HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-096-02
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REPORT
PLANNING SERVICES
Report #:
GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEff)_ 35~-O:J-
Monday, September 23, 2002 /10 r G
PSD-096-02 File #: PLN 6.1 By.law #:
Meeting:
Date:
Subject:
GENERAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN GUIDELINES
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Report PSD-096-02 be received;
2. THAT the General Architectural Design Guidelines, prepared by John G.
Williams Limited, Architect, dated May 2002 be ADOPTED.
3. THAT pending the approval of a roster of Control Architects, John G. Williams
Limited, Architect be approved in the interim as the Municipality's Control
Architect.
Submitted by:
I Reviewed bY:O ~-:.. ~
Davi . Crome, M.C.I.P"R.P.P. Franklin Wu
Director, Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer
L T*DC*df
18 September 2002
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1 C 3A6 T (905)623- 3379 F (905)623-0830
684
REPORT NO.: PSD.096-02
PAGE 2
1.0 BACKGROUND
1.1 In December 2001, Council, after due consideration of Staff Report PSD-049-01
(see Attachment 1) endorsed the recommendations authorizing Staff to prepare
and implement Architectural Design Guidelines for residential plans of
subdivision in the Municipality.
1,2 In January 2002, John G. Williams Limited was retained to prepare the
Architectural Design Guidelines. They have provided architectural control
services in other municipalities in Durham Region and the GTA. It was Staffs
intention that by retaining a firm used by a number of the other local Durham
Municipalities, there would be a consistency in the approach and general design
standards for the development industry.
2.0 GENERAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN GUIDELINES
2,1 The guidelines as prepared provide a general architectural design concept that
would be used in all new residential development throughout the Municipality.
They generally focus on the provision of common architectural design themes,
built form and siting objectives.
The guidelines address a number of key issues such as:
. Design Guideline Objectives
. Architectural Design Criteria
. Garage Design Criteria
. Model Design Criteria
~ architectural style/elevations
~ roofs and windows
~ external materials/colors
. Siting Criteria/Model Repetition
. Priority Lot Dwellings
~ gateway dwellings
~ corner dwellings
~ community window dwelling
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REPORT NO.: PsD.096-02
PAGE 3
2.2 Each development would need to prepare Supplementary Architectural Design
Guidelines to identify priority lot dwellings as a minimum. This would also be the
opportunity to address any specific design themes for the plan of subdivision.
2.3 A presentation by Mr. David Stewart of John G. Williams Limited Architect has
been scheduled for the September 23rd General Purpose and Administration
Committee meeting to provide Committee with a comprehensive overview of the
guidelines.
3.0 DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY COMMENTS
3,1 Following the completion of the draft guidelines, copies of the staff report
authorizing their preparation along with the draft guidelines where forwarded to
the Durham Region Home Builders' Association and the Urban Development
Institute - Durham Chapter on May 30, 2002, seeking their comments.
3,2 The Durham Region Home Builders' Association (DRHBA) indicated two primary
concerns (Attachment 3). It was opposed to any policy which restricted their
ability to provide "what the marketplace dictates" and it was concerned that it
would add costs to every home. The DRHBA also identified two specific
concerns regarding siding-clad dwellings and community gateway dwellings.
Both of these latter concerns could be addressed by Supplementary Design
Guidelines to address the architectural themes of a specific development. In this
respect, the new policy is much more flexible than the previous municipal policy.
3.3 The Urban Development Institute indicated that it would have a response ready
in early September. As of the date of this report, a response has not been
received.
3.4 During the time the draft guidelines were being finalized, staff was approached
on four (4) separate occasions by developers requesting that the required
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REPORT NO.: PSD.096.02 PAGE 4
subdivision agreement be prepared so that they could proceed with the
registration of their respective plans of subdivision.
As a transition measure, each Developer, through their respective subdivision
agreement, was requested to either comply with the draft guidelines or retain a
Control Architect and submit architectural design guidelines for the approval of
the Municipality.
