Page 1 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 THE PROJECT VILLAGE OF BOLTON HERITAGE CONSERVATION DISTRICT PLAN TERMS OF REFERENCE The Town of Caledon (Town) is a large, predominantly rural municipality with a number of small villages and hamlets. Many of these historic settlement areas developed around early 19 th century mill sites on the Credit River and Humber River, which bisect the Town. One such mill site was Bolton, situated on the Humber River in the southeast corner of the Town. Now the largest settlement area in Caledon, Bolton represents the evolution of an early mill village into a major urban entity. The historic commercial and residential core of Bolton is now being examined by the Town of Caledon for possible Heritage Conservation District designation in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act. The Town is issuing this Request for Proposals to solicit statements of qualifications and pricing from heritage planning consultants capable of conducting a Heritage Conservation District Study. 1.1.1. Brief History of Bolton George Bolton and his uncle, James Bolton, established a dam and grist mill on the Humber River in the early 1820s. The small hamlet that grew up around the mill was first known as Bolton Mills. Growth was strong through the mid-19 th century and the village was incorporated in 1872, at which time it had a population of 750. The spatial development of the village is still clearly reflected today, determined by the course of the Humber River as it runs through the steep sided river valley and the proximity of the surveyed concession and sideroad (now Queen and King streets) to the original mill site. The village was surveyed in sections between the late 1840s and late 1870s. The hills to the north and south of the village limited its expansion and contributed to the irregular form of its streets. Bolton s early commercial and industrial areas grew up in close proximity to the original mills, with the former eventually concentrating around the intersection of King Street and Queen Street. The residential areas of Bolton developed outward from this node, initially to the southeast and later the west. Queen Street and King Street have evolved into regionally significant north/south and east/west routes respectively. Lots within the village core still largely reflect their historic size and form, with irregular parcels indicating properties that predate the formal surveys. Original wood structures were largely replaced by brick in the 1850s-80s. Most of the remaining historic fabric of Bolton dates between 1850 and 1925. While most evidence of the original industries have disappeared, the late 19 th and early 20 th century residential fabric remains largely intact and enough of the late 19 th century commercial core survives to maintain the sense of the historic village.
Page 2 With suburban type expansion occurring on the hills to the north and south, and commercial expansion to the south along Queen Street, downtown Bolton remains an important area of historic character for local shopping, entertainment and residential use. 1.1.2. Heritage Conservation Districts Context and Process Heritage conservation districts recognize the collective heritage value of areas and neighbourhoods that have common threads such as construction timeframes, architectural features and styles, neighbourhood design and development. Through designation under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act (Act), municipalities can identify and preserve areas and neighbourhoods with unique heritage character. This is done by creating a heritage district plan which provides guidelines for managing future development and alteration of existing heritage structures. While heritage conservation districts are recognized as a conservation strategy in the Town of Caledon s Official Plan, to date the Town has only focused on the designation of individual properties under Part IV of the Act. As a result, a number of buildings in Bolton already have some level of protection under the Act through Part IV designation. However, there has been growing recognition of, and interest in the cultural heritage value of downtown Bolton as a whole and recognition that a heritage conservation district, or districts (the commercial core as distinct from adjacent residential neighborhoods), would be beneficial to guide alteration of existing buildings and new development. In 2008, Caledon completed a town-wide Built Heritage Resources Inventory of pre-1946 structures and a Cultural Heritage Landscapes Inventory. Both studies identified Bolton s historic core as warranting further protection. Recently, the Bolton Business Improvement Area expressed interest in heritage conservation district designation as a means of protecting the remnant historic core of the village and guiding redevelopment. In view of this local interest, and the timing of two new planning studies which may affect future development and redevelopment within the village core, Caledon Council approved funding for the Bolton Heritage Conservation District Study within its 2013 budget. The two related and concurrent planning studies are the Town of Caledon Intensification Strategy and the Bolton Special Policy Area Review, the purposes of which are summarized below: Bolton Special Policy Area Study (SPA) The Bolton Special Policy Area (SPA) is found within the Humber River Watershed. The purpose of the Bolton Special Policy Area Study is to review and update the existing policies and flood plain boundaries of the Special Policy Area based on the Ministry of Natural Resources Technical Guide and updated technical data provided by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.
