By Staff
January 6th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
This application will permit the development of 16 townhouses and retain the designated heritage house known as the “Walker House”.
The proposed townhouses will have a maximum building height of 3.5 storeys (13 metres), a maximum density of 42 units per hectare, 1,108m² of amenity space and four visitor parking spaces.
Pre-Application Community Meeting: May 9, 2024 – 7 – 8:30 p.m. (Virtual Meeting)
Interesting to see a development where the historically relevant buildings are not being torn down.
The heritage value is the connection to the Walker family, early settlers who began farming in Nelson Township in 1816, 57 years before the Village of Burlington was formed.
Has this Development been approved?? I sure hope not!
Editor?
Editor’s note: No but it is expected to be approved. The area was once the original Walker family farm. The house is one of the last from Burlington’s rural days. I understand the Walker family is the developer and they want the house to remain on the site.
My vote, move it. On paper the proposal is quaint. In reality it looks out of place with no context to support why its there.
It has been suggested to both the Heritage Planner (as a member of the Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee) and to City Council itself that rather than trying to integrate heritage buildings into unsightly incongruous new developments to move these properties to other locations, as also suggested here by James.
Moving heritage properties has been done before here in Burlington. One from Elgin/Locust to Maple Ave.
The developer could by a lot, pay for the move and then either sell at a profit or rent it out. The developer also gets some zoning or other allowances in recognition. Unfortunately, it seems that City planning staff are unable to think outside of the box.
Unfortunately this idea is a bust. The former Pearl st Cafe looks like a fish out of water butting up against the cold looking condos. This is not preserving heritage.
Maybe the developer might consider fully integrating the entire building (not just the facade as on Pearl Street) into an atrium connecting the two front building as has been done with a heritage building within the atrium at BCE Place in Toronto.
That looks ridiculous. Knock it down and just build a normal looking building. What happened to common sense?
Or, if it’s really worth preserving why doesn’t the City of Burlington acquire a farm property outside of the urban area and get the developer to donate the house and move it to this property all at the developer’s expense where similar “historic” buildings can be moved over time to eventually create some sort of “Burlington Heritage Village” that they can charge admission to for those who are actually interested in that sort of thing?
If you’re questioning whether anyone would actually visit such a heritage village, then don’t we have to question the need to protect these houses in the first place? If nobody cares, what are we protecting? Why are we doing this?
Just look at that rendering. How does that represent heritage protection in any meaningful way? It’s embarrassing to anyone who thinks that’s actually a good idea.
It’s good to hear the developer is not set on demolishing the Walker House.
3044 Lakeshore Road (Plouffe’s house) is under threat. Mr. Plouffe’s estate has sold this beautiful house which is an “A” grade building on the heritage register. It is not presently a designated heritage property. The real estate listing in its description of the property described it as about the last developable lakeside lot. The City is doing it’s due diligence to determine if the property qualifies for “designated” status. The threat of development still hangs over the property.
Lovers of Burlington’s heritage please let your councilor know you are against any development of the property at 3044 Lakeshore Road that entails it’s partial or total destruction.
It’s truly wonderful to see how Burlington’s heritage buildings can be seamlessly integrated with new developments! That’s sarcasm folks. What a total mess! It looks like the equivalent of a “building wedgie”.
Blair,
I agree! What a monstrosity!
Will the “Walker House” even survive with all of the construction going on around it? Will it still be structurally sound?
And such a terrible design IMO.
I believe most of residents south of the QEW would prefer this type of development instead of 20 story apartments.