Report to: Development Services Committee                       Meeting Date: March 22, 2011

 

 

SUBJECT:                         Request for Demolition of Dwellings

                                            9100 Woodbine Avenue and 9084 Woodbine Avenue

                                            Files 11 111533 and 11 111534

PREPARED BY:              Regan Hutcheson, Manager-Heritage Planning, ext. 2080

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

1)                  That the staff report titled “Request for Demolition of Dwellings, 9100 Woodbine Avenue and 9084 Woodbine Avenue, ” dated March 22, 2011, be received;

 

2)                  THAT Council has no objection to the demolition of the identified dwellings at 9100 and 9084 Woodbine Avenue;

 

3)                  THAT in future, demolition permits for non-designated properties listed on the Markham Register of Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest that have been reviewed by Heritage Markham and Heritage Section staff, and have been determined by both not to be of cultural heritage significance will not require Council review and approval, and the Chief Building Official is delegated authority to issue such permits;

 

4)                  THAT this resolution be sent to the Council meeting of March 22, 2011;   

 

5)                  And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

 

1. Purpose                     2. Background                     3. Discussion                         4. Financial       

 

5. Others (HR, Strategic, Affected Units)                                   6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

To recommend that Council has no objection to the demolition of the dwellings at 9100 and 9084 Woodbine Avenue which are listed on the Markham Register of Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest due to their location within the Buttonville Heritage Study Area.  Secondly, to recommend a streamlined demolition approval process for non-designated properties that are listed on the Heritage Register, but are found after further examination to not warrant further protection.

 

BACKGROUND:

Property and existing heritage dwellings

The existing dwellings are modern structures constructed in Buttonville in the later part of the 20th Century:

 

Both properties are vacant and in poor condition. Planning staff has been in discussions with the current owner of these properties regarding a proposed townhouse development.  These properties are also located in the Buttonville Heritage Study Area.  Any new development will have to comply with the policies and guidelines of the proposed Buttonville Heritage Conservation District Plan which is expected to be approved by Council this spring.

 

Properties are on the Markham Register of Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The properties are listed on the Markham Register of Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest due to their inclusion in the Buttonville Heritage Study Area (see Appendix A and B).  Neither property is individually designated or designated as part of a heritage conservation district.  As per the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act, the owner of a property included in the register shall not demolish or remove the building or permit this to occur unless the owner gives the municipality at least 60 days notice in writing of the owner’s intentions.

 

Owner of the property seeks permission to remove or demolish the existing dwellings

The owner is seeking demolition of the existing dwellings.  A formal request for demolition was submitted by the owner in the form of a demolition permit application and the official notice of receipt was provided on March 4, 2011.

 

Heritage Markham has no objection to the demolition

At the March 9, 2011 Heritage Markham meeting, the Committee indicated that it has no objection to the demolition of these dwellings

 

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

Demolition is supported

Heritage Section staff and Heritage Markham support the demolition of the dwellings as they do not possess any cultural heritage value and do not warrant protection.

 

Current Town policy for demolition of listed properties should be amended

The Ontario Heritage Act requires that any demolition request for an individually designated property (Part IV designation) or a property within a designated heritage conservation district (Part V designation) must be considered by Council.  This requirement also includes buildings of no heritage value located in heritage districts.  This requirement cannot be delegated to a sub-committee of Council or a Town official (as is the case for alterations of designated property).

 

The subject properties are not designated, but are listed on the Heritage Register.  According to the Heritage Act, the owner is required to give the municipality 60 days notice of a proposed demolition. The common practice in other municipalities where the municipal heritage committee and staff have examined the property and determined that the demolition could be supported is to issue the permit.  However, in Markham, Council passed a resolution in 1995 stating that “permits to demolish “historically significant” residential buildings be issued or denied by Council after consideration and referral by Heritage Markham”.  The demolition of all other buildings was delegated to the Chief Building Official.  The term “historically significant” used in the resolution is defined in the accompanying report as:

 

All of the above types of buildings considered “historically significant” require Council approval of any demolition proposal.  These buildings are all now included in the Heritage Register.

 

To improve customer service and avoid having to prepare reports for Council on buildings that possess little to no cultural heritage significance, it is recommended that the 1995 policy be amended as follows:

 

If either Heritage Markham or Heritage Section staff is of the opinion that the property has cultural heritage significance, the matter will be referred to Council for a decision.  Heritage Markham reviewed this policy revision and had not objection.  

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE: (external link)

Not applicable at this time.

 

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS

Not applicable at this time.

 

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

The assessment of heritage buildings within the Town aligns with the Town of Markham’s Strategic Priority of Managed Growth.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The demolition request and the policy revision were reviewed by Heritage Markham, Council’s advisory committee on heritage matters.

 

RECOMMENDED BY:

                                     

________________________                           ________________________

Biju Karumanchery, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.                Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.

Senior Development Manager                           Commissioner of Development Services

 

 

                                 

ATTACHMENTS:

Figure 1:                    Location Map

Figure 2:                    Area Context

Appendix ‘A’            Heritage Register – 9100 Woodbine Ave

Appendix ‘B’            Heritage Register – 9084 Woodbine Ave

 

FIGURE 1

 

FILE PATH: Q:\Development\Heritage\PROPERTY\WOODBINE\9084 and 9100\DSC March 2011 Demo.doc

 

APPLICANT:

Trevor Gain and Associates

10 Celebrity Place

Markham, ON   L3P 7N5

 

Trevor.gain@rogers.com

 

OWNER:

2245042 Ontario Inc.

142 Bermondsey Road

Toronto, ON   M4A 1X5

 

 

 

LOCATION MAP