Public Hearing April 28, 2015 On Table Items

Public Hearing
April 28, 2015
On Table Items
Item Type
Date
Item
No.
Item Name
Heritage Designation Bylaw
2015, No. 3006 (Belcarra
South Cottages)
Heritage Designation Bylaw
2015, No. 3006 (Belcarra
South Cottages)
Heritage Designation Bylaw
2015, No. 3006 (Belcarra
South Cottages)
Heritage Designation Bylaw
2015, No. 3006 (Belcarra
South Cottages)
Heritage Designation Bylaw
2015, No. 3006 (Belcarra
South Cottages)
Heritage Designation Bylaw
2015, No. 3006 (Belcarra
South Cottages)
Proposed Zoning Bylaw Text
Amendments to Address
House Height, Siting, and Size
Concerns
Public Input:
Jo Ledingham
2015 04 27
12:11
1.1
Public Input:
Ilse Leis
2015 04 27
16:11
1.1
Public Input:
Metro Vancouver
2015 04 28
09:53
1.1
Public Input:
Ann Marie L
2015 04 28
11:41
1.1
Public Input:
Andrea Ledingham
2015 04 28
11:55
1.1
Public Input:
Steven Kurrein
2015 04 28
12:06
1.1
Public Input:
Steven Kurrein
2015 04 28
11:59
1.2
Reason For
On-Table
Distribution
Received after agenda
production
Received after agenda
production
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production
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Document: 305128
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Background information to “City of Port Moody Heritage Designation Bylaw 2015, No.
3006, being a bylaw to provide long-term protection for six buildings known as the
Belcarra South Cottages located in the City of Port Moody”
[Prepared by the Belcarra South Preservation Society]
WHAT IS HERITAGE?
According to the Heritage Branch of the BC government, “A community’s historic places
are the physical manifestation of the aesthetic, historic, scientific, cultural, social or
spiritual heritage values which form the heritage character of the community”. The rustic
Belcarra South Cottages are not architecturally impressive but they are historically
significant.
BELCARRA SOUTH HISTORY: A THUMBNAIL SKETCH
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In October of 1882, John Hall, an early pioneer and hand logger, stands trial in
new Westminster for the murder of his First Nations mother-in-law Mn-Shaat in
Tum-tumay-whueton, later known as Belcarra
Barrister William Norman Bole, an Irish immigrant to New Westminster, BC, acts
in Hall’s defence and in 1883, in lieu of legal fees, receives the title to District Lot
229, a large waterfront acreage on Indian Arm
In 1889 Bole is appointed judge in the County Court in New Westminster and in
1891 becomes a judge in the Supreme Court of BC
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Judge Bole renames the area ‘Belcarra' in honor of Belcarra, County Mayo,
Ireland, his homeland
The ‘Bole Ranch’ becomes a popular summer destination and in 1904 is bought
by the Terminal Steamship Company for recreational development that includes
several hundred cottage lots and a large picnic site.
In 1907, having sold their property on Belcarra Bay, the Boles purchase a 96-acre
property immediately south of the present picnic grounds. This is the property on
which the Belcarra South cottages are located
Judge Bole and his wife Florence build the first of the Belcarra South cottages
possibly as early as 1912. The remaining Belcarra South cottages are built
between 1912 and the 1930s or 40s. No permits were sought and the names of
those early builders/residents are unknown although it is thought likely that they
were friends of the Bole family
In 1914, Judge Bole’s son, J. Percy Hampton Bole (b. 1882) purchases the 46acres on which he will later build the Bole House. He signs up with the 54th
Battalion and returns in 1918, having fought at Vimy Ridge
In 1932, J. Percy Hampton Bole begins building the Bole House, now listed on
both the Port Moody Heritage Register and the Canada’s Historic Places registry.
