Heritage Kitchener

Committee Minutes

-
Council Chambers
City of Kitchener
200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7
Present:
  • J. Haalboom, Chair
  • Councillor D. Chapman
  • D. Vongphakdy, Member
  • I. Bodendorfer, Member
  • P. Ciuciura, Member
  • N. Pikulski, Member
  • A. Portengen, Member
Staff:
  • G. Stevenson, Manager, Development Review
  • D. Choudhry, Heritage Planner
  • J. Vieira, Heritage Planner

The Heritage Kitchener Committee held a meeting this date commencing at 4:00 p.m.

The Committee considered Development Services Department report DSD-2023-080, dated February 14, 2023 regarding a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the property municipally addressed as 1385 Bleams Road which is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

D. Choudhry, Heritage Planner, provided an overview of the HIA, noting the HIA was completed in support of a Zoning By-law application for the redevelopment of the subject property to include the construction of eight new town homes at the rear of the existing building which is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA). D. Choudhry advised the Committee will not be making any recommendation on the subject matter; rather Heritage Planning staff will be seeking the Committee’s feedback, which will be taken into consideration as part of staff’s review of the HIA and the processing of the associated planning application.

J. Vieira and G. Stevenson, Interim Director of Planning, were also in attendance to respond to questions from the Committee.

M. Warzecha was in attendance to respond to questions from the Committee and provided an overview of the project. In response to questions from the Committee, M. Warzecha noted the subject property is currently designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act and all the heritage attributes are intended to be preserved. M. Warzecha also noted Stage 1, 2 and 3 archeological assessments were conducted for the subject property and there were no recommendations for further assessment. Lastly, M. Warzecha noted, the townhouses would hold design features complimentary to the heritage property.

In response to questions from the Committee, D. Choudhry noted there were no statements of significance in the HIA as the designating By-law (87-309) does not include statements of significance. Staff noted they would investigate whether statements of significance could be included in the HIA and the process for updating the Heritage Designating By-law.

The Committee considered Development Services Department report DSD-2023-053, dated January 20, 2023 regarding the Heritage Kitchener Committee Work Plan focusing on Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act 2022).

J. Vieira provided an update regarding the Municipal Heritage Register (MHR) Review noting, the City aims to conserve its cultural heritage resources through their identification, protection, use, and/or management in such a way that their heritage values, attributes, and integrity are retained. To meet this objective, while responding to the amendments introduced to the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA) through Bill 23, the City is looking to streamline its designation process. Through the work plan proposed in Development Services Department report DSD-2023-053, the City aims to evaluate and recognize the given properties that meet the criteria for designation. With consideration to the number of properties identified for potential heritage designation, the time required to assess the properties, and staff resources, J. Vieira indicated staff are looking to have at least 80 properties reviewed to determine whether to designate or not designate by January 1, 2025. J. Viera further advised this work is proposed to be the focus of the Heritage Kitchener Committee’s work for the 2023-2024 term and would require the joint efforts of all Committee members. 

J. Viera provided an overview of the evaluation packages, noting it was staff’s goal for Committee members to assess approximately six properties every month to be brought back to the Committee for review and consideration for heritage designation. J. Viera responded to the questions of the Committee noting, pending the time commitments, staff can continue to review the proposed objectives and timelines of the project throughout the term and potentially re-evaluate if required. 

On motion, this meeting adjourned at 5:07 p.m.


Marilyn Mills
Committee Administrator