Official Plan and Zoning Amendments for 435-451 Ridout St. N

Dear Planning and Environment Committee, London City Council.

Regarding the application for Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments for  435-451 Ridout St. N., London, Architectural Conservancy Ontario urges you to uphold the City's own planning documents and turn down this request.

I write on behalf of ACO's Provincial Board because Bankers Row is a National Historic Site https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=12873 It is important to Ontario residents far beyond London's city limits, and indeed to all citizens of Canada. It deserves the full protection your City has promised it shall receive in your planning documents.

Your Downtown Heritage Conservation District Guidelines state that for sites marked "A" and "H", as this one is, character-defining elements should be conserved. The statement of significance posted on the National Historic Places cites the "spatial relationship of the individual buildings, close to one another and to the street" as one of the key character-defining elements. Another key character-defining element is the "viewscapes on the complex as a whole from surrounding streets" -- viewscapes which will be completely disrupted by the proposed development.

The City's planning documents are quite clear: the proposed development is not in keeping with the reasons for Bankers Row's designation as a National Historic Site. Nor is it compatible with the Downtown Heritage Conservation District Guidelines.  For these reasons, ACO asks the Committee to refuse the property owner's current application.

Yours sincerely,

Kae Elgie
Chair, Board of Directors