Proposed modern addition to heritage-zone home heads to council, but not without opposition – CBC.ca

103 Church Street. The development is proposed for the back of the house. (Google Maps)Fredericton's Planning Advisory Committee has voted to amend the City Centre Institutional Zone to allow for a modern, two-unit addition to a home in the St. Anne's Point Heritage Preservation Area.

The CCI zone recognizes the unique historic areas within the downtown.

The house at 103 Church St., across from the Fredericton Cenotaph, contains a retail store, an apartment and accommodates three Airbnb units.

Owners Scott and Victoria Boer want to add two bachelor apartments, a garage and outdoor living space.

Scott Boer spoke at the PAC meeting Wednesday night.

"We designed an addition that would allow us to continue to have the store, but our living space outdoors would have to be on the second floor and that led to us having a void below that we could fill with either personal space or additional living space," said Boer.

Boer said he consulted the city about the design.

"One of the things that the Heritage Board was very firm on was that they want to make sure that we don't create caricatures of 100, 150 years ago and that our additions embrace what the city is now," he said.

Boer said the addition has "a very muted palette, very simple lines."

"We don't draw from the main house, which we've embraced and renovated," he said.

The design was approved by the preservation review board over the summer.

"It is always a cause for concern when there is an addition that takes place and it doesn't always look like it's integrated into ...the classical design features of the specific home," said Marcello Battilana, the city's manager of community planning, during the meeting.

"But when you're looking at heritage and you're looking at infill in terms of a heritage area, the goal is not to create or to mimic the heritage. It's to ensure that the addition is an addition of its own time."

The City of Fredericton's heritage bylaws say that new builds should be compatible with the existing heritage:

"The erecting or placing of a new building or structure within a preservation area shall be of such design and setting upon its lot as will be compatible with other buildings, streets and open spaces in the preservation area to which it is visually related. No Certificate shall be issued for such a development unless it conforms to the standards set out in section 7.02."

Susan Dunphy, who lives behind the Boers on King Street, is upset by the proposed addition.She and her husband bought their home in the heritage zone and restored it according to the heritage bylaws, she said during the meeting.

"We cannot begin to express how this is going to impact our home, our life, our neighbourhood and the seamless fabric" ofhistoric downtown Fredericton, Dunphy said. "As seniors and individuals who have invested in curating a fine downtown home...the proposed development is both unacceptable and troubling to us."

Dunphy said she has consulted other neighbours and a lawyer and is prepared to fight against the final approval of the addition.

"The corner of King and Church is one of the most beautiful in the province and contains provincial and national historic sites, including Christ Church Cathedral and the cenotaph The proposed new development is modern, garish and does not fit the Napoleon III style home on which it would be attached and would completely distract and ruin this part of the heritage preservation area."

The zoning amendment will go to council for approval.

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Proposed modern addition to heritage-zone home heads to council, but not without opposition - CBC.ca