Percy and his wife Kathleen live year-round in the Bole House until the late 1950s
In 1960, Percy Bole’s property – the ‘Bole Estate’ (including the Belcarra South
cottages and the Bole House) – is sold to a financial firm in Beirut
In 1971 Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) expropriates the Bole
Estate
The Belcarra South Preservation Society (BSPS) is formed in 1976 by those
holding leases, granted by the previous owner, on the cottages
In 1976 the first lease, year-by-year and continuing, is signed between GVRD and
the BSPS
In 2014 Port Moody mayor and council, in receipt of a Statement of Significance
from Mr. Don Luxton, one of Vancouver’s foremost heritage experts, place the
‘Belcarra South Cottage Community’ on the Port Moody Heritage Register which
automatically puts the cottage community on Canada’s Historic Places registry.
This basic heritage status allows only sixty day’s protection against a request for
demolition by the landowner
Bylaw 3006, if passed, protects the Belcarra South Cottages in the long term and
preserves a significant period in the history of Port Moody
The cottages – and until recently, the Bole House – have enjoyed continued occupancy
first as summer cottages and eventually as year-round residences up to and including the
present. In his Statement of Significance, Mr. Luxton concludes, “The Belcarra South
community has survived because of the efforts of the Belcarra South Preservation
Society.”
SUMMER COTTAGES AND THE LOWER MAINLAND
It is not merely the link to Judge Bole that makes the Belcarra South Cottage Community
historically significant. The cottages are some of the last remaining summer cottages,
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dating back to the early 1900s, in the Lower Mainland. From White Rock and Boundary
Bay to Indian Arm and Howe Sound, summer cottages (now frequently lived in yearround) have been – and continue to be – demolished and replaced by large waterfront
homes. It is this link to the past – when average Lower Mainlanders escaped summer in
the city and took the kids to ‘the cottage’, often within a small community of cottages –
that the Belcarra South Preservation Society is committed to preserving in Port Moody.
A quote from a supporter on the Save The Belcarra South Cottages petition says it
succinctly: "Please give Belcarra South Cottage Community the recognition it deserves as
a gem of a heritage community - history in situation - a living legacy rather than a distant
memory.”
For more information and photos:
 www.belcarrasouth.ca.
 Photo Gallery: www.facebook.com/BelcarraSouth
 Forest and Fjord: A History of Belcarra. Ralph Drew, 2012.
The Belcarra South Preservation Society is grateful for the significant support from the
mayors and councillors of both the City of Port Moody and the Village of Belcarra, the
Port Moody Heritage Society, MLA Linda Reimer, Don Luxton, Michael Kluckner, Jim
Wolfe, artists, photographers, media, neighbours and friends.
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From: Ilse C Leis [mailto:]
Sent: April-27-15 4:11 PM
To: Council
Cc: Mike Clay; Diana Dilworth; Zoe Royer; Barbara Junker
Subject: PUBLIC INPUT April 28th PUBLIC Meeting: Item: Belcarra Cottages
Dear Mayor and Councillors,
RE: 1. City of Port Moody Heritage Designation Bylaw 2015, No.
3006 would provide long-term protection for six buildings known as the
Belcarra South Cottages located in the City of Port Moody.
My Public INPUT to be read aloud to the Public at the City of Port Moody
Pubic Meeting at 7:00 pm on Tuesday April 28th, 2015
BACKGROUND: Regarding the Heritage Site designation for the six cottages in
BELCARRA REGIONAL PARK, I have made a reasonably exhaustive study of the Belcarra
South Prerservation Society including its history, petition, the Vision of Future of the
Preservertion Society, as well as much of the available historical and 2013 and 2014 information
available about
lovely!), ETC.
the cottages, several newspaper articles, the GALLERY OF PICTURES (They are
After informing myself, my suggestion Is: As a long time PORT MOODY RESIDENT, I DO NOT
CONSIDER RESIDENCES IN THE PARK AS AN ESSENTIAL OR PRODUCTIVE USE OF THE
WATERFRONT AREA of /for the City of PORT MOODY NOR THE REGIONAL PARK.
