THe following editorial appeared in the November 17 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
A hearing is set for January with the Conservation Review Board to assess the heritage value of an old farmhouse on Guelph’s north side.
If the board finds the structure is an important one from a heritage perspective, the City of Guelph should act with haste to facilitate the improvement of its condition and the preservation of its features.
If the board finds the property has little heritage value, the City of Guelph should act with haste to either demolish the structure or make necessary investments in its so it can be a useful and attractive site once more.
Neighbours say a citizen probably would not have been able to get away with having this residence in this condition because of the municipality’s property standards bylaw. That may be true. But this isn’t a privately owned property; it’s an asset of the City of Guelph.
Ward 2 Coun. Ian Findlay smartly assesses the municipality’s management of the property as a case of “demolition by neglect.”
While the property has proven a civic challenge to use or to plan its future use, the city’s inertia on meaningful upkeep surrounding the site has contributed to it becoming quite rundown and esthetically displeasing to neighbours.
Area residents have watched and waited with regards to this site for years. At times, they have opposed proposed plans for it but that is their right. So, too, is it open to them to demand of the municipality to do something significant with the home in an interim manner. Painting over the boards covering some windows so they match the colour of the walls of the house doesn’t qualify as such.
More civic inertia regarding the physical management of this property can’t be condoned by council once the heritage board has offered its feedback. This has proven a complicated file to steward for the municipality.
But continuing the “demolition by neglect” effort isn’t in the interests of any stakeholders.