Item - 2018.NY30.6

North York Community Council recommends that: 

1. City Council include the property at 1783-1785 Bayview Avenue on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register.

2. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1783-1785 Bayview Avenue (the property) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 1783-1785 Bayview Avenue (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 3 to the report (April 9, 2018) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division, to be effective upon the transfer of the property by the provincial government and that the notice of intention to designate be served on the new owner following the transfer of the property.

3. If there are no objections to the designation in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act following the transfer of the property. 

4.  If there are objections in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council direct the City Clerk to refer the designation to the Conservation Review Board.

5.  If the designation is referred to the Conservation Review Board, City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate staff to attend any hearing held by the Conservation Review Board in support of Council's decision.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1783-1785 Bayview Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and include the property on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register.  It is a Provincial Heritage Property under the ownership and control of Metrolinx.

The property contains a two-storey apartment building, comprising four units, constructed as part of a series of ten apartment buildings of similar design located on the east side of Bayview Avenue between Parkhurst Boulevard and Eglinton Avenue East in the Leaside neighbourhood.  Constructed in 1936-1937 by the well-known contractor and Mayor of Leaside, Henry Howard Talbot and designed by the architect W. Breden Galbraith, the apartment building represents the Arts and Crafts style which is characteristic of Leaside's residential architecture.

Following research and evaluation, it has been determined that the property at

1783-1785 Bayview Avenue meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its design, associative and contextual value. 

At its meeting of January 31 - February 1, 2018, City Council stated its intention to designate one of the other ten properties in the series, 1755 Bayview Avenue.

The property is owned by Metrolinx, a prescribed provincial public body, and is currently subject to Provincial Heritage Properties under Part III.1 of the Ontario Heritage Act that sets out the criteria and process for identifying provincial heritage properties and sets the standard for their protection, maintenance, use and disposal.  Metrolinx undertook a Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment of the property and based on that assessment the Metrolinx Heritage Committee declared it a Provincial Heritage Property on June 8, 2016.  Designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act will enable the protection of the cultural heritage value and the heritage attributes of the property.  As Metrolinx is not subject to Part IV of the Act, compliance with the designation will be voluntary until such time as the property changes hands.  Metrolinx has stated their intention to sell the property in the future.  The Standards and Guidelines require Metrolinx to protect and care for provincial heritage properties they own and manage, but the property will no longer be subject to any Metrolinx heritage protections once it leaves the provincial inventory.   Metrolinx has requested that the City of Toronto designate the property in order to satisfy provincial standards.

Properties on the Heritage Register will be conserved and maintained in accordance with Official Plan Heritage Policies. Designation enables City Council to review alterations to the site, enforce heritage property standards and maintenance, and refuse demolition. 

The Toronto Preservation Board on April 19, 2018 considered a report (April 9, 2018) form the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division regarding Intention to Designate under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act - 1783-1785 Bayview Avenue.