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

 

1.  City Council include the property at 70 Lowther Avenue on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register.

 

2.  City Council state its intention to designate the property at 70 Lowther Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 70 Lowther Avenue (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment No. 3 to the report (April 6, 2017) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division.

 

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 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

The Toronto Preservation Board directed the report (April 6, 2017) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, respecting Intention to Designate under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act - 70 Lowther Avenue, be forwarded to City Council for its meeting on April 26, 27 and 28, 2017, to be considered.

This report recommends that City Council include the property at 70 Lowther Avenue 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.

 

The subject property is located on the northeast corner of Lowther Avenue and Admiral Road in the historic Annex neighbourhood and contains a 2½-storey house form building dating to 1901.

 

At its meeting of February 22, 2017, Toronto and East York Community Council adopted TE22.97 "Heritage Evaluation of 70 Lowther Avenue," requesting that the property be evaluated for designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

 

Following research and evaluation, it has been determined that the property at 70 Lowther 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.

 

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.

 

In January 2017, the owner of the property at 70 Lowther Avenue submitted a proposal to sever the site into three lots and replace the current house form building with a single house and a pair of semi-detached houses.

 

Under the Ontario Heritage Act, initiating a designation is one way of protecting a threatened heritage property to allow more time for considering alternatives.