An east end property owner is looking to overturn city council’s decision to designate their site for protection under the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA).
An Ontario Land Tribunal spokesperson confirms an appeal has been filed regarding 919 York Rd. At this time, no hearing dates have been set.
Council approved a designation bylaw in April, seeking protections for a 1860-built structure which sits between the former Guelph legion building and the closed-down reformatory, west of Watson Parkway.
No details about the basis of the appeal are available, as the documents haven’t yet been processed, the OLT spokesperson noted.
Council approved the designation bylaw after receiving an objection letter from a lawyer representing the owner, Brodie Limited.
In the letter, Kevin Thompson explains his client bought the property from the Royal Canadian Legion in 2011 and that the legion planned to renovate the farmhouse after buying the property in 1975 but “it was in such bad shape” it opted not to and instead began using it for storage.
The house has sat unoccupied ever since.
During an inspection after buying the property, the objection letter continues, Brodie Ltd. decided the “only solution” was to apply for a demolition permit and tear it down.
In December, after city staff turned down a demolition permit application, council unanimously approved a motion to advertise intent to seek heritage designation for the property, a precursor to formal designation bylaw approved in April.
As outlined in a December staff report to council, the property has been the subject of numerous property standards bylaw orders in recent years.
