Proposed demolition irks neighbours

Proposed demolition irks neighbours. A developer is proposing to tear down the stately century home at 244 High Park Ave. and replace it with two, two-and a half storey detached houses. Local residents argue the house should be restored to maintain the character of the street. Courtesy photo

The stately structure at 244 High Park Avenue, just south of Annette Street, was built in 1910 and boasts large principal rooms, sunny bay windows and retains many of its original features.

"High Park Avenue obviously holds a link to a lot of our important heritage and history. We should move forward cautiously and delicately," said Parkdale-High Park Councillor Bill Saundercook, who requested the deferral.

Robert Salmena, of Terra Firma Homes, with his business partner purchased the home and last year sought the city's permission to demolish the house and sever the lot, to make room for two single-family homes. The two men have built several houses in the area over the years.

"We grew up in the neighbourhood," said Salmena, adding his partner, in fact, grew up on High Park Avenue. "We like the neighbourhood. What we're trying to do is improve the neighbourhood. We feel we're restoring this property back to single-family housing."

Currently, 244 High Park Avenue is a legal duplex.

"The house has been neglected for years," said Salmena. "It's in real bad shape, it needs to be torn down."

Others, however, do not share Salmena's opinion. The house, counters Larry Burak, a 33-year resident of High Park Avenue, has been well-repaired. It was owned by the same family for 40 years. When its patriarch died in September, his children settled the estate, said Burak.

"It's got a perfect slate roof, the brick is perfect, the garage is perfect. It's been well-maintained," said Burak, a founding member of the West Toronto Junction Historical Society. "The electrical has been changed over to new circuits. To demolish a house like that without making an effort to restore it is beyond me."

Burak said he had been spearheading a group of deputants for the committee of adjustment hearing in an effort to make sure the proposal gets reviewed and a compromise could be made. In his three-decades plus living on High Park Avenue, there has never before been a house that's been demolished.

"People move to this street to renovate, restore and maintain the character of their homes," he said. "People want to maintain the characteristic of the street."

The loss of one house would not drastically change every-day life in the Junction, but what it could do is set the stage for similar instances on the street, argued Martin Lennox, co-chair of The Junction Residents Association.

"We don't want to set a precedent with this type of development," he said. "Squeezing in two mansions, in our opinion, does not comply with the city's Official Plan."

Most disturbingly, said Burak, is that the developer wants to construct "development-type" houses with garages in the front. There is only one front-facing garage door on High Park Avenue, said Burak, and it belongs to a ranch-style bungalow that was built in the 1950s.

"We're opposing the garage doors. If you drive up and down the street, you'll notice a rhythm to the street. It's comprised of principle residences that once belonged to mayors, doctors, prominent people of West Toronto," said Burak. "We want to convince the developer to maintain the principle of the street, to build on the same footprint and put garages on the back of the lot."

He said he also takes issue with the size of the proposed houses. The proposed homes would be built within three feet of the lot line and they would almost be touching at the roof line.

Burak said he has no intention of stopping people from renovating their houses, he simply wants people to respect the neighbourhood.

"A lot of people are spending money on restoring their house," he said. "If you can come here and start demolishing houses, their efforts will be thrown out the window. There's nothing more depressing."

High Park Avenue is the gateway into High Park; it provides a link between the Bloor West and Junction communities, said Burak.

"What people have told us is, our houses are really nice. A lot of thought goes into our design," said Salmena. "We use natural materials, natural stone and brick. "At the end of the day, we're going to build two single-family houses that will accommodate two young families. How bad could that be?" Salmeno said.

A community consultation meeting is scheduled for early March.