Elgie House mediation gets its first approvals

Several months after a mediated settlement was reached, the proposed alterations for the Thomas G. Elgie House, the designated heritage house at 262 Bessborough Dr., came before the Toronto Preservation Board on Jan. 9 and the North York Community Council on Jan.13. The alterations detailed in the Conservation Management Plan for the property are:

1. to retain and restore the original central section of the Thomas Elgie House, moving the house eastward on the property 7.5 metres such that the house remains on the top of a gentle slope on the property, and

2. that the relationship between grade and the entrance to the heritage building not be changed once re-located, and

3. construction of a new rear addition to the house.

In accordance with the mediated settlement, the property will be severed into three lots, with the Thomas Elgie House on a wider central lot, with one new lot to the north, and one new lot to the south. However the property as a whole will be landscaped cohesively, and all lands will be subject to a Heritage Easement Agreement.

Provided the city makes a decision no later than Feb. 27 (after that date the owner has the right to request that the OMB proceed to schedule a hearing of the demolition appeal), the owner has agreed to notify the OMB of the withdrawal of the demolition appeal.

The matter is scheduled to go
to city council on Feb. 10, so it is likely that work will begin onsite later this winter to remove the undesignated north and south additions, and start the alterations to the heritage property.

About Geoff Kettel 218 Articles
Geoff Kettel is a community connector and advocate for “making places better”. He is currently Co-President of the Leaside Residents Association, Co-Chair of the Federation of North Toronto Residents‘ Associations (FoNTRA), member of the Toronto Preservation Board and Past Chair of the North York Community Preservation Panel. He writes a monthly column on heritage and planning in Leaside Life.