In each case, the Developer opted to use the services of John G. Williams
Limited and implement the Municipality's draft guidelines with some minor
modifications. Staff would note, each set of the guidelines as approved were
consistent with the transition provisions contained within the Architectural Design
Policy adopted by Council in December 2001.
3.5 In light of the above, I believe that the development industry will find the
Architectural Design Guidelines generally consistent with the approach currently
used by other lakeshore municipalities within Durham Region.
4.0 CONTROL ARCHITECTS
4.1 As noted in Staff Report PSD-049-01, a control architect is engaged to provide
architectural design expertise for the Municipality in preparing supplementary
design guidelines and to review the building drawings to be submitted for a
building permit. A control architect is the liaison between the Municipality and the
builder's architect.
4.2 With the adoption of the Architectural Design Guidelines, staff will seek
Expressions of Interest from qualified architectural firms in order to recommend a
limited roster to Council to implement the Municipality's Architectural Design
Guidelines.
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REPORT NO.: PSD.096.02
PAGE 5
In the interim, pending the approval of a roster, John G. Williams Limited,
Architect will be utilized to fulfil the role of Control Architect for the Municipality.
5.0 CONCLUSION
5,1 It is respectfully recommended that the General Architectural Design Guidelines
be ADOPTED.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 -
Attachment 2 -
Attachment 3 -
Staff Report PSD-049-01
General Architectural Design Guidelines (forwarded under separate
cover)
Durham Region Home Builders' Association Comments
List of interested parties to be advised of Council's decision:
Victor Fiume, President
Durham Region Home Builders' Association
P.O. Box 26064
206 King Street East
Oshawa, ON L 1 H 1 CO
Debbie Clarke
Urban Development Institute - Ontario Durham Chapter
2025 Sheppard Avenue East
Suite 2208
Willowdale, ON M2J 1V6
688
, .
ATTCHMENT 1
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REPORT
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Report #: PSD-049-01
GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
(r'n / I
Resolution #: /;/ .-')83 D
By-law #:
Monday, December 3, 2001
-DI ~
PLN 6.1
Meeting:
Date:
File:
Subject:
ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL IN PLANS OF SUBDIVISION
Recommendations:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Report PSD-049-01 be received; and
2. THAT the Policy on Architectural Control be approved as contained in
Attachment 3 to Report to PSD-049-01.
Submitted by:
D vid
Direct
ReviewedbQ~~ .
Franklin Wu
Chief Administrative Officer
DJC*sh
November 28, 2001
689
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REPORT NO.: PsD.049.01
Page 2
1.0 BACKGROUND
1,1 For the last decade, the Municipality has had a simplified architectural control
policy. It addresses three major issues only:
. External materials
. Model repetition
. Colours
The standard requirements are contained in Shedule "w" to subdivision
agreement (Attachment 1). This has provided a base. level of control over
materials and model repetition but has not focused on the many other issues that
are important to provide high quality living environment.
1.1 Current municipal practice is that the architectural control standards reviewed
after submission of a building permit application. Planning staff review
architectural control issues concurrently with the review for zoning by-law
conformity of building applications.
1.2 Some of the issues with our approach to date are as follows:
. Architectural control has not been results-oriented but primarily input-
oriented, given the lack of architectural expertise on staff
. Architectural control has focused on a few issues but not design details
that have become increasingly problematic such as garage projections,
porches, prominent lots
. Some developers have applied to use creative use of other materials in
keeping with a theme but not consistent with the 40 % masonry
requirement.
