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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-031-16 r Al MOP ff 4, Planning Services Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Municipal Clerk at 905-623-3379 ext. 2102. Report To: Planning and Development Committee Date of Meeting: April 25, 2016 Report Number: PSD-031-16 Resolution Number: } �' Rti File Number: D19.GE By-law Number: Report Subject: Identifying and recognizing Clarington's lost hamlets Recommendations: 1. That Report PSD-031-16 be received; 2. That the Clarington Heritage website be utilized to identify and communicate the history regarding Clarington's lost hamlets, and 3. That all interested parties listed in Report PSD-031-16 and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-031-16Page 2 Report Overview Council passed resolution #PD-081-15 requesting areport on identifying Clarington’s lost hamlets and their history. The Clarington Heritage Committee has been consulted and staff have researched how other municipalities recognize lost hamlets. Staff are recommending that the Clarington Heritage website be better utilized to identify lost hamlets and to share their history for all to see. 1.Background In November 2015, two residents contacted Councillor Partner with respect to erect a sign to recognize Cowanville as a historic settlement area. At the December 14, 2015 Council meeting Council approved resolution #PD-081-15 directing staff to prepare a report to have the Municipality be proactive in identifying the names of our lost hamlets and erecting appropriate signage to identify them and their history for all to see. Staff have consulted with the Clarington Heritage Committee, researchedhow other municipalitiesrecognize their former settlement areas or lost hamletsand reviewed potential issues that might impact emergency services. 2.Historical Informationand Recognition Background 2.1 Clarington has a rich history and former settlements orlost hamlets form an important part of that rich history. In many cases former settlements or hamlets were the earliest settlements in Darlington and Clarke, now Clarington. These early settlements paved the way for some of the current urban areas or were key settlements along trade routes through Durham Region. Many of these former settlements were the casualties of decisions that saw rail lines or major roads built in locations that didn’t service these areas. Some of these areas also saw decline in prominence with improvements inagricultural production, technology, and transportation that led to population decline inrural areas, closure of schools,churches and general stores. In other cases these former settlementsbecame partof urban areas as our community grew and are now part ofeither Courtice orBowmanville. Road Signage 2.2 The primary purpose of road signage is to provide information to the driving public. The signage relates to rules of the road, directional information, gateway signage identifying a location and addresses for the 911 system. Generally, road signage is meant to communicate information quickly and in a concise manner to the passing public. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-031-16Page 3 The Region of Durham has gateway signing guidelines and have installed such signage for all existing Clarington hamlets and urban areas. These areasare well defined areas known to emergency services, municipal staff and residents alike.Signs for lost hamlets would not be permitted on Regional road allowances. One of the concerns with signing lost hamlets in a similar manner to current hamlets and settlement areas is that lost hamlets are not well geographically defined, not identified in municipal mapping and may not be well known to residents who did not grow up in the area. Signage could create confusion and could actually have an impact on navigation by the passing public or even emergency response. Staff did not find any other municipalities that used road signage or gateway signage to commemorate former settlement areas that have few or no remaining elements. It is possible that some signage exists for areas that may not be considered hamlets today but no formal policy or current practice could be identified. The cost for one sign would be approximately $500 including installation costs. Heritage Committee Comments 2.3 The Clarington Heritage Committee agree that these former settlement areas are integral pieces of Clarington’s history and heritage and that recognizingand documenting them is vital to understanding our past. There are many localhistory books,some by the Clarington Heritage Committee and others by local residents, about Darlington, Clarke and the former settlement areas within Clarington. Many of these publications areavailable to purchase at the Clarington Museum, theClarington Libraryalso has copies of many of the local history documents. These publications are valuable resourcesfor conducting researchand searching family histories. Greater access to these resources can also be providedthrough the internet to engage a range of ages and people beyond the local community. In 2012, the Clarington Heritage websitewas established. The website primarilyprovides information on designated heritage properties, Municipal Register properties and information relating to the designation process. In 2015, the Clarington Heritage Committee identified that the Clarington Heritage website should be updated andbetter utilized as a resource for public outreach and education. Their work on this goal is ongoing. In January 2016 the Clarington Heritage Committee passed a resolution recommending that lost hamlets information be made readily available on the Clarington Heritage website. The concept of signage along the roadside was not preferred by the committee asthey felt there was little benefitto identifying a site to the passing public when the history of the site cannot betold;in many cases the buildings or other physical markers that related to thesite no longer exist. