November’s meeting of Heritage Guelph will see a lot of movement on the preservation of location heritage, which is good because we’re now almost one year into the two year project to save listed properties thanks to Bill 23. There are three new designations, and one designation in progress on this agenda, plus an unusual situation around site planning near a heritage conservation district.
NOTE #1: If you would like to delegate to one of the items at the meeting, get in touch with the committee liaison before Friday November 10 at noon at jack.mallon [at] guelph.ca or by calling (519) 837-5616, ext. 3872.
NOTE #2: This meeting will take place virtually on Cisco Webex. You can find the link on the agenda page for this meeting on the City’s website.
80 and 110 Dunlop Drive: Addendum No.1: Cultural Heritage Resource Impact Assessment – You may have heard about the new Operations Facility on Dunlop Drive that will be the new home of the City’s Transit fleet. The location is at the corner of Dunlop and Watson, which puts it just outside the boundaries for the Ontario Reformatory Heritage Conservation District.
As part of the site plan for the campus, a Cultural Heritage Resource Impact Assessment (CHRIA) has been completed and it’s been determined that there will be no direct or indirect adverse impacts on the quarry area of the OR Lands, and that the site plan avoids the 25-metre protective barrier around that portion of the property. There are two recommendations for committee to consider, one about identifying the area and type of vegetation on site, and the other about staging construction to ensure there’s no impacts.
28 Norfolk Street (St. Agnes School): Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report – Situated on the Cork Street side of Catholic Hill, the old St. Agnes School was one of two buildings used as schools on the hill at around the turn of the 20th century. Initially commissioned in 1883, the building had to be expanded a couple of times including the 1908 renovation that added the second floor using the “Second Empire style with a hipped roof and tower topped with a steeply pitched hipped roof and three dormers.”
St. Agnes was closed in the mid-20th century along with its sister school building St. Stanislaus, which was torn down and replaced with St. John Bosco Secondary School in 1986. The building may currently sit empty, but it meets seven out of nine of the criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest, according to Ontario Regulation 569/22. Staff will take any comments from the committee back for further research before a recommendation to designate comes back for approval at a future meeting.
167 Suffolk Street West: Heritage Attributes and Designation Recommendation – After bringing this property to committee for feedback last month, staff are now ready to formally recommend designation for this building that’s presently home to Barber Glass and Gallery. As reported in October, the building meets four of nine of the criteria for having cultural heritage value and interested under Ontario Regulation 569/22.
12 Eramosa Road: Heritage Attributes and Designation Recommendation – This building has sat at the corner of Eramosa and Arthur for 150 years, and now it’s finally going to get designated. As reported to committee in September, the building meets six out of nine prescribed criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest and now staff are ready to ask for committee to formalize their endorsement for designation.
220 Gordon Street: Heritage Attributes and Designation Recommendation – This property also came to Heritage Guelph in September, and it was noted at the time that the property meets five of the nine prescribed criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest under Ontario Regulation 569/22. As with the two previous agenda items, staff are asking for the committee’s leave to send this designation to city council so that it can be made official.
Guelph Politico 