. Given the lack of architectural training, important design details are not
addressed in the review
. There has been little attention given to prominent lots with high public
visibility
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REPORT NO.: PsD-049-01
Page 3
2.0 PRACTICES IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES
2.1 Over the years, there has been a growing sophistication among municipalities to
improve on the architectural control process. There are two primary elements of
architectural control used elsewhere that should be incorporated in a new process
in Clarington:
. Preparation of architectural design guidelines
Architectural design guidelines are developed to provide more detailed and
site-specific outline of the architectural design requirements for a plan of
subdivision or a neighbourhood. These guidelines address a variety of
factors focusing on the exterior impact dwellings on the public realm. The
scope of the guidelines may vary among municipalities but are developed to
provide a basis for the municipal review.
. Use of a control architect
A control architect is the municipality's reviewer of the exterior architecture
design of buildings and street elements in the subdivision. The control
architect works closely with the developer's or builder's architect, usually in
advance of the submission of drawings to the Municipality's Building Division.
2.2 Many other municipalities in the Greater Toronto area have a adopted similar
approaches. Within Durham, Whitby, Ajax and more recently Oshawa have
adopted a similar approach to that being recommended in this report. Pickering
requires an architectural design statement but currently does not employ control
architects, with the exception of within the Pickering Main Central Area.
The following is a list of municipalities that utilize architectural design guidelines and
a control architect in one form or another:
. Ajax
. Oshawa
. Whitby
. Markham
. Richmond Hill
. Vaughan
. Aurora
. Brampton
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REPORT NO.: PSD.049.01
Page 4
3.0 DISCUSSION
3.1 General Architectural Design Guidelines
The approach proposed for Clarington would be to provide generic architectural
design guidelines that would be used in new residential development throughout the
Municipality. These guidelines would focus on common architectural design, built-
form and siting objectives. It would identify requirements for preparing
supplementary architectural design guidelines in each plan of subdivision including
which lots are deemed to be a priority due to their highly visible location. An
example of a priority lot treatment for a corner lot would include wrap-around
porches and detailing on both facades.
The guidelines would be prepared after reviewing current practices relating to
architectural control, zoning, and building permit requirements. The General
Architectural Design Guidelines would be circulated in draft form to the
development industry and presented to Council for approval.
It is proposed to use one of the control architects used by the other Durham
municipalities so that there is a consistency of approach and general design
standards for the development industry. The preparation of the General
Architectural Design Guidelines is estimated to cost approximately $12,000 and can
be accommodated within the Planning Department budget.
3.2 Use of Supplementary Design Guidelines
Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines would be required for each plan of
subdivision to identify priority lot treatment as a minimum. If the developer so
desires, the supplementary guidelines would also address site-specific variations to
the General Architectural Design Guidelines such as specific architectural themes
or increased architectural performance. The supplementary design guidelines
would be prepared by the control architect for the specific plan of subdivision and
approved by the Director of Planning Services.
692 649
REPORT NO.: PsD.049.01
Page 5
3.3 Control Architects
Control architects are engaged to provide architectural design expertise for the
municipality in preparing the supplementary architectural design guidelines and the
review of building drawings to be submitted for a building permit. A control architect
is the liaison between the municipality and the builder's architect. Using the
municipal objectives, the site-specific conditions including local history and
architecture and taking into account the developer's plans, the control architect
prepares the set of recommendations to which the builders must adhere.
Control architects provide an enhanced level of review and could expedite the
review process by being undertaken in advance of the formal submission to the
Municipality. The use of control architects would be on a full cost-recovery basis for
the Municipality.
3.4 The costs of an enhanced architectural control process to be picked up by the
developer is generally as follows:
. Final approval of model design
. House Sitings
$ 85 per model
$ 70-85 per house
The fee standard for architectural control process is relatively standard across the
Greater Toronto Area.
3.5 Transition
The revised architectural control procedures would not apply to any development
with an approved subdivision agreement. In the event of a major revision to an
, existing draft plan of subdivision, the Municipality would consider whether to apply
the new process.
The new procedures would be applied to any future subdivision agreement to be
executed after Council's approval of the policy,
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REPORT NO.: PSD..Q49.01
Page 6
However, there will be some circumstances where this will pose a hardship
particularly if the developer is marketing homes. The Director of Planning
Services would be authorized to consider requests to adjust this implementation
approach to provide for a smooth transition in consideration of the circumstances
of a particular development.
