HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Transcription

1 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET PREPARED FOR: NEW HORIZON DEVELOPMENT GROUP (SUTTON) INC. PREPARED BY: MARTINDALE PLANNING SERVICES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF GORDON ZIMMERMAN DECEMBER 2011

2 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 2 Table of Contents 1.0 Purpose of Report Description of Subject Property Location and Legal Description Planning Context Setting and Historical Context Description of the Cultural Heritage Resources Dundas Street...4 (a) Design...4 (b) Physical Condition Dundas Street...5 (a) Design...6 (b) Physical Condition Assessment of Cultural Heritage Value of the Resource Description of the Proposal Description of Potential Impacts Identification of Conservation Options Mitigation of Impacts Conclusion Appendices Appendix A Location Plan...14 Appendix B 1877 Halton County Atlas extract...15 Appendix C Official Plan Schedule B...16 Appendix D Block Plan...17 Appendix E Topographical Survey...18 Appendix F Preliminary Site Plan...19 Appendix G Photographs of 5218 Dundas Street...20 Appendix H Photographs of 5226 Dundas Street...23 Appendix I Newspaper Articles...26 Table of Contents

3 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET Purpose of Report This heritage impact assessment was prepared in accordance with the requirements of section of the City of Burlington Official Plan, which states that completion of a heritage impact statement may be required prior to any approvals for proposed development where the City foresees potential adverse impacts on the cultural heritage attributes of any other property identified on the City s Inventory of Cultural Heritage Resources. Section goes on to specify the components of a heritage impact statement: i. an assessment of the cultural heritage value of the resource; ii. a description of the proposal, including a location map showing proposed buildings, existing land uses and buildings, and existing cultural heritage landscape features; iii. the physical condition of the resource (including that of any adjacent resource that may be directly or indirectly affected by the proposal); iv. a description of the impacts that may be reasonably caused to the cultural heritage resource; v. identification of several conservation options taking into consideration the significance of the cultural heritage resource itself, the context of the resource and all applicable municipal, provincial or federal heritage conservation principles. The advantages and disadvantages of each option will be identified, as will a preferred option; vi. a description of the actions necessary to prevent, change, mitigate or remedy any expected impacts upon the cultural heritage resource. 1.0 Purpose

4 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET Description of Subject Property 2.1 Location and Legal Description The property subject to this assessment, which is municipally known as Dundas St., is located at the southeast corner of Dundas Street and Sutton Drive, approximately 0.5 km east of Appleby Line (see Appendix A Location Plan). Now merged into one property as a result of its acquisition for development purposes, the site formerly consisted of three separate lots, two of which still have dwellings situated on them. The consolidated site has a frontage on Dundas St. of m, a depth of m and a lot area of approximately 11,466 m 2, as outlined on the attached survey. The subject property is legally described as Part of Lot 3, Con. 1 SDS, former Township of Nelson, now in the City of Burlington. 2.2 Planning Context The subject property is designated Neighbourhood Commercial on the City of Burlington Official Plan (see Appendix C ), which permits a mix of commercial and residential uses on the site. It should be noted that there are four sites in the Orchard Community designated for this purpose and there are special provisions set out in section 4.6.2(e) applicable to these sites. We are advised that that the proposed development conforms to the relevant provisions of the Official Plan. We understand that a Secondary Plan is being prepared for the lands bounded by Dundas St., Tremaine Rd., Hwy. 407 and Bronte Creek to the northeast of the subject property, but in view of its separation from this site by the Bronte Creek valley and Dundas St., we would suggest that the outcome of the secondary plan study will not have a bearing on this heritage assessment. The subject property is zoned D (Development) which permits only single detached dwellings and certain uses that are permitted in all zones. The site will have to be rezoned to accommodate the intended uses; we understand that the necessary rezoning application will be submitted shortly. 2.3 Setting and Historical Context 2.0 Description Located at the northeast edge of the Burlington urban area, the subject property is surrounded by rapid growth, characterized by recent subdivisions to the south (the Orchard Community) and large-scale commercial development to the west

