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Temporary protection for house

Restoring heritage home would be costly

Delta council this week voted to give temporary protection to a high-profile heritage house that was possibly headed for demolition.

At Monday night's meeting, civic politicians approved a request from the Delta Heritage Advisory Commission to issue temporary heritage protection for the Kittson residence at 9230 Ladner Trunk Rd.

Coun. Anne Peterson, who sits on the heritage commission, raised concerns about the overall state of heritage homes in Delta falling into disrepair and being demolished earlier this month after the Corporation received a demolition application for the farmhouse and barn.

The barn was built in 1895 and the home in 1907 by farmer and Delta pioneer Robert Kittson. It is listed as having a high heritage value and is on Delta's heritage inventory, but not on a heritage registry, which provides greater protection.

The Kittson residence is on a 40-acre parcel and was recently sold by John van Dongen to a new owner, who is planning to build greenhouses on the property.

The commission is not opposed to the demolition of the barn, but Peterson said losing the large heritage home is problematic and yet another case of "demolition by neglect."

"This is a house that has some serious, serious problems," said Coun. Ian Paton, noting that it would be costly for the owners to restore it.

The commission was told the cost to restore the house is estimated between $400,000 and $500,000.

The cost of moving it within a 10-mile radius was estimated to be $250,000, however, an assessment determined that, structurally, the house should not be moved.

Council agreed Monday night to issue a 60-day heritage protection order for the home to give staff time to consult with the new owners, Bram and Jos Moerman, to see if other avenues for the house can be explored.

Coun. Scott Hamilton stressed that the protection of the home is temporary and the building is at the mercy of the new owners - Delta does not have the money to step in and restore the home, he said, and such actions are not in the municipality's purview.

"I, personally, am not holding out a lot of hope," he said.

Correspondence from the new owners suggests a willingness to negotiate with Delta to save the house.

In an e-mail received Monday,

jkerr@delta-optimist.com

the Moermans suggest that they will withdraw e demolition application Delta agrees to issue fill permit before they ave submitted a building permit for the greenhouse operation. Typically, Delta requires a building permit be completed before a fill permit can be issued. Delta's deputy director of community planning and development Marcy Sangret told council that staff will contact the new owners to discuss their proposal and look at other alternatives.