Council Denies Request to Demolish 65 Ward Street

For Immediate Release
Thursday, June 29, 2023 - Port Hope, ON

At a Special Meeting this evening, Council for the Municipality of Port Hope voted to deny the Heritage Alteration Permit Application for Demolition filed by the property owner for the buildings located at 65 Ward Street.

At the meeting, Council heard seven delegations and multiple verbal submissions from the public. The format of the meeting allowed for members of the public to address Council prior to their decision.

In accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, the property owner has the right to appeal Council’s decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), within 30 days of the day that the owner receives notice of Council’s decision. If the owner does appeal the decision, the OLT will hold a hearing to discuss the application. Once the hearing has been held, the OLT may order to dismiss the appeal, or order that the Municipality consent to the demolition or removal with or without terms and conditions.

Background

The subject of 65 Ward Street and the potential redevelopment of the site for a Long-Term Care facility has been part of a community discussion with the property owner (Southbridge), Council, staff, and the public since 2017.

In December 2022, Council removed the previous heritage alteration permit that would allow demolition of the heritage attributes on the property at 65 Ward Street. This was a housekeeping administrative task associated with the sunset of the development agreement on the property, the designation, and the understanding that the development at the site was not moving forward after the Zoning By-law Amendment Application was denied by Council in February 2022.

In June 2023, a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) was issued for 65 Ward Street, which overrides the Council’s previous decision on the Zoning By-law Amendment application in order to facilitate the development of a new Long-Term Care facility. Following the MZO, the owner of 65 Ward Street applied for the new heritage alteration permit under the Ontario Heritage Act to demolish the three buildings, which are all considered heritage attributes on the property.