NOTL takes steps to protect Randwood Estate
Third-party historical designation applauded by SORE citizens group
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has taken the first step toward designating the four properties that make up the Randwood Estate under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The idea of applying for a thirdparty historical designation Monday was applauded by the SORE citizens group, Save Our Randwood Estate, but opposed by the property owner, Two Sisters Resort Corp., which is in the process of seeking its own designation.
Recommendations from the municipal heritage committee regarding the 5.6-hectare property were approved by the town’s community and development committee. They included starting the process for designation of 144 John St. E., 176 John St. E., 200 John St. E. and 588 Charlotte St. and authorizing three planning staff and an outside heritage expert to conduct property in-
spections.
The recommendations still require council approval next Monday night.
Two Sisters Resort Corp. wants to build a six-storey hotel and conference centre complex with 145 rooms. A previous application was approved in 2011 for a threestorey hotel, but it was never built and the property was sold to the current developer.
Michael McClelland, a Torontobased heritage architect hired by the SORE group, said he believes Two Sisters Resort Corp. supports designation of the property and wrote a statement of historic significance with its application.
However, he urged councillors to support the recommendation for a third-party designation.
“There’s a real need to get the process running for the designation so that information is available when you’re actually finalizing the site plan approval,” he told councillors. “I want to make sure nothing stumbles and that this goes forward.”
Tom Richardson, the lawyer for Two Sisters Resort Corp., said his client has agreed the property should be designated, agreed to prepare a review of its heritage attributes and also agreed to pay for a peer review of its findings.
“There will be a determination of what properties should and what properties should not be designated and for what reasons,” he said, noting council would receive a complete heritage impact assessment.
Richardson read a June 1 letter addressed to the town from Benny Marotta, who owns the Randwood Estate and is president of Two Sisters Resort Corp.
“I am reinstating my firm commitment to actively maintain and adaptively reuse the existing structures and landscape at 144 and 176 John St.,” Marotta wrote.
He said he supports designation taking place at the site plan stage after a heritage impact study has been completed.
“As such, a third-party designation is simply unnecessary and hasty when I have openly supported the active reuse and heritage design,” said Marotta.
He noted that 200 John St. and 588 Charlotte St. are on the town’s municipal heritage registry and “to proceed with designating these properties is premature and not a co-operative approach.”
Marotta said he has no issue participating in a transparent and accountable public process, but added that “we will no longer participate in a process driven by untruths and political gamesmanship.”
Marotta said a meeting with be held in the near future, by invitation only, for the public to visit the estate and view his proposed plans.
Coun. Maria Bau-Coote was the only councillor who voted against a third-party designation for the four properties. .
“If this applicant is already in the process … then why are we forcing a third-party designation?” she asked.
With two councillors declaring a conflict of interest and one absent, the vote was 5-1 in favour of the heritage committee’s recommendations.
Following the vote, Coun. Martin Mazza requested that staff report to council next week about what the costs would be for the town to apply for a third-party designation.