Infrastructure Ontario: Class B EA for the Demolition of Structures in Seaton

May 11, 2015 / Posted in  Heritage, Seaton

City Development, Report PLN 4-15 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 (IO) is undertaking a Class B Environmental Assessment for the demolition of buildings on 15 properties in the Seaton Urban Area and the Hamlet of Whitevale. Based on Staff’s preliminary review, 10 of the 15 properties required a heritage assessment to adequately evaluate the properties against the criteria of the Ontario Heritage Act to determine their cultural heritage value. The City retained a qualified heritage consultant, Christopher Borgal of Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. (GBCA) to undertake the heritage assessments.

The Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee (HPAC) reviewed and discussed the recommendations by the City’s Heritage Consultant for 8 properties. The following is a summary of HPAC’s recommendations to Council:

• Object to the demolition of 825, 1130 and 1450 Whitevale Road and designate these buildings under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
• Object to the demolition of 2865 Sideline 16 (Walter Percy House), which was recently designated under Part VI of the Ontario Heritage Act by Council on April 22, 2014
• Request the City’s Heritage consultant to expand the Preliminary Reports to Full Heritage Assessment for the buildings located 1050 Whitevale Road, 3280 Sideline 16, 3490 Brock Road and 1740 Fifth Concession

To provide additional time for the heritage consultant to complete the full Heritage Assessments for the above-noted 4 properties and for 498 and 650 Whitevale Road, which are currently underway, an extension of another 120 days to the commenting deadline is required.
Most of the properties are located in the Seaton Urban Area and are subject to the policies of the Central Pickering District Plan (CPDP) and the City’s Official Plan Amendment 22.  In addition, some of the properties are also located in the Hamlet of Whitevale and form part of the Whitevale Heritage Conservation District and protected under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. These buildings are valuable resources to the City and the demolition of these buildings would be a significant loss of the City heritage resources.

The City is concerned that the Province is allowing the buildings to fall into such a state of disrepair that there is little option but to demolish them. This “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. If the buildings cannot be protected in-situ, they should be relocated and integrated into
another area of the Whitevale Hamlet or the Seaton Community.

Recommendations:

1. That Report PLN 04-15 of the Director, City Development, regarding the Infrastructure Ontario Class B Environmental Assessment for the demolition of buildings located in the Seaton Urban Area and the Hamlet of Whitevale be received;
2. That Council, in response to the Infrastructure Ontario Class B Environmental Assessment object to the demolition of buildings located at 825, 1130 and 1450 Whitevale Road, 3440 Brock Road, and 2865 Sideline 16 which is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act;
3. That Council endorse the recommendations of the Heritage Pickering Advisory Committee to designate 825, 1130 and 1450 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;
4. That Council not object to the demolition of buildings located at 3185 Brock Road, 3540 Country Lane, 1710 Whitevale Road and 325 Hwy 7;
5. That Council request an extension of another 120 days to the commenting deadline to allow the City to expand the Preliminary Reports to Full Heritage Assessments for the buildings located at 1050 Whitevale Road, 3280 Sideline 16, 3490 Brock Road and 1740 Fifth Concession, and to complete the Full Assessments already underway for 498 and 650 Whitevale Road;
6. That Council express its strong dismay at the Province for its disregard of significant heritage resources in Seaton 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;
7. That, if the Province continues with proposed demolition of significant heritage resources, Council request the buildings be recorded in the form of photographs and/or measured drawings, the documentation of the buildings be provided to the City, and exterior or interior heritage features be made available for salvage to interested parties prior to any demolition; and
8. 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.