Municipal Heritage Cmte to Debate Objections to Heritage Registrations in Waterdown Village – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 22, 2022
CORRECTED VERSION: The agenda item is actually deliberating on appeals of the already approved registrations. TPR regrets the error.
Hamilton’s Municipal Heritage Committee will consider objections from five property owners (296 Dundas Street East, 362 Dundas Street East, 30 Elgin Street, 19 Flamboro Street and 280 Mill Street South) who are objecting to the being added to the non-designated heritage properties list.
The non-designated properties registry delays the issuing of any demolition permit applications by up to sixty days, and invites heritage scrutiny for any major renovations or changes to the registered properties.
Council approved adding 208 properties in Waterdown to the heritage registry in November. Additionally, seven properties are recommended for full heritage designation status.
Ward 15 Councillor Judi Partridge sought to have all buildings in Waterdown Village granted heritage protection to better retain the existing built form of the original European settlement area that developed surrounding Grindstone Creek.
The City issued non-designation registry notices to 209 property owners in Waterdown Village.
Five property owners objected.
City staff state they’ve reviewed the objections.
Heritage planning staff are recommending all but 19 Flamboro still be added to the list, stating 19 Flamboro “was found to not retain sufficient physical heritage value to remain listed on the Register.” 19 Flamboro is an automobile service centre, Jays Auto Services, which plans to redevelop the site in the future.
“This building appears to have been built by the Carson Construction circa 1930,” the staff report states. Carson Construction “was responsible for highway construction in northern Ontario and runway construction at the Mount Hope and Toronto airports for the Federal government in the 1940s and 1950s,” the staff reports reads.
Staff write one of the properties owners “do not feel as though their home has any heritage value or importance. However, they do indicate that they bought this property because they loved the character of the home and the historic neighbourhood it is located in.”
Most objections related to property value, insurance costs, and renovation permit concerns.
Heritage planning staff continue to recommend designating the following buildings under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act: 289 Dundas Street East (Smith-Carson House), 292 Dundas Street East (Maple Lawn), 298 Dundas Street East (Former New Connexion Church), 299 Dundas Street East (Crooker House), 1 Main Street North (Royal Coachman/Former Kirk Hotel), 134 Main Street South, (Former Wesleyan Methodist Parsonage), and 8 Margaret Street (Reid House).
Staff state “At the time of writing this report, staff have not received any formal correspondence from owners expressing their opposition.”
Other properties in the Waterdown Village will be designated at later dates.
340 Dundas Street East (Eager House) will be designated “at a future date after the bridge-related matters have been resolved.”
299 Dundas Street East (Crooker House) will be designated at a later date “to give the owner time to complete the alterations approved” by heritage planning staff.
Studies of two properties were not completed. 341 Main Street North (Rymal/Buchan House), due to “resource constraints” and 201 Main Street South (J.K. Griffin House) due to “access issues.”
Heritage planning staff state they are negotiating with City Public Works staff regarding designating City-owned properties at 9 Margaret Street (Waterdown Union Cemetery), 115 Main Street South (Sealey Park), and 200 Hamilton Street North (Waterdown Memorial Park).
The Heritage Committee meeting is scheduled for 9:30 am on Friday, February 25.
It will be streamed on the City of Hamilton’s YouTube page.