Yorkregion.com - Georgina - Wrecking ball hangs over rail station
Wrecking ball hangs over rail station
Georgina
Apr 30, 2008 09:23 PM
By: John Slykhuis
One of Georgina’s most historic buildings is being threatened by a wrecker’s ball and council is moving quickly to stop it.
The empty building on the corner of High Street and Dalton Road in Sutton was once the radial railway station where electric trains connected the village to Toronto.
Built in 1906, the station was first known as the Ontario Hydro building, which was used as a waiting room and ticket depot for the York Radial Railway until 1931.
The Georgina heritage committee has flagged the building under the Ontario Heritage Act for potential preservation and designation.
The committee examined the building and found evidence of several characteristic features of this period of railway architecture.
It reports the building needs some work.
Recommendations have been made to rehabilitate it to create a gateway feature to historic High Street.
“The building is not in very good shape,” Mayor Rob Grossi said. “What are the owner’s rights?”
Most recently occupied by a real estate, the new owner of the building, an Ontario numbered company, has applied to demolish it and council has 60 days to respond to the application.
Council has until June 14 to designate it as a protected heritage building.
If this occurs, then the town can slap restrictions ono what can be done to the building and that includes a block on demolition.
The owner has the right to appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board to overturn any council decision not to grant the permit.
If the board agrees with the town’s decision, then the owner has to preserve the building.
The Georgina Heritage Committee has asked council to consider designating Sutton’s High Street corridor a Heritage Conservation District.
If approved, the designation will impose strict conditions and restrictions on property owners when it comes to altering or removing their buildings.
Changes to properties will be subject to review and approval by the Georgina Heritage Committee and town planning staff, council was told at a previous meeting.
Historical consultant Su Murdoch is working to complete the next phase of the project and is writing a report specific to the old radial station outlining reasons for protecting it.
That report is expected to be before council at its Monday committee meeting.