in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 24 ,2 02 1 | 38 11:00 am Lakeside Park 2 Navy Street 1:00 pm Valley Ridge Park 2524 Valley ridge Drive 3:00 pm Pinery Park 1439 Pinery Crescent 5:00 pm Kaitting House Parkette 257 Ellen Davidson Drive 7:00 pm Memorial Park Playground 2303 Central Park Drive Thank You For The Ice Creams! 338 Dundas 493 Dundas 201 Oak Park Blvd 295 Hays Blvd FR EE IcE cREam& canada Flag First50Kidsat Each Pla ygro un d The Trafalgar Town- ship Historical Society (TTHS) says it is con- cerned about a 150-year- old heritage home and a developer's plan to build a six-storey storage facility next to it. During a recent meet- ing of Oakville's planning and development council, town staff noted that DY- MON Storage has brought forward a proposal to build a facility at 2507 Dundas St., W. In addition to storage, the building would have retail and office compo- nents. There would also be 77 parking spaces including three accessible spaces. The property is cur- rently occupied by a two- storey, red brick house known as the Switzer House. The dwelling was built in 1868 and is designated under the Ontario Heri- tage Act. Town senior planner Kate Cockburn said the de- veloper plans to move the heritage home to a new lo- cation on the property and convert it to office use. Ward 2 Coun. Cathy Duddeck was among those to voice concerns about the plan, noting it would put the heritage home right next to the proper- ty's driveway. Michelle Knoll, chair of the TTHS, said the planned placement of the heritage home is not con- ducive to its successful re- use and noted it would be completely out of context with the scope and scale of the storage facility beside it. "TTHS was consulted by the developer and made several suggestions and had hoped for some kind of compromise in the form of some historical elements to the building, designs that might be conducive to the original Palermo Vil- lage, etc., and the develop- er was uninterested in hearing any of it," said Ward 5 Coun. Jeff Knoll, a TTHS founding member. "That's clear from the illustration that has been provided." Cockburn said the de- veloper has submitted a Heritage Impact Assess- ment but noted town staff will have this assessment peer-reviewed, arguing that it does not provide a thorough analysis of the impact of the new building on the heritage home or address the appropriate- ness of relocating it. David McKay of MHBC Planning, who spoke on behalf of the applicant, said it is early in the plan- ning process and the plan will be modified to ad- dress a number of the con- cerns that have been raised. The treatment of the heritage home was not the only issue raised during the meeting. Cockburn said staff are of the opinion that com- mercial self-storage facili- ties are more appropriate- ly located within the town's employment land use designations and should be directed away from the town's mixed-use nodes and corridors that are intended to support high-density residential and high-employment- generating uses. McKay said the area is currently in a policy vacu- um due to appeals to the Local Planning and Ap- peal Tribunal that are un- derway. An MHBC report noted the proposed development will be located in a growth area and will fill a need in Palermo Village. It also noted the subject lands have direct access to Dundas Street, a major ar- terial road that will sup- port the proposed uses. According to the TTHC, the Switzer House was home to Harvey Mor- ris Switzer, a prominent Trafalgar Township busi- nessman. Switzer also served as postmaster, a county mag- istrate, commissioner in the Court of Queen's Bench and was a founding member of the Halton Ag- ricultural Society. This matter will return to council for further con- sideration at a later date. NEWS HERITAGE FEARS IN BID FOR SIX-STOREY PALERMO STRUCTURE DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com An illustration for a six-storey storage/retail/office facility at 2507 Dundas St., W. MHBC photo. SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM