Item - 2021.TE23.82

The Toronto and East York Community Council:

1. Requested the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, to research and evaluate properties located within the Moore Park neighbourhood associated with the earliest period of land development that were constructed prior to 1921 to identify properties of  cultural heritage value that merit inclusion on the City's Heritage Register and to report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council with the results of this evaluation while City Planning completes the review of a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study nomination from Moore Park Residence Association.

Moore Park is surrounded by the Mount Pleasant Cemetery to the north, to the south are the railway tracks, to the east is the Moore Park Ravine, and to the west is the Vale of Avoca Ravine.  The historic context of Moore Park is defined by a diversity of detached, semi-detached and multi-family dwellings, situated within a garden suburb context primarily developed between 1900 and the 1930s houses of Dutch Colonial Revival style, English Cottage, Georgian, and Tudor styles with lots that often back onto one of the ravines. These styles are representative of the strict design guidelines put in place by the original developer, John Thomas Moore, prior to construction of the neighbourhood.

The history of Moore Park originates as a portion of a 200 acre rectangular lot laid out by the British military engineers and surveyors for the Town of York in 1793.  In 1884, a plan of subdivision portioned the land into 24 sections.  The owner and developer of the property, from whom the area takes its name, was John Thomas Moore.  Moore envisioned an elegant suburb nestled in a park-like setting removed from the pollution of the city.  An arrangement was struck between Moore and the Township for the construction of an iron bridge, built in 1888, over the Vale of Avoca ravine that separated Moore Park from the Deer Park neighbourhood to the west.  Moore needed to make the area more accessible and he was instrumental in building the Belt Line Railway (1892-1894) and oversaw the construction of the Moore Park station (1892). The Beltline only operated for 18 months before declaring bankruptcy delaying the development of Moore Park another twenty years.  Moore Park was annexed to the City in 1913; and shortly after that Mount Pleasant road was extended south to Moore Park and Rosedale (1919-1924), and was substantially built out by the 1930s.

The Moore Park Residence Association (MPRA) recently restated its interest to protect the historic character of Moore Park and expressed concern about the loss of the earliest historic houses in the neighbourhood. MPRA submitted a nomination for a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study and is awaiting City Planning's review. Today there remain a few rare surviving century homes within the Moore Park neighbourhood, representing the earliest period in the historical land development of the area prior to 1920s, that have yet to be evaluated for inclusion on the City's Heritage Register and should be prioritized for research and evaluation as soon as possible.

Identifying properties of cultural heritage value or interest is an essential part of a municipality’s role in heritage conservation. Including "listed" non-designated properties in the municipal register is a means to identify properties that have cultural heritage value or interest to the community. A "listed" property has no legal protection under the Ontario Heritage Act; the only change for a property owner is that they will need to provide 60 days' notice when applying for a demolition permit, or prepare a Heritage Impact Assessment when submitting a planning application.  When a property is listed it does not necessarily mean that it will be subsequently “designated” under the Ontario Heritage Act. Listed means further evaluation of the property will take place.  "Listing" a property does not change the existing building permit process - it does not restrict an owner's ability to make exterior and interior alterations, when demolition is not involved. It does not trigger maintenance requirements over and above existing property standards.