Environmental Assessments for the Demolition of Heritage Structures in Seaton

September 14, 2015 / Posted in  Heritage, Seaton

City Development, Report PLN 10-15
Infrastructure Ontario
Class B Environmental Assessments for the Demolition of Structures Located in the Seaton Urban Area and the Hamlet of Whitevale

Executive Summary:

Infrastructure Ontario is undertaking two different Class B Environmental Assessments for the demolition of buildings located on 20 properties in the Seaton Urban Area and the Hamlet of Whitevale. Infrastructure Ontario has retained environmental consultants ECOH and DST to gather background information on the properties including the heritage status of the properties.

The City retained qualified heritage consultants Christopher Borgal of Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. (GBCA) and Laurie Smith of Laurie Smith Heritage Consulting to undertake heritage assessments to evaluate the properties against the criteria of the Ontario Heritage Act and determine their cultural heritage value. The Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee was also advised of the proposed demolition of the buildings and has provided recommendations to Council. ·

Council, at the May 19, 2015 meeting, approved the recommendations within Report PLN 04-15, which dealt with nine properties included in the first Environmental Assessment. This second report, PLN 10-15, provides recommendations to Council respecting the demolition requests for the remaining 11 of the 20 properties.

Some properties are located in the Seaton Urban Area and are subject to the policies of the Central Pickering Development Plan (CPDP) and the City’s Official Plan Amendment for Seaton. Some of the properties are also located in the Hamlet of Whitevale within the Whitevale Heritage Conservation District and protected under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The City is very concerned that the Province is allowing these buildings to fall into such a state of disrepair. A number of the buildings are valuable resources to the City and the demolition of these buildings would be a significant loss of the City heritage resources. “Demolition by neglect” is unacceptable and contrary to the Provincial Policy Statement. The City strongly recommends Infrastructure Ontario restore these buildings so that they can be used for appropriate residential, commercial or community purposes serving the City.

Recommendations:

1. That Council in response to the Infrastructure Ontario Class B Environmental Assessments, object to the demolition of buildings located at 498 and 1050 Whitevale Road, and 17 40 Fifth Concession Road;
2. That Council also object to the demolition of the building located at 615 Whitevale Road but not object to the demolition of the outbuilding at this location;
3. That Council not object to the demolition of buildings located at 3490 Brock Road, 1469 Taunton Road, 170 Highway 7, 2750 Whitevale Road and 2900 Brock Road;
4. That Council also not object to the demolition of the building located at 650 Whitevale Road and requests the Province install a commemorative plaque on the property at the proposed trail head location;
5. That Council endorse the recommendations of the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee to designate 498, 615 and 1050 Whitevale Road, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act; and that staff be authorized to prepare the appropriate materials and report back to Council at a future date;
6. That Council request staff to write the school boards to determine their interest in incorporating the building located at 3280 Sideline 16 into a future school board block, and if the school boards are not interested, that Council not object to the demolition of the house located at 3280 Sideline 16.;
7. That Council express its strong concern with the Province for its disregard of significant heritage resources in Pickering through the lack of maintenance and occupancy of such resources, in contravention of the Provincial Policy Statement, and request the Province to restore and reuse these structures and manage them in compliance with the Standards & Guidelines for Conservation of Provincial Heritage Properties;
8. That Council request the Province to record, document and provide to the City in the form of photographs and/or measured drawings all buildings to be demolished, as well as make available exterior or interior heritage features for salvage to interested parties prior to any demolition; and
9. Further, that a copy of this Report and Council’s Resolution be forwarded to: the Premier of Ontario; Infrastructure Ontario; the Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure; the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; and the Whitevale and District Residents’ Association.