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North Shore's historical homes on the move

Conservationists concerned as hot housing market puts pressure on heritage stock
Peter Miller

Craftsman-style three-storey house. Three bed/two bath. 2,300 square feet. Good condition. Central Lonsdale. Free.

The aforementioned is an online listing and not a scam, but rather an attempt by a developer to prevent a piece of North Vancouver’s history from being demolished as they make way for a new home.

This type of offering has become somewhat of a trend recently — and a concern for heritage conservationists — after two turn-of-the-century homes, purchased for a dollar, were moved from Lower Lonsdale to Maple Ridge in early August.

“We are in danger here of giving an easy out for developers,” said Peter Miller, president of the North Shore Heritage Preservation Society.

At the end of the day the offer might not seem so sweet when you factor in the costs of relocating the house, which can be upwards of $100,000.

The logistics to consider range from excavation to transportation to the less obvious: the temporary removal of the city’s power poles along the route or carefully taking out hazardous materials such as asbestos from the home.   

About a hundred people, from retirees to young families, some as far away as Vancouver Island, have contacted the owner of the Dalton Residence, circa 1912, at 445 East 16th St. since the online listing was posted a couple weeks ago.

So far, Luvi Sandhu has not found the right candidate, mainly because uprooting the home is not feasible for most.

There’s a short window of opportunity here before Sandhu, president of Creative Homes and Development, carries on with his plan to build a new home on the site. However, he said he’s willing to hold off if a serious taker comes forward. “It’s (the Dalton Residence) a piece of history, right? It would be a shame to tear it down,” said Sandhu.

The venerable house, occupied from 1913 to 1945 by F.W. Dalton and his wife, still has the original windows, front doors and interior. On the main floor the rooms feature wainscoting, and there are stained glass windows on the staircase. A large “summer room” veranda outside adds to the character of the home.

The 103-year-old Dalton Residence was on the market recently for $1.2 million. Sandhu said he snapped up the home that sits on a 7,350-square-foot lot because of the prime south-facing location and the land value.

With land at a premium on the North Shore and more and more people looking to build here, local heritage conservationists are concerned heritage homes will become vulnerable to new development.

Relocating heritage homes is better than demolition, but only as a last resort, said Peter Miller, president of the North Shore Heritage Preservation Society.

“Developers cannot simply justify demolition of homes by offering them for free or for salvage,” he said.

The city’s heritage registry, updated in 2013, ranks historical buildings, homes, churches and schools in “A” and “B” categories, many of which date back to the early 1900s when North Vancouver was incorporated, but only contains about 35 properties legally protected from demolition.

The heritage preservation society is calling on developers to get creative and explore a heritage revitalization agreement with the City of North Vancouver, that can offer incentives or “special privileges” such as subdividing the lot to allow for a new home while retaining the original one.

Looking at the back of the Dalton property, Miller said it’s feasible to put a second structure like a two-storey coach house there.

Miller said the Green-Armytage House, circa 1909, at Lonsdale and West 23rd St. — one of the oldest houses in the northern Lonsdale corridor — is a fine example of incorporating heritage into a new residential development.

CNV planner Christopher Wilkinson, who looks after the heritage portfolio, said the city has no incentives to support carting away heritage homes outside of the community.

Conversely, city planners try to entice developers to rehabilitate and incorporate a historical home or building on the original site by dangling incentives such as extra density allowance, he added.

Such an arrangement was made for the historical Beasley/McDowell block, currently under redevelopment in Lower Lonsdale, where developers were given extra density in exchange for preserving Moodyville’s Café.

“It has to make financial sense for them (the developers),” said Wilkinson.