2003
Top Ten Endangered Sites
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Vancouver's only residential heritage character area is fast
losing its prime heritage stock of pre-1940s houses.
A total of 44 A- and B-listed houses have been
lost since the First Shaughnessy Official Development Plan
was created in 1982 to protect the pre-1940 character of the
neighbourhood. The pace has accelerated in recent years, with
grand old homes being replaced at a rate of four to six houses
a year.
The design guidelines were written in 1982 and
offer the possibility of infill and conversion of large character
homes into flats. Unfortunately, the guidelines, which have
never been reviewed, did not anticipate that this area would
return to its original prominence as a centre for luxury single-family
homes.
Land values and the resulting development pressure
encourage owners to tear down original homes to achieve the
maximum square footage allowable for the generous lots. First
Shaughnessy has no cap on square footage (unlike Southlands,
with a cap of 9,000 square feet) and substantial old homes
are being replaced with new houses up to 23,000 square feet.
Current bylaws ensure that these new houses are shorter than
the originals, with larger footprints. This means that the
quality and quantity of romantic estate-like landscaping —
another old Shaughnessy distinction — is being destroyed
at the same rate as the houses.
Seventy-two homes in First Shaughnessy are on
the Vancouver Heritage Register, which means that nearly 280
pre-1940 character homes are left without any form of recognition
or protection. Aggressive developers and architects are advising
clients that any house can be demolished in First Shaughnessy,
as long as they are willing to manoeuvre their way through
the city's Planning Department and the Advisory Design Panel.
These two bodies have no power to prevent demolition of heritage
buildings and, more importantly, no convincing incentives
for owners to retain these homes.
To understand the threat, one has only to look
at the William Astley House at 3638 Osler St., a first-rate
Craftsman bracketed by bloated, historically inaccurate McMansions.
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