Months after the owners of an historic, south end home were denied permission to tear it down, they’re proposing an addition, with plans to turn it into medical offices.
The city’s committee of adjustment is slated to consider a series of requested exceptions to the rules later this month which, if approved, would open the door for the circa. 1850 stone house at 264 Crawley Rd. to be used for medical consultive, diagnostic and treatment services.
The owner, Industrial Equities Guelph Corporation, wants approval to put a 90-square-metre addition on the building, include office space and medical offices on the list of permitted uses, and lessen the total floor space required. It’s also looking to provide 13 parking spaces rather than the 14 currently required.
The committee of adjustment meeting is set for Oct. 14, beginning at 4 p.m. It will be streamed live at guelph.ca/live.
The proposal follows city council’s December motion to have the property designated and conserved under the Ontario Heritage Act – a designation that’s been appealed by the owner and now sits before the Conservation Review Board for a decision.
No hearing has been scheduled at this time.
During that December meeting, council also directed city staff to work with the owner to identify potential uses for the historic home.
Last year’s demolition request came despite a 2008 agreement with the city to “retain the stone dwelling in a safe and secure condition” and to “pursue appropriate uses” for the former farmhouse.
That agreement was part of a land severance deal involving an adjacent industrial property that’s now home to the Medline distribution facility at 995 Southgate Dr. If the building is not preserved, the agreement allows for it to be moved for adaptive reuse within the Southgate Business Park as part of a plan of subdivision.
The Crawley farmhouse – once known as “Willowgrove” and more recently as Glencal Acres – is a vernacular two-storey, neo-classical structure built with coursed limestone and granite fieldstone with dressed quoins.
It has been vacant since 2009.
Anyone interested in speaking to the committee about Industrial Equities Guelph Corporation’s requests has until noon on the day of the meeting to register by calling the committee’s coordinator 519-822-1260 ext. 2524 or emailing [email protected].
However, the public will be given an opportunity to come forward with comments during the meeting.