4.0 CONCLUSION
4.1 An enhanced architectural control process will provide the Municipality with the
tools to achieve a higher quality built environment. It has been used successfully in
other municipalities to produce valued neighbourhoods and a positive image for
those municipalities. At the same time, by utilizing a roster of approved control
architects, there is the opportunity for efficient review outside of the normal
municipal review process. The approach of using a roster of architectural firms
also ensures that a variety of architectural concepts and design solutions can be
employed.
4,2 It is recommended that the new architectural control policy contained in Attachment
2 be approved, and that staff be authorized to retain an architect to prepare
General Architectural Design Guidelines for Council's approval.
Attachment 1 - Schedule "W"
Attachment 2 - Architectural Control Process
Attachment 3 - Development Policy
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905) 623-3379 F
(905)623-0830
694
651
ATTACHMEINT 1
Page 91
SCHEDULE "W"
THIS SCHEDULE IS SCHEDULE "W' to the Agreement which has been
authorized and approved by By-law No, of The Corporation of the Municipality of
Clarington, enacted and passed the day of ,2000.
ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL STANDARDS
All dwellings to be erected on the said Lands shall satisfy the following
architectural control standards:
1, EXTERNAL MATERIALS
(a) Exterior construction must be a minimum of forty (40%) percent masonry
products excluding stucco and concrete blocks, Dwellings sited at the
comers require full height masonry products on all elevations,
(b) No substttutions are allowed within paragraph (a) except by written
permission of the Director of Planning Services Department.
,
2. COLOURS
(a) Colours of bricks, siding, roofs and trims must be compatible and in
harmony such as earthtone range, pastel range, 9rey/black range etc.
(b) Where bricks are used, coloured mortar is required,
(c) Accent colour bricks for brick detailing is permitted provided if used
consistently in group of dwellings,
(d) Colour of caulking around metal flashing or windows is required to match
colour of brick or siding.
3. REPETITION OF ELEVATIONS AND STYLES
(a) Any two (2) dwellings abutting each other must exhibit a minimum of
twenty-five (25%) exterior variations in elevations or colour schedule.
(b) Dwellings of identical elevation and/or colour schedule must be separated
by a minimum of four (4) dwellings,
695
652
Page 92
Schedule "W"
. 2 .
(c)
Dwellings which mimic the infiuence of a particular architectural infiuence
(eg, Georgian, Colonial, Spanish) are permitted only if constructed in a
group refiecting the same architectural infiuence,
.
4. OTHERS
(a) All metal roof vents and stacks must be located in the rear slope of roofs
and must be painted to match the roof colour if exposed to public view.
(b) All dwellings must carry brick veneers to within twelve (12) inches of the
grade on front elevation and within twenty (20) inches on side and rear
elevations, Exposed concrete foundation in excess of the aforementioned
standard will not be permitted.
(c) The Owner shall encourage the builder of dwellings to vary siting and
setback of dwellings.
(d) The above standards are minimum standards and builders are encouraged
to exceed the standards as iong as the objective of creating attractive and
aesthetically pleasing appearance is achieved.
696
653
Attachment 2
Steps in Process Current Process New Process
Architectural Schedule "W" to Subdivision Municipality prepares Architectural
Design Control Agreement Design Guidelines (ADG)
Guidelines
Preparation of priority lotting plan,
and, if necessary, supplement
architectural design guidelines for
the subdivision
Preliminary None Initial design sketches of floor plans
Review of Models and elevations
Approval of model Review of models by Control
working drawings Architect for compliance to ADG
Submission of models to Building Submission of models to Building
Division for review under Building Division for review under Building
Code Code
Review of models for zoning Review of models for zoning
compliance by Planning staff compliance by Planning staff
Review of models by Planning staff
for compliance to architectural
control policies
Approval of Submission to and review by
building permits control architect of working
and related site drawings with engineer-certified site
grading plans grading plans and streetscapes for
compliance to ADG
Submission of building permits with Submission of building permits with
engineered-certified site grading engineered-certified site grading
plans, plans.
