Farmside Green @ Experimental Farm Cultural Heritage Impact Statement RND Construction July 2017 MTBARCH.COM 102-112 NELSON STREET OTTAWA ONTARIO K1N 7R5 613-244-2323 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 2 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ............................................................................ 2 2.1. SITE DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 2 2.2. SITE HISTORY .............................................................................................. 6 2.3. SURROUNDING CONTEXT .......................................................................... 8 3 HERITAGE RESOURCE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ............................... 12 3.1. DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE ........................................................... 12 3.2. HERITAGE VALUE ...................................................................................... 12 3.3. CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS ........................................................... 14 4 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ........................................... 16 4.1. PRIMARY PROPOSAL ELEMENTS .............................................................. 16 5 IMPACT OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON DEFINED HERITAGE CHARACTER ...................................................................................................... 18 5.1. GENERAL HERITAGE VALUE ...................................................................... 19 5.2. KEY OVERALL CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENTS ..................................... 19 5.3. KEY ZONE 2 EXPERIMENTAL FIELDS, PLOTS AND SHELTERBEDS CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENTS .................................................................... 20 5.4. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................ 21 5.5. POSITIVE IMPACTS ................................................................................... 22 6 MEASURES TO ENHANCE RESPONSIVENESS TO HERITAGE CHARACTER ... 23 7 PRECEDENTS AND LIMITATIONS .............................................................. 24 8 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................... 25 8.1. IMPACT ON HERITAGE VALUE .................................................................. 25 8.2. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 25 JULY 2017 FARMSIDE GREEN @ EXPERIMENTAL FARM CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 1 Introduction This Cultural Heritage Impact Statement (CHIS) was requested by the City of Ottawa to evaluate a proposed development on the south side of Kingston Avenue, between Vale and Chevrier Streets, within Ottawa's Carlington neighbourhood. The proposed development backs onto the Central Experimental Farm (CEF), which is a National Historic Site of Canada, but is separated from the CEF by a recreational pathway. The proponents are RND Construction and the architect is Hobin Architecture. The proposed development is located within a rectangular-shaped parcel of land that has been fallow over recent history (post-1928). The subject property is not a Part IV individually-designated property under the Ontario Heritage Act or located within a Heritage Conservation District. This CHIS is intended to evaluate the impact of the proposed development on the defined heritage character of the affected portion of the Central Experimental Farm, in a manner consistent with the City of Ottawa Official Plan Section 4.6.1. It includes: a description of the property, its surroundings, the affected Heritage asset and the proposed development; an evaluation of the expected impacts, both positive and negative, associated with the proposed development on the Heritage asset; potential opportunities for mitigation to reduce any negative impact upon the Heritage asset; and a conclusion. Full descriptions of the CHIS requirements are available at http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/planning-and- development/how-develop-property/development-application-review-process- 2-3#a-guide-to-preparing-cultural-heritage-impact-statements. The heritage character of the Central Experimental Farm is identified in its Statement of Significance, with additional guidance of protecting its heritage character provided by the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site Management Plan. JULY 2017 1 2 Property Description 2.1. Site Description The subject property is located on the south side of Kingston Avenue, between Vale and Chevrier Streets, within the Carlington neighbourhood in Ottawa. The closest major intersection is Merivale Road and Kirkwood Avenue. Currently, the subject site is undeveloped and is bounded by the Turnbull School to the east, the Central Experimental Farm to the south and a mixture of semi-detached two storey homes and one to two storey detached homes to the north and west. The property is currently accessible from the adjacent school property via a culverted land bridge over a shallow ditch located within the eastern portion of the property. Access to the Turnbull School from within the neighbourhood appears to be secondary in nature, with the school's primary arrival point being on Fisher Avenue. BOTTOM Approximate limit of the property denoted by red dotted line. GeoOttawa FARMSIDE GREEN @ EXPERIMENTAL FARM CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 2 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION Structures There are no structures located within the boundaries of the subject property. Landscape As a largely undeveloped property, the subject site is predominantly occupied by turf. Along the southern edge, abutting the Experimental Farm pathway, the property presents a reasonably continuous green edge of mature deciduous trees that are approximately 6 metres - 9 metres (20'- 30') in height. This edge is important as it provides a largely opaque boundary and backdrop for the Central Experimental Farm in this area. The northern edge of the property, fronting onto Kingston Avenue, has a row of consistently spaced deciduous trees of similar size. Currently, the north, south and western edges of the property are contained by a black chain link fence. Site Images BOTTOM Looking south towards the subject property from Chevrier Street. JULY 2017 3 TOP Looking west along Kingston Avenue with the subject property on the left. MIDDLE Example of residential structures located directly opposite the subject site on Kingston Avenue. BOTTOM Looking east along Kingston Avenue with the subject site on the right. FARMSIDE GREEN @ EXPERIMENTAL FARM CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 4 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION TOP Looking from Kingston Avenue through the subject site towards a small gap in the mature tree canopy, located along the southern edge of the subject property. MIDDLE Looking east across the subject property, from the centre of the property. BOTTOM Looking west across the subject property, from the centre of the property, with the unregistered drainage easement in the foreground. JULY 2017 5 2.2. Site History During the twentieth century, the site has largely remained fallow and undeveloped along the northern edge of the Central Experimental Farm’s western experimental fields. Based on a review of the 1870s map of Nepean Township, the subject property is likely situated at the south end of land owned by T. Shillington or at the northern edge of land owned by J. McCallum. Shillington is recognized in the neighbourhood by Shillington Avenue, which marks the northern edge of his property. It is unclear as to why the subject property has remained undeveloped, while the land to its north was developed and largely built out by 1958. The Central Experimental Farm was created in 1886, with an original 188 hectares of land, including land identified as being owned by J. McCallum, W.H. Taylor, J. Caldwell and W. L. Scott (refer to the 1870s map of Nepean Township detail below). BOTTOM Highlighting the approximate location of the subject property, located within Nepean Township circa 1870s. http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/ Countyatlas/Images/Maps/To wnshipMaps/car-m- nepean.jpg FARMSIDE GREEN @ EXPERIMENTAL FARM CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 6 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION THIS PAGE Aerial photographs of the property and immediate context. The subject property is highlighted with a dotted red line. GeoOttawa 1928 1958 1976 JULY 2017 7 2.3. Surrounding Context The dominant use within the surrounding neighbourhood to the north is residential semi-detached or detached structures. Two-storey semi-detached houses are especially common in the immediate context of the subject property along Kingston Avenue. In general, structures along Kingston Avenue present a wide frontage to the street, with driveways placed between the buildings. Uses in the neighbourhood include residential, educational (school) along with recreational uses (Meadowvale Park). Other uses in the immediate surroundings of the subject property include high density residential along Fisher Avenue in the form of the "Windfields" apartment development. To the south, the context is dominated by the western experimental fields of the Central Experimental Farm. These fields are almost entirely open, with only one structure. One can easily see the entire field area (from Merivale to Fisher as far south as Baseline Avenue) from the recreational path that separates the subject property from the experimental fields. FARMSIDE GREEN @ EXPERIMENTAL FARM CULTURAL HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 8 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION Surrounding