Body: Heritage Advisory Committee Type: Minutes Meeting: Committee Date: May 9, 2024 Collection: Council Minutes Municipality: South Frontenac
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Minutes of Heritage Advisory Committee May, 9, 2024
TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH FRONTENAC Heritage Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Meeting # 2 Time:1:00 p.m Location: Council Chambers / virtual via Zoom Present: Michael Gemmell, Wilma Kenny, John McDougall, Michael Payne, Councillor Scott Trueman Staff: Tom Fehr - Planner, Michelle Hannah - Deputy Clerk, James Thompson - Clerk
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Call to Order
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Approval of he Agenda
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Resolution Resolution No. 2024:02:02 Moved by John McDougall Seconded by Scott Trueman That the Agenda be approved as presented. Carried
3 a)
4 a)
5 a)
6 a)
Confirmation of Minutes There were none. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest None were declared. Delegations There were none. Briefings There were none.
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Business
a)
Identification of Properties and Features Wilma Kenny asked if there were any suggestions how to choose where to start. Michael Payne noted that compiling an inventory of properties with historical significance or interest should take place first and then move forward with that information. John McDougall asked for an outline with respect to changes as we are now
Minutes of Heritage Advisory Committee May, 9, 2024 using inventory vs. registry vs. designation. Michael Payne advised that it is possible for municipalities to create a register of heritage properties. Any list of properties put on a municipal registry is public and there are implications from a planning perspective for any property included on the registry. Greater protections are included for properties municipally designated. An inventory only involves data collection and for many municipalities it is a good first step in the process of heritage assessment. This is background research to be made available to staff and council to assist with discussions. There is no implication that any of these properties will go onto a formal registry or be designated in the future. Tom Fehr added that this data collection inventory will help guide the committee in the future regarding items on their mandate. Michael Payne shared that under the Act municipalities are permitted to have a heritage registry, and if the Township wanted to create a formal registry basis for including specific properties would come from this registry.. Michael Gemmell added that this data collection must take place first before any property placed on a registry. Michael Payne noted that any property considered for designation should be found on the inventory list. It is an initial sorting of all the possible resources. There are planning implications to putting something on a registry, primarily the potential for delaying a demolition permit. Michael Gemmell shared that he would hope the planning department would come to the committee regarding any applications on properties on the inventory. John McDougall noted that the committee agreed that they would start with Sydenham to focus the scope of the inventory at first. He added that it appears that there are 29 buildings that should be on the inventory and now they can do the background research as there is very little information on any of the properties aside from two. James Thompson - Clerk informed the committee that the initial inventory will support matters in the mandate. Once the database is completed it could guide planning staff and would be the backbone for other heritage committee initiatives. Michael Payne shared that an inventory can help the development of walking and driving tours and other heritage initiatives. Provincial legislation has recently changed. Properties can now only be on a municipal registry for 2 years and cannot be returned to that registry for another 5 years after being taken off. The concern was that some municipalities have been using registries to restrict properties but had no intent to formally designate. He noted that setting up a formal registry at this time and placing a large number of properties on it would not be particularly useful. John McDougall noted that we have a Sydenham scope, but we should also be looking at limestone homes, He added there has also been work completed on school houses and churches to gather information. He inquired about what the Township would formally set up, a spreadsheet or something more significant? Michael Payne added that Tom Fehr has provided an inventory form and he has completed a few properties on it. He elaborated that the whole form might need some minor modifications but it worked well in his experience. He also added that committee members have identified 29 properties in Sydenham based on Wilma’s walking tour as good candidates for the inventory. He added
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Minutes of Heritage Advisory Committee May, 9, 2024 that he has also been in contact with former an historian in Bedford and is looking at properties in Bedford Mills. Tom Fehr added that at the previous committee meeting the draft form for the inventory was presented and should be completed for each property, based on that information we then create an inventory. James Thompson reminded the Committee that we don’t have permission to enter onto properties, and to be mindful of trespassing. Michael Payne added that committee members would be compiling the information they already have and will be collecting new information on selected properties to create an inventory. The hope is this will preserve work that was undertaken by pervious committees and ensure that any information generated is saved for future use. Resolution No. 2024:02:03 Moved by John McDougall Seconded by Scott Trueman That the Heritage Advisory Committee undertake the identification of properties and features of architectural and cultural heritage value in order to provide baseline information required to further mandated initiatives including; preparing interpretative plaques, walking or driving tours and other celebrations of heritage; it being understood that the research of select properties and features will be undertaken by committee members in association with heritage organizations and interested individuals within the Township and documented utilizing the prescribed inventory forms; and That any associated research finding be made available to Council and Township staff as requested. Carried 8 a)
9 a)
10 a)
11 a)
Motions There were none. Notices of Motion There were none. Correspondence There were none. Roundtable Discussion Michael Payne explained that this section was added to allow information sharing between members. No issues requiring actions or motions should be introduced. John McDougall inquired about money set aside for designated properties and asked staff if the committee could be advised of money in the budget. James Thompson noted that staff can let the committee know by email. Michael Gemmell noted that the grant program used to be allocated to the
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Minutes of Heritage Advisory Committee May, 9, 2024 designations and would assume that money has been carried over as there was a set amount to be allocated, that should be somewhere. James advised that staff will provide an information report on the status of the 2024 budget and the grant program. Michael Gemmell spoke about the rumor about Railton Catholic Church rectory. On March 5 Wilma Kenny and Michael Gemmell went to a meeting of the congregation which was held to come up with a solution with respect to what to do with the rectory. The church hired Fotenn Planning + Design and they provided a presentation about the situation. They presented two options for the church to vote on. Michael Gemmell noted that the building was constructed in 1907 and it is a substantial limestone building. This is a building that would potentially be of interest to the Committee. Tom Fehr shared that there are no planning applications for the site currently, and pre-consultations are not something that can be discussed if there were any. Michael Gemmell asked if that would be the case if it was on an inventory. Tom Fehr advised he would do some research on that and advise the committee. Michael Payne noted he would much rather it be preserved than demolished. 12
Date of Next Meeting
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Next scheduled meeting date: July 25, 2024
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Adjournment
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Resolution Resolution No. 2024:02:04 Moved by John McDougall Seconded by Wilma Kenny That the Heritage Advisory Committee Meeting be adjourned at 1:42 p.m. Carried
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