Queensville residents fight to remove home from town's heritage list
YorkRegion.com
Feb. 8, 2017
Simon Martin
John and Debra Rush were in a pickle.
They had a buyer for their home on 20463 Leslie St. in Queensville, but it was contingent on getting their house removed from the heritage list by Feb. 10. So it all came down to the Feb. 7 council meeting.
Even with the time pressure stated by the owners, council ultimately voted 3-2, with councillors Marlene Johnston and James Young dissenting, not to remove the building from the heritage list until there is a chance to consult with the heritage advisory committee.
“It’s a tough one. My antenna goes up because (the buyers) want to get it off the list,” Mayor Virginia Hackson said.
No one has indicated the house will be demolished, but that was what some of the council members were worried about if the property was removed from the list.
The frustrating part for the Rushs is they thought they had dealt with the issue long ago. John said the former development services general manager Carolyn Kellington had assured him the house was going to be removed from the list.
“She assured me on several occasions that our house was removed from the heritage list,” he said.
Coun. Young said something fell through the cracks on this one and added the town should acknowledge its error and remove the house from the list.
The Rushs put a lot of work into the home next to the Queensville Holland Landing United Church since they purchased it in 1979. The extensive renovations included the front and side porch, a second story above the kitchen and washroom, and new vinyl siding.
When John found out the house was on the list he immediately contacted the town to have it removed.
“We have been pursuing this removal for almost three years; this is not a new request,” he said.
Rush said having the house on the heritage list has devalued the property and may cause them to lose the offer they have on their home.
The heritage advisory committee will meet later this month to discuss the request.
