Queensville resident says heritage list designation cost him $42,000

YorkRegion.com
March 21, 2017
Simon Martin

How much does it cost you to have your home on the East Gwillimbury heritage list? According to Queensville resident John Rush, around $42,000.

Council refused his request to have his home at 20463 Leslie St. removed from the town’s heritage list on March 21. 

Back in February, Rush appeared before council saying he had an offer for his house that he was trying to sell, but it was contingent on getting it removed from the town’s heritage list. Due to his inability to get the house removed from the list, the offer vanished and now he is selling it for $42,000 less.

Rush 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.

Rush put a lot of work into the home next to the Queensville Holland Landing United Church since he purchased it in 1979. The extensive renovations included the front and side porch, a second storey above the kitchen and washroom, and new vinyl siding.

When Rush found out the house was on the list three years ago 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.  

The property was originally constructed for and occupied by William Thomas Huntley. William T. Huntley was the postmaster for the Queensville community from 1929 to 1959. Huntley’s 30 year service as postmaster makes him the second-longest serving postmaster for the Queensville community. Huntley also served as a church sexton for the Queensville United Church, meaning he was responsible for looking after the building's maintenance.

Staff said although several alterations have been made to the house over the last 35 years, the overall style of the house has remained the same. The steep side-gable roof extending over the enclosed porch, with a raised centre gable with window for the upper sleeping area, still resembles the “prairie/craftsman/bungalow” style of architecture prominent during that era.

The town’s heritage advisory committee passed a motion in February recommending the request to have the house removed from the list be denied because the property meets the criteria for determining cultural heritage value.

Council voted 3-1 to refuse removal of the home from the list with Coun. James Young as the lone dissenter.

Being on the town heritage list is much different than being a registered heritage home. The only stipulation of being on the heritage list is that council has to approve demolition. Owners are still able to make alterations to houses that are on the town’s heritage list, town staff said.

Rush said the financial burden this list puts homeowners on should not be ignored. He said if there are 500 homes on the list and of each home is devalued by roughly $40,000 that is an equity loss of $20 million for East Gwillimbury homeowners.