Demolition of home delayed further

City staff to determine plans for possible heritage building

A remote farm house in Stittsville spared from demolition once already could be added to the provincial heritage registry after city staff determine the best plans for the property.

The owner of a one-and-ahalf-storey stone home at 173 Huntmar Rd. applied for a demolition permit in September because he is exploring possible redevelopment plans for the 14-acre property.

Bob Karam agreed to put that application on hold while working with staff to determine whether to preserve the home on site or to move it to another location. City staff suggested it be protected under the Ontario Heritage Act, but councillors on the built heritage subcommittee on Thursday decided to wait until concrete plans are established before making any decisions.

Once redevelopment of the site is made clear, the city will recommend the house for provincial heritage status.

“We don’t know what to do with this house yet,” said Shad Qadri, the ward councillor for Stittsville. “If there is an application for a zoning amendment, then at that point, we would designate it as heritage.”

City staff say the house is a good example of late 19thcentury Gothic revival, which were homes built to replace early settlement log houses. This style of home was popular in Canada between the 1860s and 1900, marking a significant improvement in the agricultural economy as farmers moved out of log houses and into stone and brick homes, according to the staff report.

Members of the Boyd family were the original owners and they farmed the land until the 1970s.

Committee members who deferred the motion to ask for heritage designation also included stipulations that the owner secure the home to preserve its condition, which could be more difficult because of illegal parties often held in the house.

Karam described graffiti and other vandalism regularly found in the isolated home, which is not easy to see from nearby roads. The politicians suggested he board up the windows and provide any possible security to maintain the building until he comes up with plans.

The house is an example of late 19th-century Gothic revival, in which stone houses began to replace successful farmers’ log and wood cabins.

The one-and-a-half-storey stone home at 173 Huntmar Rd. as it appeared in years gone by.