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-031-16Page 4 Municipal Examples on Recognizing Former Settlement Areas 2.4 Staff conducted research into howother municipalities document or recognize former settlement areas. A majority of information appears to be documented through print material, similar to what we currently have for Clarington’s lost hamlets. Clarington has at least 30settlement areas that could be considered “lost”(Attachment 1).There are other settlement areas that no longer go by their historical names; and some have over time been incorporated into our growing urban areas. Some municipalities use some different forms of commemoration and share information through different mediums, in addition to print material. Mississauga isone municipality that usestheir heritage website very effectively to communicate their history, especially about their former hamlet areas. Municipal heritage websites are becoming more common and are being used to display information that may be in print,archives, old newspapers etc. to make them more available to the public. Another form of commemoration that somemunicipalities have engaged in is interpretive signage or plaques. These informational signs give the history of a site in the location of where an event happened or a building used to be located. In order for these signs to be effective and have an impact in telling the history of a placethey need to be located in high foot traffic areas encouraging the passing public to stop and read the information provided.To date, the Municipality has not had an interpretive signage program, with the exception ofwithin parks or municipal buildings andin recognition of designated heritage buildings. 3.Discussion 3.1Identifying, conserving and communicating Clarington’s history to current and future generations is animportant task. The goal of telling the story or history of Clarington’s lost hamlets is to relay information about those former areas and their importance to present and future generations.Many methodsof communicating our history exists for different situationsand audiences. Picture the Way We Were, a local history book, published in 1980 identifies approximately 30areas that could be considered a lost hamlet or former settlement area. There are additional areas that have been identified in other publications. Each of theselost hamlets has different characteristics: what it once was, what remains,the presence of institutional buildings like churches and schools, how long they existed, etc. It is extremely difficult to determine criteria of what should be commemorated and in what way when all are reviewed collectively. 3.2Road signage relays important information quickly to the passing public. Road signage maynot bethe most effective way to communicate the history or importance of a lost hamlet and may confuse the passing public or in some circumstances create confusion in the case of an emergency. Municipality of Clarington Report PSD-031-16Page 5 3.3From a planning perspective, entrance signage may create confusion with respect to applicable planning policies. A previouspetition to have Bradley’s Corners recognizedas a “rural cluster” for its historic significance was considered withthought that that this designation would bring greater safety improvements on Regional Road 34 and allow for lot severancesfor certain owners.A homemade sign was erected by the residents. While there was broad support for historicrecognition, this became a contentious community issue when itwas eventually understood that the cluster designation would allow development. It was subsequentlydenied by Regional Council. While it is possible to distinguish between a “lost hamlet” and a real hamlet, there is the distinct possibility for confusion about applicable development rights. 3.4All of these lost hamlets have a history or story to tell. The Clarington Heritage website is a resource that could be utilized as an effective way to compile and communicate information to current and future residents about Clarington’s history and lost hamlets. This would ensure all of Clarington’s lost hamlets can be recognized and all their stories told. 4.Concurrence Not Applicable 5.Conclusion Claringtonhas a rich history that should be identified, conserved and communicated to current and future generations. The Clarington Heritage Committee has been consulted and staff has researched how other municipalities commemorate and tell the history of their former settlement areas. It is recommended that entrance signage to lost hamlets not be pursued due to: Difficulty in developing selection criteria for which of the 30 hamlets/clusters should be recognized; Regional policy which only permits entrance signs for designated hamlets, potentially preventing some lost hamlets from recognition; Potential confusion from an emergency perspective; and Potential confusion with applicable planning policies. The Clarington Heritage website is a resource that could be utilized as an effective way to compile and communicate information to current and future residents about Clarington’s history and lost hamlets. This would ensure all of Clarington’s lost hamlets canbe recognized and all their stories told. 6.Strategic PlanApplication Not applicable Attachment 1 to Municipality of ClaringtonReport PSD-031-16 List of Lost Hamlets Port Darlington (now Bowmanville) Providence Salem Stephen’s Mill (Stephen’s Gulch) Shaws Base Line Ebenezer Union Sixth Line Crooked Creek McLean’s Oak Enterprise Newpark Brown’s Lockhart’s Lakeshore Antioch Cowanville Clarke Union Baker’s Bradley’sCorners Zion(now Mitchell Corners) Bethesda Long Sault Gaud Corners (now Bowmanville) Prestonvale (now Courtice) Shorts Corners (now Courtice) Darlington Station Morgan’s Corners Buffalo