Developer must meet conditions to move Ancaster heritage building

The fate of a 180-year-old heritage building hangs in the balance - quite literally - with a potential move to another location in Ancaster.

City politicians have given a developer conditional permission to relocate the two-storey stone building from its site at 398 Wilson St. E. in the village's historic centre.

Heritage advocates had hoped to convince Tuesday's planning committee to the follow the recommendation of city staff and voluntary advisers to reject the proposed manoeuvre.

What we want is that it not be moved at all, or that it at least remain on Wilson Street," local resident Bob Maton, who's concerned about the loss of heritage buildings in the core, told The Spectator.

Spallacci Group wants to move the heritage building to deal with contamination from an old gas station that was once on the property.

A dig and dump" is proposed to get at the pollutants believed to have flowed with groundwater under the building.

The proposed plan is to move the home from Wilson to Lorne Avenue, toward the rear of the otherwise vacant property eyed for residential development.

We're starting from a bad position," Patrick Harrington, a lawyer for the developer, told the committee, saying the home needs to be raised and set aside to do the excavation.

To minimize" movement, a consultant has advised just one trip to another location, rather than a return to the original site, Harrington said.

Coun. John-Paul Danko said it's odd" that the building would have to be moved, adding there are a millions ways" to handle contamination.

Danko, a structural engineer who noted he has experience with historic masonry, said it's extremely unlikely" the stone building could be moved in once piece without causing serious damage.

But another consideration in moving the historic building from Wilson Street for cleanup is to open the property up for greater intensification and greater use," Harrington said.

Planning staff called the heritage permit application premature" and advised it be denied due to a lack of information, including options for remediation and justification to move the building.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson agreed the details were scant but argued for an alternative" in the staff report that obliges the developer to meet a series of conditions for the permit.

This is a horrible brownfield right in the centre of town that we've got to come to grips with," the Ancaster councillor said.

The conditions include an environmental assessment, letters from technical experts and renewed protection under the Ontario Heritage Act. Staff are to report back to councillors on the developer's progress.

The committee voted 4-3 in favour of Ferguson's suggestion. That decision awaits final approval at council next week.

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com