENT 7

PERSPECTIVE VIEWS DOCUMENT 8