Report to/Rapport au :
Local
Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee
Comité consultatif sur la conservation de l'architecture locale
and / et
Planning and Development
Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement
and Council / et au Conseil
16 September 2003 / le 16
septembre 2003
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, General
Manager/Directeur général,
Development Services/Services d'aménagement
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Grant Lindsay,
Manager / Gestionnaire
Development
Approvals / Approbation des demandes d'aménagement
(613)
580-2424 x13242, grant.lindsay@ottawa.ca
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory
Committee recommend that Planning and Development Committee recommend Council
approve the designation of the former March House Restaurant, 806 March Road,
under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with Statement of
Reason for Designation attached as Document 4.
RECOMMENDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité
consultatif sur la conservation de l'architecture locale recommande au Comité
de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement de recommander au Conseil d'approuver la
désignation de l'ancien restaurant March House, situé au 806, chemin March, aux
termes de la Loi sur le patrimoine de l'Ontario, conformément à l'énoncé
ci-joint des raisons motivant la désignation (document 4).
BACKGROUND
The City of Ottawa recently has purchased the March
House Restaurant, 806 March Road, to allow for the widening of March Road and
the construction of a new intersection at the corner of March and Klondike
Roads. The proposed roadwork means that
the former March House Restaurant cannot remain in its present location. This report has been prepared in order to
ensure that the building is preserved, not demolished, and moved from its site
within the community, so that it can continue to be a part of the small hamlet
of March's Corners.
DISCUSSION
The former March House Restaurant is located in the
former City of Kanata at the corner of March and Klondike Roads (see Document
1). Constructed in 1851, the building is a one and a half storey, stone
structure that served as a private
house and a general store in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries (see
historical photograph, Document 2 and Heritage
Survey and Evaluation Form, Document 3). Prior to amalgamation, Kanata
did not have a Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) to
recommend the designation of heritage properties for individual designation to
Council under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The City of Kanata did, however, have a list of properties of
significance and this structure was included on the list.
March Road has been the subject of many studies over
the last 20 years, all of which have focused on its widening. In the early
1990s, recommendations were made to Kanata City Council to relocate the
building to allow for the widening of the road. The roadwork proposed at that
time never went ahead. During the 1990s
when the road widening was discussed in the media and by former City of Kanata
staff, it was assumed that the March House Restaurant would be preserved and
moved on the site. This expectation still exists in the community.
Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act gives
municipalities the power to designate properties with cultural heritage
significance. In order to be designated, the City's LACAC considers the
designation and makes a recommendation to City Council. The Act requires that a
short statement of the property's cultural heritage significance, including its
heritage attributes, be prepared and published in a local newspaper (see
Document 4).
The Official Plan, approved by City Council, has
policies related to the designation of buildings under Part IV of the Ontario
Heritage Act; "Individual buildings, structures and cultural heritage
landscapes will be designated as properties of cultural heritage value under
Part IV of the Heritage Act."
Furthermore, the Policy 2.5.5.16 of the Official
Plan stresses that the City must lead by example, stating that
As the owner of many heritage resources, the
City will protect, improve and manage its heritage resources in a manner which
furthers the heritage objectives of this plan and sets an example of leadership
to the community in the conservation of heritage resources, including:
a) Designating its resources under the
Heritage Act where appropriate ….
The Official Plan also addresses the issue of the
moving of heritage resources in Policy 4.6.1 3:
The City may consider the option [moving a
designated structure] provided that:
a) The building is retained on site, but moved to
another part of the property for integration into the new development, or, if
that is not possible;
b) The Building is relocated to a site
appropriate to its cultural heritage value outside the proposed development or
property.
In May 2003, a consultant engineer with experience
in the moving of heritage structures, was hired to prepare a report for
Transportation, Utilities and Public Works outlining the cost and feasibility
of moving the former March House Restaurant on the site. His report concluded
that the building is sound enough to move and that it would cost $204,000 to
move it. Rehabilitation of the structure and construction of a new wing to
allow for future uses would add to the costs. It should be noted that these
additional costs could be absorbed by a new owner if the City chooses to sell
the structure. This report does not
address the future use of the building.
The Development Services Department initiated this
designation because of the building's significance and importance to the
community and because Official Plan policies direct the City to lead by example
in the management of City-owned properties.
The Department acknowledges that the building will be moved and does not
intend that this recommendation would prohibit the moving of the building from
its present site. If the building were
to be moved away from March's Corners, the Department would not support its
designation because its significance would be dramatically reduced if it were
no longer located within its historical context and therefore would no longer
be eligible for designation.
CONSULTATION
Key individuals associated with the City's purchase
of this property, and the road- widening project scheduled for the site were
consulted in the preparation of this report. Real Property and Asset
Management, Corporate Services, concurred with the designation and recommended
that the building be moved to a site adjacent to the City-owned former March
Township Hall, just north and west of the subject site.
The Councillor was informed of the proposed
designation and forwarded the following comment:
I certainly support the proposed heritage
designation for this site. Especially in a relatively-new community like
Kanata, the retention of heritage assets is very important; we have already
lost too many. In terms of relocating the building, I am certainly willing to
take the advice of heritage experts on this matter.
No other comments on the proposed designation were
received within the time-frame allotted.
Heritage Ottawa has been informed of the proposed
designation.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The
cost of the one-time statutory advertising of the designation in the Citizen
shall be paid from the operating budget of the Development Services Department,
Account Number 112762-502210
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 - Location Plan
Document 2 - Historical Photograph
Document 3 - Heritage Survey and Evaluation Form
Document 4 - Statement of Reason for Designation
DISPOSITION
CORPORATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SECRETARIAT SERVICES
BRANCH to notify the property owner (City of Ottawa, Corporate Services, Real
Estate and Property Management, Property Services, 110 Laurier Avenue, Ottawa,
Ontario ) and the Ontario Heritage Foundation Foundation (10 Adelaide Street,
3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1J3) of Council's decision to designate 806
March Road, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
CORPORATE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, LEGAL SERVICES to
prepare designation by-law and submit it to City Council for enactment.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PLANNING AND
INFRASTRUCTURE APPROVALS BRANCH to advertise the Notice of Intention to
Designate.
LOCATION
PLAN Document 1
HISTORICAL
PHOTOGRAPH Document 2
HERITAGE SURVEY AND
EVALUATION FORM Document 3
STATEMENT OF REASON FOR
DESIGNATION Document 4
As a long-time local landmark that illustrates the
early history of March Township and the type of dwelling built by more prosperous
settlers, the former March House Restaurant, 806 March Road, is recommended for
designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The building was built in the 1850s as a private house at a time when most settlers were building crude log structures. Its original owner is unknown but it was occupied by the McMurtry family, a prominent March Township family, from the 1850s until the 1890s. During the family’s ownership it remained a private house. In 1897, it was sold to the Gow family, who operated it as a General Store and Post Office until 1938. As a grocery store, it was a hub in the small hamlet of March’s Corners. From the late 1930s it served a number of functions, ending up as a restaurant in the 1980s. It was purchased by the City of Ottawa to accommodate the widening of March Road in 2003.
The March House is a rectangular, one-and-a-half
storey, gable roofed structure constructed of rough-cut stone laid in irregular
courses. It is extremely plain in character, having its gable end facing March
Road, a centrally placed door flanked by large windows, gabled dormer windows
and a recent addition. The original rectangular windows remain, although the
original two- over- two sash windows have been replaced with one-over-one
windows. “Ghosting” on the brick and an historical photograph indicate that it
had a shed roofed veranda on its north and west facades in the 19th century.
The
recent addition is not to be included in this designation.