Therefore, I strongly OPPOSE DESIGNATING ALL SIX COTTAGES IN
THE BELCARRA REGIONAL PARK as City of Port Moody Heritage
Designation Bylaw No. 2015 No.3006.
INSTEAD, I suggest : CONSIDERING SELECTING ONE OR TWO of the SIX
cottages as “Heritage Designation”, and once the current residents have vacated
these cottages, the maintenance of one or two of the cottages shall fall to the
GVRD as an attraction in the Park.
DESIGNATION CRITERIA: BEST REFLECTIVE OF THE PERIOD
My reasoning: THERE IS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT FOR the RESIDENTS AND TAX
PAYERS OF THE CITY OF PORT MOODY AND VISITORS /USERS OF BELCARRA REGIONAL
PARK to MAINTAIN ALL SIX COTTAGES FOR PRIVATE RESIDENCES OR PUBLIC USE.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, TAKING A LONG-TIME VIEW, DESIGNATING AND
MAINTAINING ALL SIX COTTAGES AS HERITAGE DESIGNATION AND TO BE
USED AS PRIVATE RESIDENCES IS A RISKY SHORT SIGHTED VIEW AND MAY BECOME
A LEGAL PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
IF REFERRED FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD ON APRIL 28, 2015
I would like Council to consider an amendment to the motion:
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tem 7: Legislative Matters
7.1 Cottages Pages 51-54
City of Port Moody Heritage Designation Bylaw 2015, No. 3006, being a Bylaw to designate the six
buildings located at Parcel “D” (Reference Plan 17379) of the Fractional South West Quarter Section 23
in Fractional Township West of Township 39 NWD, as shown in Schedule A to the Bylaw.
Amendment suggestion foR CONSIDERATION: SELECTING ONE OR TWO of
the SIX cottages as “Heritage Designation”, and once the current residents have
vacated these cottages, the maintenance of one, or at most two of the cottages shall
fall to the GVRD as an attraction in the Park.
Respectfully submitted by Ilse Leis, XX Burrard Crescent, Port Moody, BC
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Attachment 1 Belcarra Regional Park – Belcarra South Cabins Background There are seven small cabins located on the waterfront in Belcarra Regional Park. These cabins were built in the early part of the twentieth century as summer residences and never intended for year round use. Six of the cabins are located in the City of Port Moody; one is located in the Village of Belcarra. In addition to the six cabins in Port Moody there is another building known as the Bole House. This house has been listed the Port Moody heritage registry since the registry’s inception. Metro Vancouver has spent over $67,000 to stabilize the building until an adaptive use can be determined. It is heated and protected from the elements. Two Metro Vancouver Board approved documents govern the planning and development of Belcarra Regional Park. 