Page 3 This review will enable the Town of Caledon to determine which lands should be included or excluded from the Bolton SPA, and to revise its Flood Risk Assessment criteria. The Town has retained a consulting team to conduct this review and establish a Planning Justification for those lands that will be included or excluded from the Bolton SPA. Intensification Strategy The Intensification Strategy will identify potential areas and sites for future development, redevelopment and infill within the delineated built up areas of Caledon, including Bolton, to guide the Town in meeting future intensification targets as prescribed by the Region of Peel Official Plan. The Strategy will contain design guidelines to demonstrate how such development will look in the Town of Caledon, and provide a means to monitor and measure intensification as it occurs in Caledon. The Town is in the process of retaining a consultant for this study. It should be noted that the Town does not yet have a Heritage Permit process in place. Development of a Heritage Permit process will be a necessary adjunct to the establishment of a heritage conservation district in Bolton. 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE / SCOPE OF WORK 2.1 PROJECT PURPOSE Heritage Conservation District Study The purpose of the project is to pursue the designation of a heritage conservation district, or possibly districts, in downtown Bolton in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act. The consultant selected for this project will work with Town staff, Heritage Caledon, the Bolton Business Improvement Area (BIA), area residents and the public to examine the identified study area as per the Ministry of Culture s Heritage Conservation District Guidelines, the Ontario Heritage Act, and the guidelines contained within this document to deliver a Heritage Conservation District Study for Council s consideration. Heritage Conservation District Plan and Guidelines (Future Phase) Should the findings of the Heritage Conservation District Study determine that the Study Area warrants designation as one or more heritage conservation districts, preparation of the subsequent Heritage Conservation District Plan(s) and Guidelines will constitute a separate project, subject to Council and budget approval. 2.2 STUDY AREA The study area for the Bolton Heritage Conservation District Study is illustrated in Figure 1. The irregular study area boundary encompasses Bolton s commercial core and historic residential neighbourhoods adjacent to King Street and Queen Street, former industrial areas along the Humber River corridor, and historic cemeteries on the north hill of the Humber River valley.
Page 4 A final boundary(ies) associated with the heritage conservation district(s) for Bolton may be smaller in size and have a different configuration. There are 160 properties within the Study Area identified on Caledon s Built Heritage Resources Inventory. Of these, 10 are designated under section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, and 18 others are considered to be of high significance. The locations of these properties are illustrated on Figure 2. 2.3 PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES The overall goal of the Bolton Heritage Conservation District Study is to assess the heritage characteristics of the historic core of the village of Bolton and determine if the area merits designation as a heritage conservation district(s) pursuant to the Ontario Heritage Act, Provincial guidelines and Section 2 of this document. The objectives for the Bolton Heritage Conservation District Study are to: vi. vii. viii. ix. Assess the study area for historical, design and contextual value and identify contributing heritage resources within the area. Review the historical and current land use planning and heritage policies, regulations and guidelines applicable to Bolton s historic core. Review the merits of a heritage conservation district(s) and appropriateness of alternative tools for conserving cultural heritage within the study area. Review the need for and make recommendations on the suitability and timing for the use of an interim control by-law for the study area. x. Undertake meaningful and extensive public and stakeholder outreach, engagement and consultation. 2.4 PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS The Bolton Heritage Conservation District Study will require interaction with key stakeholders through a public engagement process to describe/explain the Heritage Conservation District concept and process, determine community expectations and support, obtain public input on issues and feedback on the proposed district boundary. The Proponent should detail the approach to public engagement and communications in terms of stakeholder consultation, public outreach, methods of engagement, obtaining input and conveying information in order to develop consensus. Consideration should be given to the variety and creativity of the methods used and how this program will meet the requirements of the Ontario Heritage Act. Key stakeholders may include but are not limited to: Owners of commercial and residential properties in the study area
