DESIGNATION OF INDIVIDUAL BUILDINGS
Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act
Town of Markham Designation Plaque
One of the most important tools used by the Town of Markham to protect heritage resources is the designation of individual properties under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Designation affords the community a certain level of control with respect to conserving our built heritage. It also encourages preservation by enabling heritage property owners to receive financial assistance for approved conservation and restoration projects.
To encourage and help raise awareness of the preservation of Markham’s heritage, all buildings designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act are marked with a round bronze plaque, illustrated above, which indicates the name of the building and year of construction.
To date, the Town has over one hundred properties which have been protected through designation, or pending designation..
(See Appendix ‘A’ for a full list of Part IV designated properties in the Town of Markham).
HERITAGE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS
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The Ramer House, Old Town Hall and Prentice House are all protected by Heritage Conservation Easements, secured through development agreements.
Another method used to protect heritage resources employed by the Town of Markham is the Heritage Conservation Easements concept.
Typically, obtained through development agreements, a Heritage Easement is a legal agreement. It allows the owner of a heritage property to insure its preservation while retaining possession and use of the property. An easement gives a public body, such as the Town, a legal interest in the property and is registered on the title to the property.
Heritage Easements are more comprehensive than Designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. For example, there are no provisions under the Heritage Act to require an owner of a designated property to maintain the building or its heritage features in good condition, insure the building against perils or to rebuild the building in the event of damage. Heritage Easements address these shortcomings, and also provide much stronger protection against demolition. A property can be protected by both an easement and designation.
To date, the Town of Markham has secured Heritage Conservation Easements for 10 properties.
(See Appendix B for a full list of properties on which the Town of Markham holds Heritage Conservation Easements).
THE MARKHAM INVENTORY OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS
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Buildings listed on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings, Left to Right:
Box Grove Church, Gowland and Calvert Houses and Lapps Cider Mill
The Town of Markham has compiled an inventory of buildings located within Markham which are of architectural and/or historical interest entitled the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings. A building included on the Inventory is considered to be a “listed” building. All development or building permit applications for listed buildings are reviewed by Heritage Markham as part of the Town’s regular approval process. It is not Heritage Markham’s intent, nor Town Council’s, to prohibit additions or alterations to listed buildings. The review process is simply intended to ensure that any changes are sympathetic and complementary to the original heritage structure, thereby ensuring the conservation of the heritage resource for future generations to enjoy.
The purpose of the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings is to provide a complete record of the current stock of buildings of architectural and/or historical interest within the Town of Markham. This complete record aids Council, Heritage Markham and Town staff in their decision making regarding such issues as designation, demolition control, review of proposed alterations and future policy initiatives.
To date the Town of Markham has listed over 800 buildings on the Markham Inventory of Heritage Buildings.
The Town of Markham Heritage Fund
The veranda on the Robert Grundy House was reconstructed to original specifications with the assistance of the Town of Markham Heritage Fund
Heritage buildings serve as reminders of Markham’s distinctive history and contribute to the unique appearance and character of the community.
Heritage property owners, through their goodwill, act as the guardians of Markham’s architectural legacy. While all property owners incur costs associated with maintenance and upkeep, the owners of heritage buildings often face higher-than-average costs as the repair or restoration of historic buildings can be more labour intensive and require custom work.
To assist in the conservation of heritage buildings within the municipality, Council established the Town of Markham Heritage Fund which is used for making loans to designated heritage property owners for approved conservation or restoration projects.
Owners of designated heritage properties in Markham are eligible for financial assistance through the Fund, in the form of low-interest loans of up to $15,000. Eligible projects include:
· the conservation and repair of existing architectural features in an historically appropriate manner;
· the authentic recreation of former exterior architectural elements (must be documented);
· structural work required to preserve the integrity of the heritage character of a building;
· the relocation of a designated heritage building in order to avoid demolition;
To date, a number of heritage property owners have made use of the Town of Markham Heritage Fund to restore their dwellings.
HERITAGE DESIGN REVIEW
With almost all of the historic urban area of Markham now designated as part of one of the Town’s three heritage districts, the design review of new development applications for compatibility with the character of the heritage districts is a major part of the heritage planning function.
Following the design guidelines established in the District plans, attention is paid to such factors as scale, massing, materials, windows, doors, details and landscaping to ensure that all new development is compatible.
The following are some examples of recent successes with compatible infill development in Markham’s heritage conservation districts.
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Picturesque Victorian reproduction, built 1998 |
Period style service station, built 1990 |
 Victorian
L-Shaped reproduction, built 1998 |
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Canadian Italianate brick reproduction, built 1998 |
Edwardian Classicism reproduction, built 1998 to fit in with a street with Edwardian Character |
