RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the John Cameron Jr.
House at 25 Fairway Heights Drive be designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act as recommended by
Heritage Markham,
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 “John Cameron Jr. House” (historical reference) at 25 Fairway Heights Drive be designated under Part IV of the Ontario
Heritage Act.
BACKGROUND:
The John Cameron Jr. House is identified on
the Inventory of Heritage Buildings
The subject property contains a heritage
building that is listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings. The
building faces onto German Mills Settler’s Park, but is located within the
property of the Bayview Country Club. It is one of
only two heritage buildings remaining within the German Mills community.
Originally, the house would have fronted onto the historical road allowance for
Leslie Street, which is no longer open in this area.
The
heritage building is affected by current development applications
Applications for a Zoning By-law Amendment and
Site Plan Control were circulated to Heritage Section staff, resulting in a
site visit to determine the significance and condition of the building, which
is presently used as an office and staff room for the Bayview
Country Club maintenance workers. Staff observed that the building dates from the
mid 19th century and generally appears to be in sound condition.
Some repairs are necessary to ensure the long-term maintenance of the building.
On the site plan as originally submitted, the
applicant proposed that the heritage house be demolished and replaced with a
new building in Phase 2 of the development of a new storage, workshop, and
maintenance office complex to serve the golf course operation. Subsequent to
being advised of the heritage significance of the building, and Heritage
Markham’s recommendations with respect to its preservation and integration into
the proposed development, the site plan was revised to include the building and
change the configuration of the new structures to accommodate this.
Heritage
Markham recommended preservation of the building and that a
research report be prepared
At its meeting of January 12,
2005, Heritage Markham recommended that
the preservation of the heritage house be a condition of Site Plan Approval
(see Extract, Appendix “A”). Staff was directed to
prepare a designation research report on the building to provide more
information on its historical and architectural significance. This report was
presented to Heritage Markham at its February 9, 2005 meeting. The research report is attached as Appendix
“B.”
Mr. David McKay, agent for the
owner, has been kept informed of Heritage Markham’s interest in the
preservation of the building and the committee’s recommendations throughout the
application review process. He attended Heritage Markham’s February 9 meeting
and at that time informed the committee that the owner intended to preserve the
heritage building and incorporate it into the development plans. Mr. McKay
advised Heritage Markham that the building will be assessed by a qualified
heritage architect and engineer. The Building Evaluation Sub-committee of
Heritage Markham was directed to undertake an evaluation of the building (see
Extract, Appendix “C”).
Heritage Markham recommends that
the building be designated
At its meeting of March 9, 2005, Heritage Markham recommended that the John Cameron Jr. House be designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act as a
property of cultural heritage value and interest (see Extract, Appendix “D”).
The building was rated as a Group 2 heritage structure. The applicant’s plans
to retain the building on its original site, incorporate it into the proposed
development, and agree to its designation are consistent with the Town of Markham’s policies regarding Group 2 heritage buildings.
The owner is in support of the proposed heritage designation
The applicant was advised prior to
the meeting that a recommendation to designate was forthcoming, and indicated
to Heritage Section staff that the owner is in support.
DISCUSSION:
The John Cameron Jr. House is one of only two
remaining heritage buildings in the area
The John Cameron Jr.
House is an important local heritage building and one of the few remaining
physical traces of the rural past of the German Mills community. Although it is
located on private land, it is sited in a position that makes it visible within
the German Mills Settlers Park. Together with the German Mills Schoolhouse on the other side of the Don Valley,
the John Cameron Jr. House is a reminder of a
vanished agricultural community that began to fade away with the intensive
suburban development in the 1970s. Research using the Weaver Collection of
photographs housed at the Markham Museum demonstrated to Heritage Section staff
how many heritage buildings have disappeared from this area in the course of relatively
recent development (prior to the creation of Heritage Markham and the
implementation of the Town of Markham’s heritage conservation policies),
underscoring the value of preserving remaining traces of the past such as the
subject property.
Heritage
Designation is a condition of Site Plan Approval
The Town has allowed the Zoning By-law
Amendment to proceed, on the understanding the designation of the heritage
building and its preservation are to be dealt with in the process of Site Plan
approval, and that the Site Plan Agreement will contain conditions regarding
how the building is to be treated in the development of the property.
Heritage
Markham appreciates the applicant’s support for the
building’s preservation
Heritage Markham
appreciates the applicant’s support for the preservation of the building, its
integration into the proposed development, and the recognition of its
importance through heritage designation.
Should Council decide to proceed with the
recommendation to designate 25
Fairway Heights Drive
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 Foundation 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 25 Fairway Heights Drive 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”: Heritage
Markham Extract January 12, 2005
Appendix “B”: Designation
Research Report
Appendix “C”: Heritage
Markham Extract February 9, 2005
Appendix “D”: Heritage
Markham Extract March 9, 2005
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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\FAIRWAYHTS\25\dscmay17.dot
OWNER: Bayview Country Club Ltd.
25 Fairway
Heights Drive
Thornhill, Ontario
AGENT: David
McKay tel.
905-761-5588 ext. 214
MHBC fax
905-761-5589
545 North Rivermede Road, Suite 105
Concord, ON L4K 4H1
LOCATION MAP:
