Item - 2020.TE18.17

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:  

1. City Council include the property at 661 Huron Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register and state its intention to designate the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance.

2. City Council include the property at 663-665 Huron Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register and state its intention to designate the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance.

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 necessary bill in Council. 

4. If there are objections in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council direct the City Clerk to refer the proposed 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 to designate the property.

This report recommends that City Council include the properties at 661 and 663-665 Huron Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register and state its intention to designate the properties under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value.   

Located on the east side of Huron Street, south of Dupont Street in The Annex neighbourhood, the properties contain two house-form buildings completed between 1890-1891 that were originally single-family dwellings and now used as multi-unit residential buildings. Both properties have cultural heritage value as fine examples of eclecticism in Late Victorian Era architecture in Toronto, combining elements of Richardsonian Romanesque with the Queen Anne Revival style. Contextually, the properties at 661 and 663-665 Huron Street are historically and visually linked to their setting on the east side of Huron Street between Dupont Street and Bernard Avenue where, along with a number of other grand Late-Victorian-era house-form buildings recognized on the City’s Heritage Register,[1] and adjacent to the Madison Avenue Heritage Conservation District, they recall the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth century period when The Annex neighbourhood emerged as a sought-after residential enclave for many of Toronto's leading citizens.

The properties at 661-665 Huron Street are located within the proposed West Annex Phase 2 Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study Area authorized by City Council on January 31, 2018.  In spring 2020, the property at 661 Huron Street was nominated for cultural heritage evaluation by members of The Annex Residents’ Association and the British Home Children Advocacy & Research Association.

Following research and evaluation, it has been determined that the properties at 661 and 663-665 Huron Street meet Ontario Regulation 9/06, the provincial criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Province and the City's policies seek the conservation of cultural heritage resources. Designation supports conservation as it enables City Council to review alterations to the site, enforce heritage property standards and maintenance, and refuse demolition.

On November 22, 2019 a Zoning By-law Amendment and Rental Housing Demolition applications were submitted to permit a four-storey apartment building, with 48 residential units, which would require demolition of the existing multi-unit, house-form dwellings. As the application review is ongoing, City staff will have the opportunity share Council's decision with the property owners to inform revisions of these applications.

Board Recommendations

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends to the Toronto and East York Community
Council that:

1. City Council include the property at 661 Huron Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage
Register and state its intention to designate the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the
Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance.

2. City Council include the property at 663-665 Huron Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register and state its intention to designate the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance.

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 necessary bill in Council.

4. If there are objections in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council direct the
City Clerk to refer the proposed 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 to designate the property.

Origin
(August 7, 2020) Report from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City
Planning

Summary
This report recommends that City Council include the properties at 661 and 663-665 Huron
Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register and state its intention to designate the
properties under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage
value.

Located on the east side of Huron Street, south of Dupont Street in The Annex neighbourhood, the properties contain two house-form buildings completed between 1890-1891 that were originally single-family dwellings and now used as multi-unit residential buildings. Both properties have cultural heritage value as fine examples of eclecticism in Late Victorian Era architecture in Toronto, combining elements of Richardsonian Romanesque with the Queen Anne Revival style. Contextually, the properties at 661 and 663-665 Huron Street are historically and visually linked to their setting on the east side of Huron Street between Dupont Street and Bernard Avenue where, along with a number of other grand Late-Victorian-era house-form buildings recognized on the City’s Heritage Register,[1] and adjacent to the Madison Avenue Heritage Conservation District, they recall the late-nineteenth to early twentieth century period when The Annex neighbourhood emerged as a sought-after residential enclave for many of Toronto's leading citizens.

The properties at 661-665 Huron Street are located within the proposed West Annex Phase 2
Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study Area authorized by City Council on January 31,
2018. In spring 2020, the property at 661 Huron Street was nominated for cultural heritage
evaluation by members of The Annex Residents’ Association and the British Home Children
Advocacy & Research Association.

Following research and evaluation, it has been determined that the properties at 661 and 663-
665 Huron Street meet Ontario Regulation 9/06, the provincial criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Province and the City's policies seek the conservation of cultural heritage resources.
Designation supports conservation as it enables City Council to review alterations to the site,
enforce heritage property standards and maintenance, and refuse demolition.