If approved model, no detailed If approved model, no detailed
review required by Building review required by Building
Review of grading plan by Review of grading plan by
Engineering staff Engineering staff
Review of building drawings by Review of building drawings by
Planning staff for zoning Planning staff for zoning
compliance. compliance.
Review of building drawings by
Planning staff for model repetition.
Review of other architectural control
requirements only if it is not
previously approved model.
Monitoring for None - Inspections and periodic reports on
compliance Only complaints are reviewed any deficiencies by control architect
Architectural Control Process
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ATTACHMEINT 3
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY
SUBSECTION:
SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL
GUIDELINES
DATE APPROVED/ UPDATED:
APPROVED BY: Council
PURPOSE:
To promote high quality residential environments and to promote excellence in urban design
through a clear community vision. The preparation of architectural design guidelines and the
use of architectural and urban design specialists in the municipal review process will ensure that
municipal objectives are achieved while providing for flexibility and architectural design creativity.
BACKGROUND:
The Clarington Official Plan states that "excellence in urban design will be pursued to contribute
to a sense of place, ensure physical safety, promote social interaction and enjoyment, provide
human scale to the urban environment and promote the integration of land uses." (Section 3.2,2)
Architectural control procedures are one important means to ensure that the principles of the
Clarington Official Plan are achieved and the site characteristics of each neighbourhood are
addressed. The existing architectural control procedures in the plans of subdivision shall be
replaced by this policy. Architectural design review in the context of this policy shall refer to a
review of a site plan application by external consultant with architectural and/or urban design
expertise,
POLICY:
1. Architectural Design Guidelines shall generally comprise the following elements:
. Design vision
. Heritage considerations
. Architectural styles
. Building massing and roof form
. Fenestration
. Porches and main entrances
. Treatment of the garage
. Exterior materials and colours
. Trim detailing
. Sitting requirements
. Model repetition criteria
. Treatment of dwellings on priority lots
MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
698
655
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY
SUBSECTION:
SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL
GUIDELINES
DATE APPROVED/ UPDATED:
APPROVED BY: Council
2. The Municipality shall prepare General Architectural Design Guidelines. These will be written
in a general manner for use in new residential neighbourhoods throughout the Municipality.
The Municipality's General Architectural Design Guidelines will be approved by Council.
3. As a minimum, every developer shall prepare a Priority Lot and Sitting Criteria Plan
identifying lots that require special attention due to their highly visible location in the public
realm,
4. Site specific issues for any plan of subdivision shall be addressed in a Supplementary
Architectural design Guideline document for each plan of subdivision that will address
architectural theming and local design vision,
5, Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines must be prepared by a Control Architect with
an architectural firm on a roster approved by the Director of Planning Services.
Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines will be approved by the Director of Planning
Services.
6. Every plan of subdivision shall be required to have a Control Architect save and except for the
following:
. Industrial plans of subdivision
. Country residential (Estate) plans of subdivision
. Residential plans of subdivision that are exempted by the transition provisions below.
7. Architectural review by the Control Architect will be conducted expeditiously and shall
generally comprise the following steps:
. Orientation meeting with the developer/builder and municipal staff
. Preparation of the Supplementary Architectural Design Guidelines
. Model Review and Approval
. Approval of house sitings
. Monitoring for compliance
8. Only model working drawings bearing the stamp of the Control Architect shall be eligible for
submission to the Building Division.