Page 5 Business, community and residents associations Heritage Caledon (municipal advisory committee) Elected officials and Town staff from key departments A project Steering Committee will be established, comprised of the Town s Heritage Resource Officer, members of Heritage Caledon, a representative from the Bolton BIA, and other Town staff as resources to the committee. The consultant selected for the project will be required to collaborate with the consultants from the Bolton Special Policy Area and the Intensification Strategy projects. 2.5 PROJECT STAGES The Town envisions two main stages to the Bolton Heritage Conservation District Study, with reporting, public engagement and communication accompanying each stage: Stage 1: Background and Issues Identification Stage 2: Heritage Conservation District Study 2.6 PROJECT TASKS The following are minimum project requirements. If the Proponent considers additional tasks and deliverables as being appropriate, please submit as part of the project proposal and include costs in the total price of your Fee Proposal. i. To conduct research, review and analysis as required to complete the project ii. iii. iv. To collaborate with staff on public engagement and communications activities To provide written content to support public engagement and communications To develop meeting agendas, workshop workbooks, presentation slides and meeting summary reports and other materials as appropriate v. To attend and facilitate meetings as required and scheduled vi. vii. viii. To provide all materials required for meetings to the Project Manager for final review at least 5 business days in advance of the meeting To make presentations at public meetings of Council To deliver draft and final reports for review in a timely fashion 2.7 PROJECT DELIVERABLES 2.7.1 Background and Issues Identification Report The purpose of the Background and Issues Identification Report is to outline the study and consultation process, identify early findings regarding public issues and concerns. The general report content is as follows: Description of Study Area
Page 6 Stakeholder identification Process outline Issues and challenges Links/relationships to other initiatives 2.7.2 Heritage Conservation District Study Report The purpose of the Heritage Conservation District Study is to identify the heritage resources and characteristics that define the historic core of Bolton and determine if the area merits the establishment of a Heritage Conservation District(s). The general report content is as follows, to be illustrated by graphics and visuals: Historic background of area, including examination and discussion of the following: o Historic development of the commercial core and residential neighbourhoods o Evolution of the built environment o Significant historic view planes, streetscapes, and landscape features o Economic and cultural conditions that have affected the development and character of the area Documentation of individual heritage resources (built and natural) within the Study Area o The sample Built Heritage Resources Inventory Record Form shown in Figure 3 illustrates the existing base level of information for identified built heritage resources within the Study Area. o Additional information is available for Part IV designated heritage properties within the Study Area. Identification of area or areas meriting consideration as a heritage conservation district, and other tools for conserving cultural heritage in the Study Area Both reports must be submitted as five (5) bound copies, one (1) unbound copy, one (1) digital copy in MS Word format, and one (1) master copy in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Prospective Proponents are encouraged to identify any other products or services, not listed above, which would help to achieve the purpose and objectives of this project. 2.8 BACKGROUND INFORMATION / RESOURCES The following resources will be available to the successful Proponent for use in this study: i. Town of Caledon Official Plan (cultural heritage policies) ii. 2008 Town of Caledon Cultural Heritage Landscapes Inventory, Section 11: Bolton s Historic Core iii. 2008 Town of Caledon Built Heritage Resources Inventory Report and Record Forms for properties within the Study Area
Page 7 iv. 2013 Town of Caledon Heritage Register v. Research reports for Part IV designations vi. vii. viii. Bolton Community Improvement Plan Town of Caledon Industrial/Commercial Design Guidelines GIS mapping of the Study Area 2.9 PROJECT SCHEDULE The Heritage Conservation District Study project shall be completed within a maximum of twelve (12) months beginning from the date of awarding of the contract. A shorter time frame for completion of the project is preferred by the Town. The Proponent shall provide a detailed project work plan and schedule showing the tasks and activities to be undertaken in order to meet the project requirements within the maximum 12 month timeframe, including approximate timing of key internal and stakeholder meetings. The schedule shall be updated regularly whenever required to show project progress and shall be submitted to the Town s Project Manager. The Proponent shall keep Town staff informed on the project s status on a bi-weekly basis. Any reasonable steps that will advance the completion of the project will be considered. 2.10 PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Heritage Resource Officer will act as the Town s Project Manager. The successful Proponent shall appoint one person as Consultant Project Manager who is required to participate in all phases of this Study, and shall have expertise and ability in the following areas: Cultural heritage planning experience, specifically including experience with Heritage Conservation District Studies and Plans Experience with cultural heritage landscape planning, including urban design, landscape architecture and open space concepts Effective project management, community engagement and workshop facilitation skills Excellent communication skills with proven ability to work with Council, landowners, stakeholders, Town staff and other consultants who may be involved at various phases of this study The Consultant Project Manager shall: a. Report to the Town s Project Manager b. Keep the Town s Project Manager informed of progress on a regular basis c. Provide the Town s Project Manager with copies of all correspondence d. Consult with the Town s Project Manager on potentially significant or controversial issues, options considered and solutions adopted
Page 8 e. Consult with the Town s Project Manager prior to deviations from standards, specifications and procedures f. Consult with the Town s Project Manager prior to any significant schedule changes g. Lead meetings with stakeholders and others as required 3. BUDGET The budget for the Heritage Conservation District Study is $80,000.00, HST included.