Wauchopes fighting heritage registry

Rick Vanderlinde Simcoe.com Dec 10, 2010
INNISFIL — Former deputy mayor Gord Wauchope and his wife, Brenda, do not want their Innisfil Beach Road home placed on the town’s heritage registry.
If the Wauchope house were registered, there would be a 60-day restriction against demolition, giving council time to decide if the home should be permanently protected.
The Wauchopes got their wish, at least temporarily, when Innisfil’s new council decided to send the issue back to the town’s new heritage committee for further debate. The old committee, which included Mayor Barb Baguley, voted 3-2 in favour of registering the house during an October meeting. The former council then voted to hand the issue to the new council, deciding the ongoing election made it too contentious.
In a letter to council, the Wauchopes said they would seek legal advice “and proceed with the process of protecting our civil rights” if the town attempts to register the house under the provincial Heritage Act.
Brenda Wauchope told council Wednesday night her family’s financial future would be in jeopardy if the home were registered.
“This would impact on our future and our rights as property owners will have been violated,” she told the new council. “Our financial security should not be restricted by council or the heritage committee.”
While the property is now zoned residential, it is located in a prime area for commercial development along IBR. During the election, Gord Wauchope said he would demand the home be preserved and relocated as a condition of sale to any developer.
Coun. Rod Boynton persuaded council to defer the decision to a new heritage committee in January. Boynton said he wanted to give the new committee and the new council time to understand the complexities of the Heritage Act.
“This is a very serious matter,” Boynton said. “Heritage is important, but when something is contested by the owner there should be a little more scrutiny.”
Coun. Maria Baier reminded council the decision to place the home on the registry simply protects it from demolition for 60 days, but does not permanently protect it. The heritage committee and council would still have to vote to designate the home.
Innisfil’s heritage committee has been placing properties on an inventory list for the past two years and moving to protect those it believes could be in danger of demolition.
Council was heavily criticized in May 2008 when it failed to protect the historic McConkey homestead in Alcona, which is now the site of a new plaza.
A developer demolished the home the same day council was poised to place it on the registry, which would have protected it for at least 60 days.
During an interview with the Journal during the election, Gord Wauchope was extremely critical of developers who tear down heritage buildings in the “middle of the night”.
“That is despicable and we will not tolerate it again,” he said.
Brenda Wauchope told council her family values heritage and has spent thousands of dollars upgrading their home over the years.
“We have lived there for 25 years and we may choose to be there for another 25 years,” she said. The first meeting of the new heritage committee is Jan. 6.