Heritage Kingston Committee Meeting Will Be Shared with Staff from the FMCS Department So That a Response May Be Offered, As Necessary
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
City of Kingston Information Report to Heritage Kingston Report Number HK-18-060 To: Chair and Members of Heritage Kingston From: Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services Resource Staff: Paige Agnew, Director, Planning, Building & Licensing Services Date of Meeting: August 15, 2018 Subject: Heritage Pre-Consultation Application Address: 216 Ontario Street (P18-273) File Number: F32-032-2018 Executive Summary: The subject property at 216 Ontario Street is the site of Kingston’s City Hall, located between Brock Street and Market Street, constructed in 1844. It was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1976 through By-Law Number 8892 and By-Law Number 2010-113 in 2010. It is also designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as part of the Market Square Heritage Conservation District. The Facility Management & Construction Services department of the City of Kingston has requested a pre-consultation meeting with Heritage Kingston prior to advancing an application for a full Heritage Permit. Under Clause 16 of the Procedural By-Law for Heritage, By-Law Number 2013-141, the Director of Planning, Building and Licensing may pre-consult with the Committee where deemed necessary due to the complexity of the alteration proposed. The proposal includes the application of a liquid applied membrane to the north and south exit stairs on the east elevation of City Hall. This is a preventative measure to avoid further damage and water leakage into the basement and to allow the continued use of the stairs as fire exits until such time as the approvals and funding are in place for the full reconstruction of the stairs. Feedback from the Committee will be provided to the applicant so as to guide the subsequent submission of a full Heritage Permit application. 177 Information Report to Heritage Kingston Report Number HK-18-060 August 15, 2018 Page 2 of 7 Recommendation: This report is for consultation purposes. 178 Information Report to Heritage Kingston Report Number HK-18-060 August 15, 2018 Page 3 of 7 Authorizing Signatures: Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services Gerard Hunt, Chief Administrative Officer Consultation with the following Members of the Corporate Management Team: Jim Keech, President & CEO, Utilities Kingston Not required Desirée Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer & City Treasurer Not required Denis Leger, Commissioner, Corporate & Emergency Services Not required 179 Information Report to Heritage Kingston Report Number HK-18-060 August 15, 2018 Page 4 of 7 Options/Discussion: Proposal/Background The subject property at 216 Ontario Street is the site of Kingston’s City Hall, located between Brock Street and Market Street, constructed in 1844 (Exhibit A - Context Map and Photographs). It was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1976 through By- Law Number 8892 and By-Law Number 2010-113 in 2010. It is also designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as part of the Market Square Heritage Conservation District (Exhibit B – Designation By-Laws, Property Inventory Evaluation and NHS Commemorative Integrity Statement). Kingston’s City Hall was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1961. The Facility Management & Construction Services (FMCS) department have requested a pre- consultation meeting with Heritage Kingston prior to advancing a full Heritage Permit application. Under Clause 16 of the Procedural By-Law for Heritage, By-Law Number 2013-141, the Director of Planning, Building and Licensing may consult with the Committee where deemed necessary due to the complexity of the alteration proposed. This report is for information purposes. Feedback from the Committee will be provided to the applicant so as to guide the subsequent submission of a full Heritage Permit application. There have been many attempts to maintain and repair the north and south exit stairs, including patching of cracked stones and repointing of the mortar joints. However, both sets of stairs are now in a serious state of deterioration and the FMCS department feels strongly that the stairs need to be fully reconstructed. Given the scale and cost of this project and the ongoing need for these stairs to act as fire exits at each end of the building, FMCS staff are proposing an interim solution which involves the application of a liquid membrane to the treads and sidewalls to prevent further deterioration and water leakage into the basement of City Hall. The submission package in support of this pre-consultation request includes photos showing the existing condition of the stairs (north and south and the damage to the basement resulting from the deterioration of the stones and associated leakage. An example of the proposed liquid membrane as applied at Fort Henry has also been included. These photos are provided in Exhibit C (Supporting Information) of this report. The manufacturer’s specification for the proposed product is included as Exhibit D – Product Specification. The intention of this interim solution is to allow the steps to continue to serve as the required fire exit stairs while funding and approvals are secured for the reconstruction of the north and south stairs. Reasons for Designation The subject property is included in the Market Square Heritage Conservation District created pursuant to Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1985. The City Hall building is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act through By-Law Number 8892 and a number of interior attributes are also designated through By-Law Number 2010-113. Kingston’s City Hall is also a National Historic Site of Canada, designated in 1961, with a number of attributes that have been identified for commemoration in a Commemorative Integrity Statement (Exhibit B). 180 Information Report to Heritage Kingston Report Number HK-18-060 August 15, 2018 Page 5 of 7 Constructed in 1843, the two-storey, monumental, classically portioned, symmetrical limestone building features a central dome and portico, projecting pavilions and semi-rounded wings. The subject property has historical value in its association with architect George Browne, as his first major commission. The building is also associated with William Coverdale who replaced Browne as architect in 1844. Architects John and Joseph Power were also involved with the additions and rebuilding of the dome. City Hall is an outstanding example of the neoclassical architectural style in Canada and is a unique example of a multi-purpose building, being used as a town hall and public gathering space; the building also contains the Heritage Resource Centre, being a one-stop shop for those interested in local heritage conservation. The Market Square HCD is the site of Kingston’s historic marketplace and it, along with the surrounding properties are recognized for their design, historic, and contextual value. The square is associated with many people and events of great significance to the history of both Kingston and Canada and contains significant archaeological resources. The key exterior heritage attributes of City Hall include its: Siting, facing the harbour, with viewscapes to and from Lake Ontario; Monumental scale and symmetrical plan with side wings, projecting end pavilions and rear wing with the prominent dome and portico; Central drum and dome with windows, clocks, cupola, copper roof and weather vane; The features of the principal entrance, including the pedimented Tuscan portico, limestone stairs and massive wooden doors; The four sets of exterior secondary stairs; and Exterior detailing such as its string course, pilasters, parapets and dentilled cornice. The full description, statement of cultural heritage value with all identified attributes, as well as the Statement of Commemoration for the National Historic Site, has been included as Exhibit B. Previous Approvals P18-273-060-2009 Alteration of two existing windows to replace exhaust fans with grills P18-273-118-2010 DA Repaint baseboards in similar colour P18-273-071-2010 Installation of 7 vents on the cupola of the west wing for new boiler system and new flashing to match existing P18-273-017-2010 Install shielding system for ice groomer gazebo P18-273-051-2010 New roofing on north and south wings P18-273-061-2011DA Repaint windows in the same colour P18-273-019-2013 Install interior signs for way finding P18-273-020-2013 New recognition plaque (PWOR) P18-273-007-2014 New recognition plaque (Trout) P18-273-051-2015 Install interior display boxes in existing niches P18-094-2016 Illumination replacements and special event lighting plan P18-003-2018 New recognition plaque (Browne) Several minor maintenance and emergency approvals between 2010 and 2017. 181 Information Report to Heritage Kingston Report Number HK-18-060 August 15, 2018 Page 6 of 7 Comments from Departments and Agencies The subject application was circulated to internal departments for review. At the time of preparing this report comments from all internal departments had not been received. Any feedback received prior to the Heritage Kingston Committee meeting will be shared with staff from the FMCS department so that a response may be offered, as necessary. Any necessary design remedies or actions that have the potential to impact the heritage attributes of City Hall will be raised for the benefit of Heritage Kingston Committee members and the public. Heritage Kingston At the time of preparing this report comments from all Heritage Kingston Committee members had not been received. Any feedback received prior to the Heritage Kingston