RECOMMENDATION:
THAT Heritage Markham’s recommendation to
designate the Buttonville Mill House at 9064 Woodbine Avenue and the Walker
Homestead at 2920 Sixteenth Avenue pursuant to Part IV of the Ontario
Heritage Act be approved;
AND THAT the Clerks 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 this
property.
AND FURTHER THAT the applications for demolition
be denied.
PURPOSE:
To recommend to Council that the Buttonville
Mill House at 9064 Woodbine Avenue and the Walker Homestead at 2920 Sixteenth
Avenue be designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act and to
recommend denial of the requests to demolish the buildings.
BACKGROUND:
Applications received to demolish two heritage buildings
On June 24, 2003, Mr. Robert Turcotte,
representing the Buttonville Golf and Country Club, applied for a building
permit to demolish three single family houses on their property, two of which
are listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings. 9064 Woodbine Avenue, known as the
Buttonville Mill House, is located within the Buttonville Heritage Conservation
District Study Area. 2920 Sixteenth
Avenue, known as the Walker Homestead, is a vacant building that has been
before Heritage Markham as the result of a request by Ms. Holly MacDonald to
relocate it to Markham Heritage Estates.
Applications to demolish followed request
to relocate one of the buildings to Markham Heritage Estates
Since there is no immediate development
pressure on the subject property or any development application, the request to
demolish these heritage buildings seems premature. The Buttonville Mill House is currently in use, and the Walker
Homestead is currently vacant, although in recent times it was used in
association with the golf course.
At its meeting of May 14, 2003, Heritage
Markham did not support Ms. Holly MacDonald’s proposal for the relocation of
the Walker Homestead to the Markham Heritage Estates as it did not meet the
criteria that the building was at a sufficient level of risk to warrant
approval for relocation. Ms. MacDonald
has indicated to Heritage Staff that she remains interested in pursuing the
relocation of the building. It should
be noted that at its meeting of July 8, 2003, Council passed a moratorium on
new applications for heritage buildings to be relocated to Markham Heritage
Estates pending a study to determine priorities for preservation on a Town-wide
basis. Staff is to report back on any
applications in progress for threatened homes and developers are to be
encouraged to locate existing heritage homes within their development plans.
Both buildings are significant
heritage landmarks in the Buttonville community and worthy of individual
designation under the Ontario Heritage Act
The Buttonville Mill House, is the last
visible remnant of the Venice Grist Mill complex and the Willcocks and Baldwin
family’s involvement in the establishment of the hamlet of Buttonville. It was
built circa 1840 and remodelled to its current appearance circa 1905. The Walker Homestead , a Georgian Tradition
farmhouse built in 1858, was the long-time residence of the Walker family. The
Walkers were among the early settlers in the Buttonville area. The patriarch, John Walker, was a key figure
in the founding of the Brown’s Corners Presbyterian Church.
Heritage Markham recommends denial of
demolition permits and recommends designation
Heritage Markham, at its meeting of July
9, 2003, reviewed the applications to demolish and recommended that the
demolition applications be denied and that the properties be designated under
the Ontario Heritage Act.
Designation pursuant to Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
affords a structure protection against demolition and unsympathetic
alteration. Designation enables the
opportunity for the municipality to negotiate solutions to preserve significant
buildings, and protect them from illegal demolition under the penalty
provisions of the Act.
DISCUSSION:
Both the Buttonville Mill House and the Walker
Homestead are significant buildings listed in the Markham Inventory of
Heritage Buildings. They are
important heritage landmarks in the Buttonville community and are connected
with major historical personages.
The Buttonville Mill House is a prominent
heritage building within the Buttonville Heritage Conservation District Study
Area. The significance of the Buttonville Mill House goes beyond the boundaries
of the Town of Markham because of the connection with Dr. William Warren
Baldwin and his son, Robert Baldwin, noted moderate Reformers who played a
significant role in the establishment of Responsible Government in early
Ontario. An outline of the historical
and architectural attributes is included in the Designation Report, attached as
Appendix ‘B.’
The Walker Homestead is the
long-time home of the Walker family, who came to Markham from Ireland in
1834. The patriarch of the family, John
Walker, was a founder of the Brown’s Corners Presbyterian Church and is
interred in the cemetery there. The homestead, a fine Georgian Tradition
farmhouse in patterned brick, was built for John Walker and his son James in
1858. One of John Walker’s descendants, Roy Walker, fell in the service of his
country at Dieppe in 1942. An outline
of the historical and architectural attributes is included in the Designation
Report, attached as Appendix ‘C.’
It is recommended that both of
these buildings possess sufficient significance to warrant designation under Part
IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The Town endeavours to prevent the
demolition of significant heritage buildings
The Heritage Policies of Markham’s
Official Plan state that “Council shall endeavour to prevent the demolition of
all buildings of architectural and/or historical significance listed in the
Inventory referred to in 2.5.1b) and shall actively encourage the conservation,
and where appropriate, the restoration of these buildings.” Denial of the demolition applications and
approval of the recommendation to designate are consistent with this policy.
Significant heritage buildings are best preserved on their
original sites
The Heritage Policies of Markham’s
Official Plan state that “Council shall encourage the retention of buildings of
architectural and/or historical merit in their original locations wherever
possible. Before such a building is
approved for relocation to any other site, all options for on-site retention
shall be investigated.” Designation
under the Ontario Heritage Act, which will protect the buildings in
their existing locations, is consistent with this policy.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
No financial implications at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
None.
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
None.
ENGAGE 21ST
CONSIDERATIONS:
According to the statements
regarding “Preserving Our Natural & Built Environment”contained in the
Engage 21st Community Vision, “We are a leader in preserving
environmental and historic areas. We
create plans and policies to support this leadership role.” The protection of significant heritage
buildings through heritage designation is consistent with this vision
statement.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Action required by Clerks Department
Should Council concur with the
recommendation to designate the Buttonville Mill House at 9064 Woodbine Avenue
and the Walker Homestead at 2920 Sixteenth Avenue, the Clerks Department should
be authorized to:
·
publish and serve on the property owners, 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
properties at 9064 Woodbine Avenue and 2920 Sixteenth Avenue.
Action required by Building
The applicant is to be advised that the
building permits for the demolition of 9064 Woodbine Avenue and 2920 Sixteenth
Avenue have been denied and the properties have been recommended for
designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The Legal Services Department has reviewed this
report.
ATTACHMENTS:
Figure 1 – Applicant + Location Map
Appendix ‘A’ - Heritage Markham Extract
Appendix ‘B’ - Designation Report, “The Buttonville Mill House,” 9064 Woodbine
Avenue
Appendix ‘C’ - Designation Report, “The Walker Homestead,” 2920 Sixteenth
Avenue
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Val 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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LOCATION MAP:
