The message to Town Council and the developer was clear and direct – preserve the McConkey farmhouse, where it now stands.
A public meeting originally scheduled simply to hear planning details and receive public comments about a proposed commercial development on Innisfil Beach Road, instead turned into a passionate debate championing the protection of local buildings of historic significance.
“This house is a jewel, a gorgeous house. It’s one you would travel overseas and pay money to see. The Mayor and Council have to get this property protected,” resident Marj Mossman said about the heritage home, which sits on a 10-acre site at the southeast corner of Innisfil Beach Road and the 20th Sideroad where Trinity Development Group Inc., hopes to build a Canadian Tire store and four other retail buildings.
Mossman also set her sights on the developer.
“You could be the good guys in this and end up smelling like roses,” resident Marj Mossman told representatives of the company.
Earlier in the evening, David McKay, a planner speaking on behalf of Trinity Development, told Council that even though the house is not listed as a heritage site, “Trinity would be quite willing to discuss moving it to another lot, free of charge, or to remove items of heritage value. We understand there is some concern.”
McKay told Council the project represents an approximate $11 million investment and would create 270 jobs, along with $300,000 in annual property taxes to Innisfil.
Traffic lights would be installed at the corner of Innisfil Beach Road and the 20th Sideroad, “completely paid for by the developer”, McKay said.
Prior to a public question period, Mayor Brian Jackson told the audience “the heritage aspect has been dealt with and we don’t want to belabour the point. Some media reports and letters have been inflammatory.”
The issue of protecting heritage buildings became even more pressing last week after another historic stone farmhouse known as the Ness-Adair home on the north side of Innisfil Beach Road was suddenly demolished without warning.
David Chambers of Bond Head, an expert on heritage buildings, said in his opinion, the McConkey house “is one of the most significant heritage buildings in Simcoe County.”
He asked McKay if Trinity had any heritage policies in place and if they would prepare a cultural heritage value report on the property and report back to Council.
Brian Baker, a member of the Innisfil Heritage Committee appointed by Council, said his group “is very concerned about the fate of the McConkey house. Stone houses are not moved very well. We would like to see it incorporated into the development site. Could they not leave a little parkette with the house on it? Instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars moving it, keep it on site.”
Fellow committee member Doug Warrington said McKay’s remarks were, “a very welcome response. I hope the committee can work with Trinity and the Town to preserve the site.”
The six-bedroom farmhouse stands virtually in the centre of the project, in an area designated for parking.
David Steele, who lives in a century home on the 3rd Line, said, “these issues should have been raised a long time ago. It’s very encouraging to hear from the developer the house could be moved, but it’s very difficult this late in the game to arrange for a move.”
McKay promised to take all the public comments back to the Trinity company and report back to Council with possible compromise solutions. Jackson said additional comments from the public would be relayed to Trinity through the Town Clerk’s office.
And expect some civil disobedience if the former McConkey house faces destruction, Mossman warned.
“We’re going to come out and sit on a shovel and protect it,” she said.
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