A Bond Head resident is asking Frank Buda, who owns local landmark Quaint House, to take action on his promise to preserve the 154 year old building and initiate a heritage designation process.
But Angela Sciberras, a representative for Buda and consultant at Macaulay Shiomi Howson Ltd., said he has no plans to designate the property himself.
“Show council that the only way to truly preserve heritage is to designate the buildings that truly need preserving,” wrote resident Jennifer de Winter in an email addressed to Buda, which was sent to Sciberras, members of BWG council, and other local residents.
“Be a role model for all of the developers in the area… Show them that this is the best way to move forward as good neighbors and stewards of our history. I challenge you to go to (Town of BWG) council and ask them to designate 4240 County Road 88.”
The Quaint House, which is on the town’s heritage registry, was once home to the Smith family, who helped the hamlet grow in the 1870s.
It features a Greek neoclassical entrance and is currently occupied by Cotto88 Italian Eatery.
Originally, Buda was proposing to rezone the property to construct a three-storey mixed-use building with 41 residential units on the second and third floors and about 1,700 square metres of commercial space on the ground floor.
With that plan, the building — from ground level to roof peak — would stand at 19 ½ metres tall, and there would also be underground and rear parking.
A public meeting hosted by consultants for Buda in May got heated, with dozens of residents passionately sharing their concerns about the development.
De Winter was one of about 70 people who attended a BWG council meeting in June, during which council voted down a request to designate the property, in favour of first working with Buda before forcing a designation.
“If we don’t like (your plans), we can designate it. You so much as pull a brick off it, I will designate,” Coun. Mark Contois told Buda during the June 18 meeting.
During discussions at the meeting, Buda told councillors he planned to restore the building to original and he is “willing to preserve the building and work around it.”
While de Winter said she applauds his intent, she wants him to take it one step further and commit to heritage designation.
“If you are in fact going to do as you say and restore the building; if you have no intention of demolition; if you are eager and willing to work with the town to accomplish this renovation ... you have nothing to lose and only possible grants to gain,” she wrote.
However, Sciberras told BradfordToday “he (Buda) will not ask for designation himself.”
“We would need a legal opinion on that,” she said.
Architects are currently working on revised drawings for the property, which Sciberras said are expected to be submitted to the town for comment this week.
“It retains the building but shifts it on site to be better utilized,” she said, noting the building would not be dismantled, rather raised and placed on a new foundation. “This is very common and used regularly for the preservation of heritage buildings.”
The building’s restoration, she added, would be done through a restoration plan approved by Buda’s consultant and the town.
“It will specifically identify which items are to be replaced and how. It's a very detailed report,” Sciberras said.
BWG council is currently on summer break and will return for its next meeting Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Zima Room of the BWG Public Library.
