One of Newmarket’s oldest homes is slated to be incorporated into a 305-unit development of mostly townhouses on Leslie Street after the Town of Newmarket denied a demolition proposal.
Humphries Planning Group Inc. has submitted new development plans —on behalf of Leslie Street (FGH) Inc. — to construct 305 townhouse units at 16920 and 16860 Leslie St., at Mulock Drive.
The proposal was delayed in 2018, after the town refused plans to demolish the historic Bogart House. The new proposal is to restore the house, which is protected with a heritage designation, and incorporate it as part of the development, surrounded by a small number of single detached houses.
“These units, through their design and placement, will highlight the heritage house such that it will stand proud both along the Leslie Street frontage and the interior condominium road," Humphries Planning Group said in a justification report.
The house was originally built in 1811 by John Bogart, a Quaker pioneer from Pennsylvania, who operated a nearby mill. The developer argued in 2018 that modifications and deterioration have compromised the home's heritage value and proposed to demolish it. Town council rebuffed the idea, working with the developer to ensure the restoration and protection of the house, according to a 2018 municipal report.
The house was boarded up in a “mothballing” program to secure and protect it from weather and vandalism, which have continued to impact the house as the developer seeks approvals, however the town's director of planning and building services, Jason Unger, said the municipality is monitoring its condition.
“The town receives monthly status reports regarding the condition of the home,” Unger said.
NewmarketToday did not receive a reply by publication deadline from Humphries Planning Group Inc.
The development application has undergone other updates, according to the firm's report, with different versions dating back to 2012. The proposed development will have a range of single-detached units, condominium townhouses, and back-to-back townhouses spread across several blocks and streets to be built on the property. The total number of units is down by 16 from a 2018 proposal.
The planning group proposes to use Leslie Street as the main access to the property, at the southeast of the subject lands. The total area of the land is 16.13 hectares, with a density of 18.9 units per hectare.
Other features include a 0.53-hectare park block with playgrounds, parkettes, a stormwater management pond and green buffer areas.
“The proposed development will implement applicable policy objectives by facilitating the efficient use of underutilized and underdeveloped lands in a built-up area of the Town of Newmarket,” the planning justification report said.
The town is still considering the proposal, with no public meeting scheduled.
“Once staff have reviewed the application, and it is satisfactory to the town, a recommendation report will be brought to a future committee of the whole meeting,” Unger said.
