Vancouver moves to slow down demolition of character homes (updated)

VANCOUVER - For two years the owners of Walkem House in First Shaughnessey have sought to demolish the British Arts and Crafts heritage home in the hopes of building a modern new home for an extended family they want to bring to Canada.

But the home, with its distinctive detached carriage house and a rich history connected to one of Vancouver's prominent early businessmen and politicians, has become the poster child for a backlash over Vancouver's disappearing heritage homes, and is the first building likely to be saved at least for now under a planned one-year moratorium on demolition. It was built in 1913-14 for George Alexander Walkem, an industrialist, mayor and Conservative MLA.

Heritage Vancouver listed Walkem House and other early homes in First Shaughnessy as one of the 10-most endangered heritage areas in the city, raising alarms over an unusual spike in demolitions due to a rising economy and old discretionary density rules that allow for even bigger buildings to be built.

Over the last 30 years, 47 heritage buildings in First Shaughnessey have fallen to the wrecker's ball, an average of about 1.5 houses a year. But in the last 18 months alone, city planning staff have received 16 inquires about demolishing character homes in the neighbourhood.

The stately home at 3990 Marguerite was subject last year to a rare council-issued temporary protective order after the owners applied for development and demolition permits even though the First Shaughnessy Advisory Design Panel opposed the plan. The order has now expired, but city staff are sitting on the applications because city council on Wednesday is expected to adopt wide-ranging changes that would act as disincentives for people to tear down pre-1940s character homes.

Planning director Brian Jackson said the First Shaughnessy Overall Development Plan is so out of whack that it has opened the doors to wholesale demolition of some of the city's finest early homes.

"Something has changed in First Shaughnessy in the last few years. The protections we had in place in terms of the ODP are proving not to be enough for preserving the character of this extraordinary asset to the city of Vancouver," he said.

It isn't just Shaughnessy houses that are under attack. The problem affects neighbourhoods, almost exclusively on the west side, where old discretionary zoning and density rules are encouraging developers to raze smaller homes to build massive buildings.

In the first six months of 2014 there have been nearly 1,000 applications for demolition permits, an increase of 20 per cent over previous years, Jackson said. Many of those involve pre-1940s buildings that don't use all of their allowed yard setbacks or building heights.

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Vancouver moves to slow down demolition of character homes (updated)