5 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 3 centred on the Appleby Line Dundas St. intersection. Bronte Creek Provincial Park is located to the east and an established heavy industrial use along with a more recent car wash are located on the north side of Dundas St. A double-track CN north-south line forms the westerly boundary of the adjoining residential area, while Bronte Creek forms the easterly boundary. Appendix D - Block Plan shows the built-up area immediately south of the subject property. The two dwellings on the property are virtually the last remnants of the longvanished community of Tansley. An article in the Hamilton Spectator dated Dec. 22, 1951 made the rather incredulous claim that Tansley was at one time a busier centre than the City of Hamilton, and was almost as busy then as the valley town of Dundas. Originally the settlement that developed on Dundas St. just west of Bronte Creek was known as St. Ann s. It was changed to Tansley during the 1880 s in order to avoid confusion with another St. Ann s located in the Niagara Peninsula. Tansley was named after a weaver named Joseph Tansley, (b. 1858), the first Postmaster of the village. His family had immigrated from Northamptonshire, England in the 1820 s. Although a row of houses appears on Dundas St. just west of Bronte Creek on the 1877 Halton County Atlas (see Appendix B), the settlement itself is not identified and one can therefore surmise that substantial development at this location did not begin until after this date. Tansley Post Office survived until 1947 and the name still appears on some area maps Dundas St. may have served as the Post Office as well as the long time residence of the Bunton family, though there are no visible traces of its former use. At its height, the village included taverns, hotels, a grist mill and a lumber mill beside Bronte Creek, a blacksmith s shop, a wagon shop, a school, a church and a flag station on the Hamilton & Northwestern (now CN) Railway, constructed in The Tansley Bridge along Dundas St. just east of the subject property is a prominent landmark that spans a gorge 37 m deep; the present structure is the third bridge to have been constructed at this location. During the 1940 s and 1950 s, Tom and Jim Emerson made ice cream under the name of Emerson Brothers, and customers would come from miles around to savour the product, such was its reputation. The railway shelter at Dundas St. was burned down in the 1940 s and rail passenger service through Tansley was eliminated soon afterwards, in light of the universal popularity of the automobile and the proximity of modern highways such as the Queen Elizabeth Way. The last remaining institutional use in Tansley, 2.0 Description

6 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 4 the local cemetery, was relocated to Greenwood Cemetery in Burlington in 1978 in order to accommodate the widening of Dundas St. to four lanes. Similarly, there are no traces remaining of the Tansley Hotel, a frame building that was located beside the railway tracks. It is puzzling that this settlement, with its major east-west and north south roads, its railway crossing and its significant watercourse did not prosper; indeed, for all intents and purposes Tansley had vanished by the 1960 s. 3.0 Description of the Cultural Heritage Resources Dundas Street a) Design This dwelling, according to the City s municipal register, was built in 1865 for George McKinley and is classified as a Grade B structure. Exterior and interior photographs of the building are provided in Appendix G to this report. In terms of design, the structure is categorized as an Ontario Classic storey and a half, with tail, dwelling. The front elevation is symmetrical with a central entrance and features three bays under a peaked cross gable with semi-circular headed, double hung windows. Obvious efforts have been made to retain the original elements of this front façade, although the verandah is a recent replacement on the original footprint. Later additions at the rear of the original rectangular house would seem to be (a) a traditional cross-gabled kitchen tail, plus (b) a recent two-storey wing. Only the front elevation is original; all of the other elevations have been extensively changed over the years. The interior of the original rectangular house retains the typical Ontario Classic arrangement of rooms: living and dining rooms on either side of a central stairway, which leads to second floor bedrooms having fenestration in the gabled end walls. 3.0 Resources The southerly parts of the house reflect more recent popular features such as a

