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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 24, 2006 Heritage building staying put By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Tickets available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Oakville area banks, Oakville Place concierge desk, and online at www.oakvillefestival.com Buy early - price of admission goes up at the gate Exchange your admission wristband after the festival for a FREE PURDY'S CHOCOLATE check us out online www.oakvillebeaver.com Town council recently rejected a bid to have a heritage home moved from its downtown Oakville location. The house, located at 87 Reynolds Street, was the longtime home and business of the prominent McDermott family and was designated a heritage building in 1992. The home's current owner applied to move the house about eight blocks north, to a residential lot on Spruce Street, in order to allow for the redevelopment of the Reynolds Street property. The application was made following a March council decision that denied him permission to demolish the building. His representative, lawyer Blair Taylor, argued the move would place the historic home into a residential neighbourhood more compatible to it. "In its present location, we would say to you that 87 Reynolds Street is really out of its residential environment," Taylor told Town councillors, pointing out the redevelopment of nearby properties. "87 Reynolds is a remnant of what was in this neighbourhood." But Terry Smith, vice-chair of the Heritage Oakville Committee, told council that part of the building's historic significance lies in its location. 87 Reynolds Street He also suggested that redeveloping historic buildings in the downtown core contributes to the preservation of the town. "The fabric of downtown Oakville is marked by the redevelopment of a lot of buildings that had residential character to begin with," he said. "Time marches on, so things have to be redeveloped, but you can still see evidence that the town has some history." Smith characterized Taylor's arguments that the house no longer fits into the Reynolds Street neighbourhood as "an extreme case of the tail wagging the dog." He noted that the applicant has been involved with the redevelopment of nearby properties on Reynolds and Robinson Streets, and is now arguing that the historic house doesn't fit into the neighbourhood because of those buildings. Although the home carries a historic designation, it is outside of the downtown heritage area, so nearby properties have been redeveloped in a variety of styles. The Heritage Oakville Committee recommended the town reject the application to move the house to 371 Spruce Street. Town council agreed with the committee, and urged the applicant to find a way to redevelop the residential property for commercial use. Ward 3 councillor Keith Bird noted a number of nearby buildings, including the structure housing Timothy's Coffee across the street, which have been adapted for modern use. Summer Camp Registrations! Fall 2006 Registration for Preschool, JK and SK. The Oakville Academy for the Arts offers an array of fun, exciting and educational camps taught by our trained, warm and fun loving Instructors for children between the ages of 3 to 12 years of age. Our camps include a multitude of fantastic half day and full day programs such as Fine Arts, Arts Fundamental, Musical Theatre, Dance Integration, Arts Integration, Preschool and Music. Please call or drop by The Oakville Academy for the Arts to have a tour of our facility. We offer a unique learning environment facilitated by progressive, dynamic and warm Early Childhood Educators and Arts Specialists. This half day morning or afternoon Reggio inspired program provides daily captivating opportunities for creative arts experiences including dance, visual arts, music and drama. Our early learning methodologies follow and reflect an enriched Ontario Curriculum and offer an exciting introduction to Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and Technology. We would love to meet you and your child and share our program with you. Please call to arrange an interview and classroom visit. The Oakville Academy for the Arts 1011 Upper Middle Road & Eighth Line, Oakville, Ontario L6H 4L5 The Oakville Academy for the Arts 1011 Upper Middle Road & Eighth Line, Oakville, Ontario L6H 4L5 Phone: 905.844.ARTS (2787) www.oakvilleacademy.com Phone: 905.844.ARTS (2787) www.oakvilleacademy.com