Peterborough city council won’t stand in the way of downtown development even in the face of major structural changes to, or possible outright demolition of, two historic structures.
Meeting on Monday night (March 27) at City Hall as Committee of the Whole, council sided with a motion by Councillor Dan McWilliams to receive as information only a City staff report calling for a deferral of heritage designations being placed on the buildings at 144 Brock Street and 450 George Street North — home to The Pig’s Ear Tavern and The Black Horse Pub respectively.
The former has been purchased by Parkview Homes while the latter is subject of a conditional offer to purchase, also involving Parkview Homes.
As well, staff’s recommendation called for the exploration of “viable alternatives” to demolition in consultation with Parkview Homes.
Councillors Dave Haacke and Dean Pappas declared a conflict and did not vote on the matter — Coun. Haacke noting Parkview Homes is a client of his real estate business and Coun. Pappas saying his downtown business is located in close proximity to both properties.
Coun. McWilliams’ motion also recommends that City staff work with Parkview Homes owner/president Paul Dietrich, who has demolition permits in hand for both structures, to come up with a design for both that fits in with the design of the neighbouring Morrow Building at the northeast corner of George and Brock streets.
“This development is ready to go,” noted Coun. McWilliams.
“At the 11th hour, we’re now trying to impede the progress of a developer in our community. That doesn’t make any sense. I think it (heritage designation) stops and prohibits the moving of economic development in our community and I’m suggesting that’s not something we should be doing. Give it back to staff and let staff deal with the people who are going to be doing the construction.
“The developer is not an unknown commodity. Paul Dietrich is a gentleman who knows his stuff. He’s not going to put a glass tower up there. It’s important that staff work with the developer and come up with something that’s in keeping with the neighbourhood.”
On March 2nd, the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC) voted to recommend to city council that both buildings be granted heritage designation, which would prevent their demolition and restrict what modifications can be made to them. That followed Parkview Homes’ securing of City-granted demolition permits for both structures — a situation Dietrich defined as “challenging” in an earlier kawarthaNOW.com article.
Peterborough CAO Allan Seabrooke clarified during the discussion that Dietrich sought and secured those permits with the required consent of the buildings’ owners.
In rebuttal to Coun. McWilliams’ motion, Community Services Director Ken Doherty urged council to approve the recommendation to defer PACAC’s heritage designation request for both buildings and give staff time to work with Parkview Homes on their design.
His report noted the buildings “have strong associations with the community, are integral parts of the 19th century streetscape and display a high order of architectural design.”
“The intent behind the Heritage Act is to balance heritage preservation with economic development,” noted Doherty. “Our recommendations aren’t ignoring PACAC’s recommendations. Our recommendation says defer a decision on heritage designation and give us an opportunity to meet and discuss, at more length, what options are available.
“There are many examples where we have worked with developers to try and balance heritage preservation with economic development. That’s all we’re asking for here.”
For his part, Councillor Henry Clarke, while agreeing with Coun. McWilliams’ call for fewer roadblocks to downtown development, also saw merit in staff’s desire to work with Parkview Homes on the buildings’ design.
“I think Mr. Doherty is right. Pass the recommendation as is and ask to very quickly work with the developer,” said Coun. Clarke.
“I think we’re all well aware that getting more people living in the downtown, working in the downtown, is extremely important to the economy. I want to see it move ahead expeditiously, but I am concerned that some of the heritage (of the buildings) does need to be preserved.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Gary Baldwin left no question as to where he stands on the matter.
“I’d like to see the properties designated as heritage properties,” he said, speaking against the staff recommendation and Coun. McWilliams’ motion while siding with PACAC’s request.
“Certainly we want to improve buildings in the community but there’s an architecture there to maintain. We preserved Cox Terrace on Rubidge Street. There are a number of other buildings in the city that if we just allow developers to come in with absolutely no deterrent at all; they can in fact demolish buildings.
“I don’t think we should downplay the role of our advisory committees. If you’re not going to take their input, I really don’t see why we have advisory committees.”
But Councillor Lesley Parnell countered that, saying “People living downtown makes for a more diverse, livable, safe, vibrant downtown. We want more people living downtown.
“We also want them living in buildings that we know are not just up to accessibility standards but fire standards with new insulation, safe plumbing, safe electricity, everything. What he (Dietrich) is proposing is brand new, safe buildings, more than up to code, but bringing in some of the heritage to the new buildings.”
In the earlier kawarthaNOW.com article, Dietrich expressed a desire to not only work with City staff to come up with a suitable design for both structures but also to preserve some of their history in some form, whether that be preserving part of the buildings’ facades in some form or incorporating photos of the structures as the centerpiece of a interior display.
“The Pig’s Ear and The Black Horse have history in Peterborough and we, as developers/builders, would recognize the same in any redevelopment by incorporating some of the hard structure (building) and some of the soft structure (memories) in a new development that would enhance downtown Peterborough,” he wrote in an email.
Coun. McWilliams’ motion will now head to city council April 3 for ratification.