On November 22, 2019 a Zoning By-law Amendment and Rental Housing Demolition
applications were submitted to permit a four-storey apartment building, with 48 residential
units, which would require demolition of the existing multi-unit, house-form dwellings. As the application review is ongoing, City staff will have the opportunity share Council's decision with the property owners to inform revisions of these applications.

Background Information
(August 7, 2020) Report and Attachments 1-4 from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning,
Urban Design, City Planning - Inclusion on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register and
Intention to Designate under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act - 661-665 Huron
Street
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/pb/bgrd/backgroundfile-155574.pdf)

Communications
(August 18, 2020) E-mail from Denise Smith Pope (PB.Supp.PB16.6.1)
(August 18, 2020) E-mail from Beverley Jenson (PB.Supp.PB16.6.2)
(August 18, 2020) E-mail from Frederick John Smith (PB.Supp.PB16.6.3)
(August 18, 2020) E-mail from Tisha (Lobdell) Hepplewhite (PB.Supp.PB16.6.4)
(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Marten van Kerkwijk (PB.Supp.PB16.6.5)
(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Yuen Chua (PB.Supp.PB16.6.6)
(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Tassie Notar (PB.Supp.PB16.6.7)
(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Don Oldfield (PB.Supp.PB16.6.8)
(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Pennyanne Smith-Maj (PB.Supp.PB16.6.9)
(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Esther-Rose Angel (PB.Supp.PB16.6.10)
(August 19, 2020) Letter from Lisa Ouellette (PB.Supp.PB16.6.11)
(August 18, 2020) E-mail from Carol Tiberi (PB.Supp.PB16.6.12)

(August 19, 2020) E-mail from Clara Lalonde (PB.Supp.PB16.6.13)
(August 20, 2020) E-mail from Christine Jarvis (PB.Supp.PB16.6.14)
(August 20, 2020) E-mail from Libbie Mills (PB.Supp.PB16.6.15)
(August 20, 2020) E-mail from Don Oldfield (PB.Supp.PB16.6.16)
(August 21, 2020) E-mail from Dawn Sheppard (PB.Supp.PB16.6.17)
(August 21, 2020) E-mail from Larry McIntosh (PB.Supp.PB16.6.18)
(August 21, 2020) E-mail from Andrea Hunt (PB.Supp.PB16.6.19)
(August 21, 2020) E-mail from Nigel Klemencic-Puglisevich (PB.Supp.PB16.6.20)
(August 22, 2020) E-mail from Bev Johnson (PB.Supp.PB16.6.21)
(August 24, 2020) E-mail from Sheila Dodd (PB.Supp.PB16.6.22)
(August 23, 2020) Letter from Rita Bilerman, Chair and Edward Leman, Co-Chair, The Annex Residents' Association (PB.Supp.PB16.6.23)
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/pb/comm/communicationfile-117752.pdf)
(August 23, 2020) E-mail from Catherine Tramsek (PB.Supp.PB16.6.24)
(August 24, 2020) Letter from Brenda Riley (PB.Supp.PB16.6.25)
(August 24, 2020) E-mail from Kenneth Bartlett (PB.Supp.PB16.6.26)
(August 24, 2020) Letter from Gillian Bartlett (PB.Supp.PB16.6.27)
(August 23, 2020) Letter from Lori Oschefski (PB.Supp.PB16.6.28)
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/pb/comm/communicationfile-117791.pdf)
(August 25, 2020) E-mail from Janice Mersey (PB.Supp.PB16.6.29)
(August 25, 2020) E-mail from Jeannette Mazzocato (PB.Supp.PB16.6.30)
(August 26, 2020) E-mail from Anne Hanrahan (PB.Supp.PB16.6.31)
(August 26, 2020) Letter from Mark Flowers (PB.Supp.PB16.6.32)
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2020/pb/comm/communicationfile-117798.pdf)
(August 26, 2020) E-mail from Carol Bland (PB.Supp.PB16.6.33)
(August 26, 2020) E-mail from Dorothy Goldin Rosenberg (PB.Supp.PB16.6.34)
(August 27, 2020) E-mail from Stanislav Belonenko (PB.New.PB16.6.35)