7 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 5 great room. The front verandah is a replacement on the original footprint but without the hipped roof or refined details. The extensive decks at the side and rear are recent, unexceptional additions. The detached garage is insignificant. The mature trees surrounding the dwellings have been removed over the past few weeks and the site therefore looks very different from the undated photographs in the City s Inventory of Cultural Heritage Resources. b) Physical Condition The house appears to have been occupied until a short time ago. The two-storey addition to the south is very recent. It would appear as though construction was not complete when the house was vacated. Interestingly, the north-facing elevation has been retained with its original cladding, windows, door and frames. Other faces of the dwelling have been reclad with modern vinyl siding and windows and no significant features remain. Considering its age, the structure is in fair condition, with a few minor failures in not-unexpected locations such as stone foundation corners. The interior has few original features remaining, except possibly the staircase and some door and window trim. The semi-circular headed window in the cross-gable appears to be original and is in good, reparable condition. While the dwelling could be restored to a liveable and pleasant condition, it would require removing most interior and exterior finishes of the original portions, relocating the building onto a new foundation (probably in two or three parts), insulating to modern standards and providing new heating, air conditioning and electrical systems. The most southerly addition, which is very recent, could be lived in at any time but is not a self-sufficient structure. 3.0 Resources Dundas Street a) Design

8 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 6 This dwelling, according to the City s municipal register, was built prior to 1877 and is classified as a Grade B structure. Exterior and interior photographs of the building are provided in Appendix H to this report. In terms of design, it is categorized as a two storey with single storey tail Ontario Classic dwelling. The front elevation is symmetrical with a central entrance and three bays under a peaked, cross gable with semi-circular headed, double-hung windows. The original full-width verandah has been replaced by an enclosed porch. The east and west-facing elevations have four well-proportioned, double-hung windows: two upstairs and two downstairs, symmetrical about the central roof peak. The arrangement and proportions are what one would expect in a classical vernacular house in mid-19 th century Ontario. The quasi-saltbox shape given to the original rectangular structure by the kitchen wing at the back also could indicate a construction date from the middle of the 19 th century. The projecting great room wing at the rear is of quite recent construction, as are the wood decks. The basement reveals the very early (in Ontario terms) construction date: unpeeled log first floor joists supported by squared timber beams, sills and round log columns. The basement walls are constructed of 20 th century concrete block masonry. The original room layout would have been the typical classical vernacular centre hall, major rooms to each side, two bedrooms to each side of a small second floor landing. The staircase is unusually wide. The kitchen in the saltbox-shaped tail has been much altered but reflects the typical, utilitarian original outlines. The house has been re-clad in modern, simulated-clapboard siding, presumably over a wood frame and wood clapboard. 3.0 Resources The one outbuilding on the property has its own significance: it is a good example of the type of individual workshop that was prevalent in 19 th century/ early 20 th century Ontario. It is an all-wood structure, with heavy timber framing, wood cladding, windows and doors. There have been some unfortunate

9 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 7 alterations, but the strong vernacular character shows through. Any vergeboard trim has been removed from the house. Window frames and sash are wood, double-hung, but may not be original. As with no. 5218, virtually all trees and shrubs have been recently removed from the property, resulting in a markedly different appearance from the undated photograph in the City s inventory. b) Physical Condition The ground floor structure visible in the basement indicates an early date of construction: unpeeled log floor joists, rough-sawn heavy timber beams and sills. There is no apparent deterioration from moisture. The foundation walls are 20 th century concrete block, indicating that either the house was moved onto a new foundation or was raised, the old stone foundation removed, and a new block structure built under it. There may have been a foundation wall under the central timber beam, as the beam shows signs of horizontal stress. The ground floor and second floor retain the original centre hall plan with the staircase rising from the kitchen (south) side to the semi-circular headed window in the cross gable. Interior finishes are in good condition, of different ages but all well-maintained. The great room addition to the south side of the kitchen is recent and in good condition. The wooden deck abutting the dwelling is somewhat the worse for wear in spite of being of recent construction. The enclosing of the verandah has resulted in significant changes to the front of the original house, but none of it appears irreversible. In conclusion, while the house exhibits many alterations carried out over the decades, none have destroyed the basic structure of the house. Until this year, it would appear to have been a comfortable, cared-for dwelling. 3.0 Resources

