It's one of Delta's oldest homes, but its heritage value might not save it from demolition in today's red hot real estate market.
Realtors Stephanie Hunter and Shannon Kewley are trying to organize a group interested in saving the Flick Residence at 5584-8A Ave. in Tsawwassen. Built in 1905 by Enos Flick as part of a larger farm property at the time, the updated 2,600-square-foot, wood-frame cottage is listed at $1.18 million.
It sits on a 6,400-square-foot lot.
"The Flick Residence is valuable as the oldest and last surviving early settler's cottage in Tsawwassen, and represents the original development of agricultural land in the Tsawwassen area, which was some of the richest farmland in the Lower Mainland," according to Delta's heritage register.
Hunter, who is the listing agent, said she's concerned the house will only be seen as a teardown.
"There is already interest from offshore buyers who likely will demolish the home and gardens," Hunter and Kewley warned in a news release last weekend just before an open house was held.
Saving the home from a potential wrecking ball is especially important for Kewley, who grew up in it. She told the Optimist that keeping the house at its current location or perhaps even moving it are options that should be explored.
"Ultimately, to preserve the house, we wanted to bring awareness to this because it would be ever so sad to see it torn down," she said.
"We're hoping to create a higher level of conversation and collectively maybe a few people can get together and make a down payment, rent it out and try to figure something out, and talk to the city of Delta and see if there's any chance of getting it declared a heritage home so it can't be torn down," Kewley added.
Preserving heritage structures has been making news due to a number of contentious development proposals as well as the demolition of the historic Kittson House on Highway 10. The civic heritage committee is working on a new heritage strategy that will come to Delta council sometime this year.
For now, in addition to having heritage conservation areas, as well as a number of incentives for owners of heritage buildings looking to redevelop, Delta has a couple of so-called heritage inventories: the Rural Heritage Inventory adopted in 1998 and the Urban Heritage Inventory adopted in 2000. Being on an inventory means the property is flagged for discussion for incentives for preservation and maintenance, but that doesn't prevent a building from ultimately being knocked down.
There's also a Delta Heritage Register, adopted in 1999. It's the official register of sites of heritage significance. Properties are added by council and do not require the owner's approval, but it has been council's policy to seek voluntary agreements.
Properties on the register are automatically added to a provincial heritage register and are eligible for inclusion on a Canadian register, however, being on it also doesn't guarantee protection. The Flick Residence is on the register, the oldest Tsawwassen home on it.
A move that would assure homes like the Flick Residence aren't torn down would be for council to designate them as "Designated Heritage Properties." That designation, also usually done in Delta if an owner agrees, means a home can't be torn down.
Council can also impose a temporary protection order for up to 60 days if it considers that heritage property might be adversely affected by a development application. Such a move was done for the Kittson House, but it was ultimately torn down.
Anyone wanting more information about the Flick Residence can contact Hunter at info@stephaniehunter. com.
