Heritage district still in the works

Summerhill residents who want their midtown neighbourhood declared a heritage district are in the midst of gathering the historical data required to move ahead with the process at city hall.

“We’ve done all the research and we are presently doing architectural descriptions of all the sites,” said Susan Stock, who leads the Summerhill Residents Association’s efforts to have the neighbourhood declared an heritage conservation district.

To declare an area a heritage district, the city requires extensive documentation of a neighbourhood’s historical, architectural and cultural significance. Once approved by city council, the designation provides special protection to area building facades and streetscapes.

Three years ago that the city gave the greenlight for the Summerhill heritage study.

There are currently 15 heritage conservation districts in Toronto and 15 others under consideration.

In order to keep costs to a minimum, residents have done most of the initial research themselves, gathering photographs, researching properties and writing architectural descriptions.

“It’s a very interesting little neighbourhood that has a lot of stories to tell,” Stock said. “The area has been home to hundreds of interesting people — lots of tradespeople and artists, including three members of the Group of Seven. (Late actor) Gilda Radner lived on Ottawa Street.”

Although most residents are “solidly behind the plan,” Stock said, there are a few who have expressed some concern how a heritage designation could hinder future development in the area.

“They’re inclined to feel that structures evolve over time and this can be restrictive to that,” she said.

But Stock said the benefits far outweigh the concerns.

“Summerhill has a history, a sense of community, sense of environment — and our built environment contributes to our quality of life,” she said. “It’s important to look at what makes a neighbourhood works and preserve it.”

Stock also decried the rise of neighbourhood subdivisions where she says everyone has to get in their SUVs to buy a pint of milk.

She said the heritage conservation district designation will ensure that the unique character and livability of the area are maintained.

“In our little pocket, that’s what we’re trying to do. To honour as custodians the neighbourhood that we’ve inherited because we’re just passing through and hopefully, we’ll pass on something that’s in good shape to the next generation.”

Even with seven or eight volunteers doing most of the preliminary research, the project is not cheap. Residents need to raise $15,000 in order to pay the fees of a heritage architecture professional to write a comprehensive report about how the area has developed since the 1800s. Her report will then be presented to the preservation board and city council for review.

The residents association had hoped to complete the preliminary research by December, but Stock said the timeline for the project is uncertain.