10 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET Assessment of Cultural Heritage Value of the Resource The cultural heritage resources on the subject property have been evaluated against the criteria outlined in Regulation 9/06 under the Ontario Heritage Act for determining cultural heritage value or interest, as follows: 1. The property has design value or physical value because it, i. is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material or construction method. ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. 2. The property has historical value or associative value because it, i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community, ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community. 3. The property has contextual value because it, i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or iii. is a landmark. 4.0 Value Our evaluation of this cultural heritage resource in terms of the criteria outlined in Regulation 9/06 follows. Criteria no. 1 design/physical value: The houses on the property are typical examples of Ontario Classic rural dwellings that are not unique or rare in Burlington (with the exception of the beams and joists in the basement of no. 5226, as described earlier), do not display a particularly high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or demonstrate a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. Even the bucolic nature of the setting that is apparent in the City s photographic record has disappeared with the removal of the vegetation from the property.

11 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 9 Criteria no. 2 historical/associative value: The subject property has an association with the early settlement of Tansley and contains two of only three buildings remaining from a once-thriving community at the junction of Dundas St. and Appleby Line. As noted earlier, no may have been used as the village post office for a number of years, although we do not have definitive evidence at this time. It has no direct association with a theme, event, institution, etc. that is or was significant to a community other than the possibility that it was the village post office. Criteria no. 3 contextual value: The subject property helps to define the location of the former settlement, but only in a hypothetical sense due to the absence of a tangible historic community. Similarly, it is physically, functionally and historically linked with the development of a long-forgotten settlement, but neither dwelling can be considered a landmark. Furthermore, the surroundings exhibit virtually no visible traces of the former village, with the exception of the dwelling to the east. Driving by the property on Dundas St., one does not gain an appreciation of the history of Tansley or even a perception that a thriving village once existed at this location. Rather, the dwellings stand out in stark contrast to the highway commercial/suburban residential character of surrounding land uses. 4.0 Value

12 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET Description of the Proposal New Horizon Development Group (Sutton) Inc. has recently purchased Dundas St., along with a vacant lot to the west, resulting in the three lots being consolidated into one holding. Preliminary plans have been submitted to the municipality to construct a 4-storey mixed-use project featuring retail uses on the ground floor with a total of 248 apartments above (see Appendix F preliminary site plan). Neither of the existing dwellings have been incorporated into the design of the project. Access to the units would be provided from Sutton Road and a majority of the parking would be underground. In keeping with contemporary urban design guidelines, the building would be sited very close to both Dundas St. and Sutton Rd., with a row of parking separating the apartments from the subdivision to the south. The proposal has been deemed by the City to conform with the Official Plan designation of Neighbourhood Commercial, but an amendment to the zoning by-law is required to rezone it to an appropriate zoning category with applicable performance standards. The preparation and submission of a heritage impact assessment is required in order for the application to be deemed complete. 6.0 Description of Potential Impacts The obvious impact of the proposed development is that the heritage resources would be lost due to the intended demolition of the listed structures on the property Proposal & Impacts

