The Town of Innisfil has denied the first formal objection from a property owner regarding a listed, non-designated local heritage property.
The property at 2539 14th Line — home of the Belcroft Estate and Event Centre — was listed by council at its Jan. 12, 2022 meeting. Owner Jim Bell provided the town with a notice of objection soon thereafter.
“I have been at this home since 1946. I’ve seen the changes firsthand for over 70 years,” he wrote in an email to assistant town clerk Kevin Jacob that was included in the council package for the June 22 meeting.
“Due to deterioration and safety, over time all porches' gingerbread trim, windows, brickwork, woodwork etc. have been replaced with modern materials i.e. pressure treated lumber aluminium and vinyl siding etc.”
Bell also found inaccuracies in the committee’s description of the home’s historic features, such as the two-storey veranda, and was upset he didn't receive what he deemed proper notice of the listing until after the meeting was over.
By declaring the property to be listed, non-designated, a 30-day hold would be placed on any demolition permit to allow for council to re-evaluate the situation.
The farmhouse was built around 1884 when the property was owned by the Kneeshaw family, the Innisfil Municipal Heritage Committee explained in their rationale for listing the property. The Kneeshaws farmed that land for more than 65 years, between 1855 and 1921 when the Bell family took over. It has stayed in the Bell family for three generations.
The Bells were especially lauded for being a “great example of resilience and adaptation.”
“The Bells frequently changed the farm activities to adjust to the market and the economy by adding complementary extensions to the existing farmhouse structure as well as refocusing the farm’s activity to a renowned tree-growing operation and event centre,” the heritage committee’s report stated.
Bell appreciated the kind words and explained to Jacob while it was nice for the home’s aesthetics to be recognized, he would estimate “about 70% of the exterior features have been changed or upgraded to meet standards.”
Under the Heritage Act, properties are evaluated under three main criteria — having design or physical value, historical or associated value or contextual value that adds to the character of the community or neighbourhood — and need to meet at least one of those. The renovations would not exclude the property from being listed, Jacob explained to council.
In fact, the work the Bell family has done was championed by those around the council table as a good way to help keep a historic structure standing.
“All he’s really done is made the building more durable with alternative materials,” said Coun. Alex Waters. “So, it looks like he’s kept the character in terms of the Victorian style of the building, but he’s used more durable materials, such as pressure-treated wood.”
Coun. Bill Van Berkel noted council has been seeing similar objections from owners of heritage properties lately, with the most recent being a home on County Road 27 in Cookstown. He was confused as to why, all of a sudden, council was hearing so many complaints and wondered if additional education was required.
The complaints are new because the process is new, Jacob explained. The 2019 More Homes More Choice Act contained amendments that came into effect last year, which allowed an owner to object to their property being listed on the registry after receiving notice.
There is no requirement to notify owners in advance of listing the property, but the town chooses to do so anyway, as a best practice, Jacob said. In this case, advance letters were not properly delivered due to a variety of reasons. Re-evaluating the outreach of the heritage committee is something the town can look at in the downtime between the recent end of its current mandate and the inauguration of the next council later this year, he added.
While other residents have voiced their opposition prior to council choosing to list or designate a property, this was the first that has officially come through after the fact.
The vote to keep the property listed was unanimous.
