Item - 2019.PB1.1

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that: 

1. City Council include the property on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register.

2. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 35 Kingsway Crescent under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 35 Kingsway Crescent (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 3 to the report (December 3, 2018) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

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 proposed 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 to designate the property.

The Toronto Preservation Board reaffirm their endorsement of the Kingsway for prioritization as a Heritage Conservation District Study.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 35 Kingsway Crescent under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and include the property on the City's Heritage Register. 

The subject property is located on the east side of Kingsway Crescent north of Bloor Street in the Kingsway neighbourhood in Etobicoke.  The property contains a two-and-a-half storey estate house, constructed in 1929, by the Home Smith Company who established the Kingsway Park picturesque garden suburb.

Following research and evaluation, it has been determined that the property

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. 

The property was recently sold and in November 2018, the new owners submitted a revised building permit application to substantially alter the exterior of the house with the removal of the upper storey and important distinctive features of the Tudor Revival style. 

This is an urgent matter as the property has significant cultural heritage value and is not on the City's Heritage Register.  As a result City Staff could not review or comment on the negative impact of the building permit on the heritage value of the property.  Without Council's immediate notice of its intention to designate the property, the cultural heritage value of the property will be diminished or lost. 

Designation will enable City Council to review alterations to the site, enforce heritage property standards and maintenance, and refuse demolition in accordance with Official Plan Heritage Policies and the Ontario Heritage Act.