13 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET Identification of Conservation Options As is the case with any redevelopment involving existing buildings, there are essentially three options available to the developer: d. develop around the buildings (retention option); e. demolish the buildings; or, f. re-locate the buildings to another site. We have examined the advantages and disadvantages of each option, bearing in mind the significance (in this case, the lack of significance) of the heritage resource, the context of the resource and applicable heritage conservation policies. Option (1) retention The advantage of this option is that it would retain the heritage resource, but would not be compatible with the current redevelopment plans. The disadvantages are numerous: to design around the two existing dwellings would essentially negate the possibility of developing the site for its intended uses (commercial and residential), given the deep setbacks of the buildings from Dundas St. and the width of the former lots; given the condition of the dwellings, it would take a substantial investment to bring them up to current residential standards in order to market them; since continuation of direct access to Dundas St. would be highly unlikely, an access road would have to be provided from Sutton Dr. which may cause adverse traffic impacts on Dundas due to its proximity. Option (2) relocation The advantage of this option is that the heritage resource would not be lost entirely, although it would lose its contextual value as the dwellings would leave their original site. The disadvantage of this option is that there is an extremely limited market for relocated houses, especially those that are not in good or excellent condition. As an example, the provincial Ministry of Transportation is having great difficulty 7.0 Conservation

14 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 12 finding buyers for the dwellings that have to be moved out of the way of Hwy. 407 through Durham Region, most of which are in excellent condition. It is suggested that the limited heritage significance and appeal of the homes makes it highly unlikely that any purchasers would be interested in investing in this kind of project. Option (3) demolition The advantages of this option are that it would permit the site to be developed in accordance with the intent of the Official Plan, without the owner having to create a brand new plan that would likely not be economically viable. The disadvantage of this option is that it would result in a modest heritage resource being lost, although the impact of the loss could be mitigated (see below). In our opinion option no. 3 is the preferred option for this property, in view of the following factors: the heritage resource is only marginal at best, for the reasons outlined earlier in this report; the heritage resource has lost its contextual value, with the virtual disappearance of the community of Tansley and the conversion of the surrounding lands from agricultural to urban; designing a new plan around the existing buildings would be very difficult, in view of access constraints, buffering requirements, marketing considerations, etc. 8.0 Mitigation of Impacts It is suggested that the impact of demolishing the listed buildings in question could be mitigated by compiling a complete documented record for each of the buildings, including photographs, measured drawings, and relevant material from the City s archives, in keeping with policy (d) of the Official Plan. 8.0 Impacts

15 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET Conclusion Nos and 5226 Dundas St., when built in the 19 th century, would have been substantial structures within the community of Tansley. Each dwelling still displays typical features of house design true to their time; however, much of their character has been lost due to the heavy traffic volumes on Dundas, removal of landscaping, and lack of maintenance since the last residents vacated the premises. More importantly, almost all vestiges of the community of Tansley save these two dwellings and the one to the east have disappeared and they no longer serve as reminders of the historic settlement. We have examined the criteria set out in Ontario Regulation 9/06 and concluded that the subject property does not meet the criteria for designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, for the reasons outlined in section 4 of this report. Furthermore, we do not find that the benefits of retaining the heritage resources on the subject site outweigh the disadvantages of doing so. We have therefore concluded that the demolition option is warranted, in order to implement the intent of the Official Plan for this particular location. 9.0 Conclusion

16 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 14 GOOGLE MAP Appendix A Location Plan

17 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 15 Appendix B 1877 Halton County Atlas Extract

18 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 16 [see attached] Appendix C Official Plan Schedule B

19 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 17 Appendix D Block Plan

20 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 18 Appendix E Topographical Survey

21 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 19 Appendix F Preliminary Site Plan

22 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 20 Note: Although a number of interior and exterior photographs of the subject property and its surroundings were captured, we have included only a representative sample of the collection in this report. Prints of the remaining photos are available if required. Appendix G Photographs of 5218 Dundas Street

23 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 21 Appendix G Photographs of 5218 Dundas Street

24 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 22 Appendix G Photographs of 5218 Dundas Street

25 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 23 Appendix H Photographs of 5226 Dundas Street

26 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 24 Appendix H Photographs of 5226 Dundas Street

27 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 25 Appendix H Photographs of 5226 Dundas Street

28 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 26 Appendix I Newspaper Articles

29 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 27 Appendix I Newspaper Articles

30 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 28 Appendix I Newspaper Articles

31 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CITY OF BURLINGTON DUNDAS STREET 29 Appendix I Newspaper Articles