RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the “William Forster House” at 8882 Reesor Road be
approved for designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act,
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AND
THAT the Clerk’s Department be authorized to:
* publish and serve Council’s Notice of
Intention to Designate as per the requirements
of the Act; and
* prepare the Designation By-law for the
property.
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PURPOSE:
To recommend to Council that the “William
Forster House” (historical reference) at
8882 Reesor Road be designated under Part IV of
the Ontario Heritage Act.
BACKGROUND:
The
building is listed on the Inventory of Heritage Buildings
The subject property contains a heritage
building that is listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings and is
identified in the Cornell Secondary Plan (Appendix 3 – Heritage Buildings) as a
building of heritage significance. The William Forster House has been evaluated as a Group 1 Heritage
Building. The Designation Report for this property is attached as Appendix “A.”
The
William Forster House is a substantial stone farmhouse of the mid 1850s
The William Forster House, built by the
patriarch of the Forster family, is the homestead of an early Markham
family of English immigrants. The home’s dignified Georgian architecture and
exceptional state of preservation make it a very good example of a fine stone
farmhouse of the mid 19th century. The siting of the house to take
advantage of a natural slope to create well-lit basement level living space is
a noteworthy feature.
Heritage
Markham evaluated this building as part of the Cornell Secondary
Plan process
In 1992, the William Forster House was
evaluated as a Group 1 heritage building as part of the Cornell Secondary Plan
process. Buildings of this status are typically recommended for preservation
and designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The house
is located within a future phase of the Cornell Rouge neighbourhood
The Forster House is located within a future
phase of the Cornell Rouge neighbourhood. At this stage, conceptual plans for
this upcoming phase of development are being reviewed by Town staff. Town staff have advised the owner and their
agent of the importance of designing the grading, road network and lotting
pattern to enable preservation of the house on its existing, original site. It
is anticipated that the Forster House will be within a residential setting.
The
building is currently occupied and well cared for
The house is currently occupied and well cared
for by a long-term tenant.
Heritage
Markham recommends designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
At its meeting of August 10, 2005, Heritage Markham recommended that the William Forster House be designated under Part IV of the Ontario
Heritage Act. (See Heritage Markham
Extract, attached as Appendix “B.”) The property owners and their agent have
been advised of this recommendation and that this staff report has been
prepared for the September 20, 2005 Development Services
meeting. They understand that the designation of the William Forster House is
consistent with the treatment of all significant heritage resources within the
Cornell Secondary Plan area.
DISCUSSION:
The preservation and designation of the William Forster House is
consistent with the policies of the Cornell Secondary Plan
The Secondary Plan for the Cornell Secondary
Plan Area contains Cultural Heritage policies (See Appendix ‘C’). Briefly,
these policies provide for the retention and conservation of significant
heritage buildings and their integration into development proposals. Appendix 3
of the Secondary Plan lists 22 heritage buildings, including the William
Forster House at 8882 Reesor Road. Significant heritage buildings are typically given recognition and
protection through designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. The
preservation and designation of this building is consistent with the policies
of the Cornell Secondary Plan.
Designation will strengthen the Town’s ability to provide for the
appropriate integration of this heritage building into future development plans
Heritage designation will enhance
the building’s heritage status during the on-going planning process for the
future phase of the Cornell Rouge neighbourhood. Designation will strengthen the Town’s
ability to provide for the appropriate integration of the William Forster House
into the development plans for the subject property.
Should Council decide to proceed with the
recommendation to designate 8882
Reesor Road under
Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, the Clerk’s Department should be
authorized to:
*
publish and serve on the property owner, the Ontario Heritage Trust and
the public
through a newspaper advertisement, Council’s notice of intention to
designate the property
as per
the requirements of the Act; and
*
prepare the designation by-law for the property.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
There are no financial implications to be
considered in this report.
ENGAGE 21ST
CONSIDERATIONS:
Heritage Designation helps to
achieve a quality community by recognizing, promoting and protecting a heritage
resource, which strengthens the sense of community.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Acceptance of this recommendation to designate 8882 Reesor Road
will require the Clerk’s Department to initiate the notice process and prepare
the designation by-law.
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1: Applicant/Agent
and Location Map
Figure 2: Air
Photo
Appendix “A”: Designation
Report
Appendix “B”: Heritage
Markham Extract August 10, 2005
Appendix “C” Cultural
Heritage Policies, Cornell Secondary Plan
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban Design
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
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FIGURE 1:
DOCUMENT: Q:\Development\Heritage\PROPERTY\REESOR\8882\dscreportsept20.dot
OWNER: Madison Properties/Homes tel. 905-770-7002
1120 Finch
Avenue West
Suite 100
Toronto, ON
M3J
3H7
Attn.
Mr. Miguel Singer
AGENT: Niomie
Massey, Project Manager tel.
416-661-4000 ext 239
Cornell
Rouge Development Corp. fax 416-661-4229
369 Rimrock Road
Toronto, ON
M3J
3G2
LOCATION MAP:
