housing
8 Lowther Avenue rooftop addition approved despite exceeding heritage guidelines
Toronto Preservation Board approved a rooftop addition and deck on a heritage-designated property in the East Annex that exceeds the neighborhood's own guidelines for height, but staff found it acceptably obscured by setback and will not harm the district's character. The property owner defended the design as minimally visible from the street.
From the floor
“It's a fantastic dwelling with all that Romanesque charm in the annex. I see over the years there were stained glass windows in the arches of the second floor and it looks like the brick has been painted in the front facade. Is there any intention to try to bring back some of the original heritage attributes?”Spoke on the record
“The proposed roof addition, as noted, doesn't comply with the HCD guidelines. However, due to the step back of 6.48 meters to the front of the heritage property, it is minimally visible from the street.”City of Toronto heritage planner
“The setback was put in place to make sure that it would be less visible from the street as it was mentioned before, as well as the height was kept under the zoning requirements for the height as well.”Speaking for the applicant
“Unfortunately a lot of the some of that wood detailing that you see there, the craftsmanship in there is a bit rotted. We were able to keep the handrails on either side. Where we can, we are definitely keeping what we can. The stained glass windows we love and wish they were really a little bit more secure.”Speaking for the applicant
Also in this item
• The addition breaches the East Annex Heritage Conservation District's own guidelines, which explicitly state additions should be lower than the existing roof ridge. This is a variance, not a routine approval.
The journey
Decision
Approved the rooftop addition, 2.1 meters in height, set back 6.48 meters from the front street-facing edge, with a new roof deck and railing, plus rear third-floor addition, rear balconies, and new side and rear windows. The design does not comply with East Annex Heritage Conservation District guidelines stating additions should be lower than the existing roof ridge, but city heritage staff found the setback and stepped design protect the character of the heritage building and district.
On video
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