After a lengthy discussion and a close vote, a city committee won't be removing a heritage designation from the Roseland Golf Course.
The Development and Heritage Standing Committee met on Monday afternoon and were presented with a report to remove the heritage designation from the clubhouse and parking lot to allow for the clubhouse to be demolished, which would then allow for potential development on that portion of land.
Following a Heritage Impact Assessment of the entirety of the lands by consulting firm a+LiNK Architecture Inc., it was recommended that the clubhouse be demolished as the building and the parking lot have no impact on the existing cultural heritage.
However, during the meeting it was stated that removing the designation was not necessary to demo the building as all that would be needed was a Heritage Alteration Permit to be completed.
Multiple delegates attended the meeting, all expressing the same concerns that the designation was put into place to protect the entire Roseland Golf Course property, not just the course.
Chris Kruba, an area resident for five years, says it was always intended for the entire parcel of land to be protected.
"With that, it carries certain protections and obligations for the land owner - the City of Windsor - and so as a resident, I want to make sure that those protections remain, and not that we start carving out sections and no longer obliging people to make sure they comply with any heritage act requirements."
James Demers, an area resident for 35 years now, says he's pleased, but work still needs to be done.
"I think it's important that Roseland stays as a heritage, and a new building is built because it forms part of the fabric of the community of ward 1. So I think it's important it stays as a heritage site because it is unique in the area of south Windsor."
Catherine Archer, an area resident, says she's extremely happy with the decision made.
"It was a win because it gives us another day to do something. This isn't just a piece of property, this is a fabric of a community. It's been that way for years."
Fred Francis, ward 1 councillor and committee member, says removing the heritage designation is not necessary to get a new clubhouse.
"You can still tear down the clubhouse with a Heritage Application Permit, but you don't have to decommission heritage land to do it. I respect the fact that we need a new clubhouse, the board at Roseland knows we need a new clubhouse, the money is there, we can do it quickly, and we should be able to move forward on that without having to give up acres of heritage land."
Francis says there was a lot of inconsistency with information during the meeting.
"I want to credit administration, I think they've been put in a tough spot, and they're doing the best they can. So, I don't blame them, they're just doing their jobs along with the architects and the heritage consultants. But this is what happens when you have bad process, and eventually you can't run away from bad process, you can't hide bad process. Eventually the truth will come out to light, people will see it."
Francis says he's hoping for a similar outcome at council.
"So I'm hoping when it comes to council, the rest of city council sees this streaming meeting, they read all the delegates and all the delegates come out to council, and they see what the committee members saw and they agree with us. And we finally put this to bed, and we protect Roseland, we protect that neighbourhood."
30 written submissions were made by area residents opposing the removal of the designation.
The motion was put forward by Francis to not approve the recommendation to amend the designation, which was also supported by councillor Mark McKenzie, and councillor Angelo Marignani. Councillor Kieran McKenzie and councillor Jim Morrison were opposed.
The report will still go forward to city council for a final decision.
The course was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act on August 25, 2003.
The Roseland Golf Course was designed in 1926 and built in 1927, and the clubhouse was built in 1978.