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Belcarra Regional Park Plan (adopted March 20, 1985) Pre‐design of the Belcarra Picnic Area Site Expansion and Admiralty Drive (adopted July 29, 1994) Both of these plans were developed in consultation with the public and member municipalities. The cabins were not included in the future plans for the park, the water front is intended for general public use, there were no adaptive uses identified for the cabins, and at the time they were not considered to have heritage value. This parcel of land where the cabins sit was purchased in the mid‐1970s. At that time the cabins were leased to a newly formed society, the Belcarra South Preservation Society. The lease terms stipulated that the society was responsible for the maintenance of the cabins. A condition assessment was completed in 2012 and the cabins were found to be in poor condition. The water, sewer and plumbing systems are in need of major upgrades or full replacements, significant works are required to the structural, electrical and architectural components of the buildings. In 2012 it was estimated to cost approximately $800,000 to repair the cabins for continued residential use. At the current rent it would take over 33 years to payback this investment. As Metro Vancouver intended to open the waterfront to the public in the short term and it was never envisioned to keep the cabins, it was decided to end the lease and remove the cabins. As some members of the Belcarra South Preservation Society had lived in Belcarra Regional Park for many years careful consideration was given to this decision. The GVRD Board considered this matter at two meetings: 11
At the October 25, 2013 meeting, the GVRD Board passed the following resolution: That the board reconfirm the policy expressed by the Belcarra Regional Park Plan (1985) and the Pre‐design of Belcarra Picnic Area Site Expansion and Admiralty Drive (1994) that providing public access to the waterfront is the priority program and the Belcarra south cabins not be retained. At the July 26, 2013 meeting, the GVRD Board passed the following resolution: That the Board direct staff to extend notice to terminate the lease with the Belcarra South Preservation Society to June 28, 2014 to compensate for the delay in process and respond to Committee concerns that a longer transition period should be provided before proceeding with demolishing the cabins. That the Board refer back to the Environment and Parks Committee the matter of the Belcarra cabins for further examination. On July 22, 2014 Metro Vancouver staff met with both City of Port Moody and Village of Belcarra to examine options for municipal involvement of the protection, restoration or even relocation of the cabins. No viable proposals were submitted. The lease with the Belcarra South Preservation Society ended June 28, 2014. As per Metro Vancouver Board direction, staff is working with the legal process to end the tenancy with the residents of the cabins. 11228753
BELCARRA REGIONAL PARK
April 21, 2015
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Map Extent
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200
300
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Belcarra Cabins
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From: Ann Marie L [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: April-28-15 11:41 AM
To: Clerks
Subject: City of Port Moody Heritage Designation Bylaw 2015, No. 3006
Attention Port Moody Council:
Re: City of Port Moody Heritage Designation Bylaw 2015, No. 3006
I respectfully request that the Port Moody Council vote down Bylaw 2015, No. 3006.
The "Belcarra Cabins" are situated on land owned by the regional government of Metro
Vancouver. This land and the
resources necessary for park functions should be made available and provided for the benefit
of all residents of the region, not just those who have had the great fortune to live in these
cabins for decades. A great deal long enough!
An application for Heritage Designation is just a smokescreen , designed to keep these very
vocal and fortunate residents living in a waterfront location at the expense of the rest of
Metro Vancouver - all taxpayers!
I vehemently encourage Port Moody City Council to consider ALL residents of the region who
have rights to use ALL of the park, not the interests of those who are active lobbyists, and
whose main agenda seems to be to secure these cabins/land solely for their benefit.
Thank you
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The
Cabins
of
Belcarra
South
Courtesy of the Belcarra South Preservation Society
Painting by Alison White
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Featured Cabins:
Mayo Point Lodge (Village of Belcarra)
Bay Cottage
Wee Cottage
The Skeleton
La Soledad
Los Lobos
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19
20
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?ffW-
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From: steven kurrein [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: April-28-15 11:59 AM
To: Clerks
Subject: Bylaw 3004, Public Hearing Input
Since "grade "is defined as average grade of the lot and "height" is defined in relation to that,
the effect of the bylaw is that homes on uphill lots could be built as much as 45 feet above curb
elevation and on downhill lots as little as 24ft above curb elevation (assuming a 20 ft. front to
back elevation change on the lot). It might be better to define permissible height in relation to
the curb elevation instead of the average grade?
Steve Kurrein
33-101 Parkside Drive,
Port Moody
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From: steven kurrein [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: April-28-15 12:06 PM
To: Clerks
Subject: Bylaw3006, Public Hearing comments
Before Council adopts this bylaw they should ask themselves whether these onerous heritage
conditions would be imposed if the lands in question were privately held? Then they should ask
themselves whether the preservation of some 1920's cottages on wood foundations and in
poor condition should be imposed on a government agency especially when the lands in
question are a Provincial Park and public access to the waterfront would be enhanced for the
benefit of all citizens if the houses were to be demolished.
Steve Kurrein
33-101 Parkside