9. Architectural control will be conducted on a full cost recovery basis.
MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
69Y
656
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENTAL POLICY
SUBSECTION:
SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL
GUIDELINES
DATE APPROVEDI UPDATED:
APPROVED BY: Council
Transition
The transition to this new Architectural Control Policy shall be as follows:
1. Any development with an approved subdivision agreement is not subject to this policy,
In the event of a major revision to an existing draft approval where the developer has an
approved subdivision agreement, the Municipality will generally apply this policy.
2 Any subdivision agreement executed after December 10, 2001 shall contain provisions
requiring the use of a Control Architect and conformity to the Municipality's Architectural
Design Guidelines,
3. The Director of Planning Services will be authorized to make appropriate modifications
process given the particular circumstances of the development so as to no create any undue
hardship or prejudice to the development process.
MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
PLANNING SERVICES DEPARTMENT
69901
657
ATTACHMENT 3
P- -..-
1 . i, ~: ' '
:; :
I .
Mr. Larry Taylor
Municipality of Clarington
40 Temperance Street
Bowmanville, Ontario
LlC 3A6
i
. _~-.J
Dear Mr. Taylor:
Re: Architectural Controls
I have had an opportunity to review the proposed Architectural controls for the Municipality of
Clarington on behalf of the Durham Region Home Builders' Association. I have some comments
to make on the Controls.
DRHBA is opposed to any Legislation, which restricts our ability to provide what the
marketplace dictates. Architectural Controls are an artificial and contrived method of telling the
house buying public what their house and their community should look like. It is our opinion that
the best judge of what people want their home to look like are the people whose hard earned
money is being spent on the purchase. The concept that an architect, based in Richmond Hill
should be able to tell a house purchaser in Clarington, what their home should like, in order to
appease the general public who may drive past the sub-division is completely contrary to the a
great many of the principals that we hold near and dear to our hearts. Principals such as freedom
of expression. It should be the house buying public that decide whether or not the architectural
features in a given sub-division are acceptable. They demonstrate their acceptance or lack
thereof, by either purchasing or not.
Furthermore, Architectural Controls will add costs to every home built in C1arington. The
preamble contained in the Design Gnidelines mentions the affordability factor of the Clarington
market. We then launch into a document, which will increase costs and push the first time
homebuyer even further east or north. Architectural Controls, while pleasing to the eyes of some
passersby, does not help the plight of this all-important segment of the market. In 1950' s and
60' s, when we had a tremendous housing boom, form tended to take a back seat to substance.
However, there was a great demand for affordable homes for young families and these homes
were purchased by the tens of thousands. If these proposed Controls were in place at that time,
we would have virtually eliminated the huge housing boom, all in the name of aesthetics.
Moreover, in subsequent years many of these buyers of the" cookie cutter" homes updated and
upgraded their homes to the extent that there is now a considerable array of different elevations
and front facades. In the process, a great number of these people saw a huge increase in the value
of their homes. Some people would call this" sweat equity ". This opportunity is being eroded
by these Controls. We maintain that it is the purchaser of the homes to decide what they want.
69902
.
It would seem that Clarington is determined to follow other Municipalities down the wrong path.
Notwithstanding this, I would agree that these Architectural Controls are very much in line with
what other Municipalities have included in their Design Guidelines, There are a couple of
requirements that I would like to comment on.
ReQuirements for Primarilv Siding-Clad Dwellings Consideration on the amount of siding
allowed should take into account the architectural theme of the community. Certain Victorian,
Georgian or Cape Cod themed communities would not necessarily need masonry to create
visually appealing streetscapes.
Communitv Gatewav Dwellings Once again I would suggest that the theme of the community
should be taken into account. Masonry may very well look out of place in certain situations.
In conclusion, while these design criteria are similar to other jurisdictions, we feel that it is
counter productive to the Clarington housing market to bring in yet another requirement that will
increase costs.
Thank you for the opportunity to register my input.
Questions or comments may be directed to me at 905-697-5805. Or bye-mail at
wilmotcreekmanager@rogers.com.
Yours truly,
Victor Fiume
DRHBA. President
699~3