Heritage committee discusses apartment building plans

Plans for 261 Wolfe St. came to the heritage committee March 12.

Plans for a new four-storey apartment building went before Amherstburg’s heritage committee last week with the issue to come before town council in the future.

The heritage committee endorsed a heritage alteration permit for a new build at 261 Wolfe St. The new build would go up next to the existing building at 247 Brock St., the former House of Shalom building which is now The Lofts at St. Anthony. 

The new building was the subject of a meeting in February between the proponents and the town’s planning department, with a report from heritage planner Adam Coates stating direction was given to meet the policies of the Heritage Conservation District (HCD) including “new freestanding construction will be required to be compatible with the heritage character and attributes of adjacent heritage properties and the cultural heritage value of the District. This means adhering to the character of the surrounding neighbourhood of the District with regards to lot patterns, heights, massing, setback, building scale, roof pitches and exterior materials. Maintaining the height and rhythm of the existing streetscape will unify the District. Blank façades that face the street or are easily visible from the street are not permitted. Windows and entrance doors on the primary elevations of new buildings shall be compatible with the character of the neighbourhood, reflecting typical shapes, orientation and composition found within the District.”

Coates’ report added the applicant and their design team made changes such as increasing the stone height on the street elevation, lightening the colour to match the Lofts building, the introduction of accent headers over the windows and the introduction of Crown moulding.

“The proposed infill development adheres to established heritage conservation principles by ensuring the new design is clearly distinguishable from the adjacent heritage asset while remaining compatible through the sensitive integration of key design cues — such as massing, rhythm, and material palette — drawn from the existing historical context,” the report continued.

Councillor Linden Crain questioned whether the new build would be identical to the building that was constructed at 209 Brock St., otherwise known as the St. John’s Apartments. Coates said they are not identical, though the scaling and massing are similar and both are modern construction.

“There are some elements here that are more pointing to the Lofts and some of the design cues on the Lofts versus maybe some of the other buildings in the area,” said Coates.

Coates said this is a new build but there were design cues taken from the adjacent building. The Official Plan and zoning bylaw allow for the development, he added, and the next step is site plan control. The heritage alteration permit will, in this case, go before town council for final approval.

Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb asked whether going to town council is the correct time to delegate, noting there are no public meetings for site plan control. Coates said people can speak publicly when it appears before council.

A resident of that area did try to speak but was not allowed to proceed. Policy and committee co-ordinator Selena Scebba said a delegation request would have had to have been submitted.

“You are more than welcome to submit a delegation when it does go to council,” she told the resident. “There is still another layer of approval.”

Heritage committee discusses apartment building plans

By Ron Giofu