Some residents furious about possible demolition of century home in Mississauga

Some residents are fighting the possible demolition of what they believe should be a designated heritage property in Mississauga.

A recent change.org petition is urging residents to speak out against the proposed redevelopment of the Tannery House lands, as petitioners believe the Tannery House is of historic value to the Village of Streetsville.

The city of Mississauga is currently reviewing an application put forth by NYX Capital Corp to permit the development of 155 back-to-back stacked condominium townhomes on public and private roads.

The development will extend Emby Drive and will require an amendment to the limits of the Greenlands.

Part of the property has already been removed, as a demolition permit was issued for one building at the rear of the property at 51 Tannery Street in August 2019.

The petition, which was put forward by a group (or individual) that goes by the name Affordable Housing Activist, argues the house has historical significance and is also home to tenants who would lose their housing. 

The city has not identified the house as eligible for heritage designation. 

“Tannery House [is] under the imminent threat of demolition by the developer NYX Corporation who bought 51, 57 and 208 Emby Drive in downtown Streetsville with the intention of building 155 Stacked Townhomes,” the petition reads. 

“Six rental units were at 51 Tannery and one rental unit was at 57 Tannery. Tannery House sits on the land at 51 Tannery St.”

The petition alleges that the proposed development “was kept hidden from residents” who moved into the Tannery house several years ago. 

According to the petition, residents have told the city they’re concerned about losing units due to the lack of affordable housing in Mississauga, adding that several new developments proposed for Streetsville are more likely to attract higher-earning residents. 

The city says it has not yet made a decision on the application at this time. 

“At this time the city is reviewing the application as an official plan amendment and rezoning application, meaning no decisions have been made,” Catherine Monast, senior advisor, media and public information, told insauga.com in an email. 

The petition says the possible demolition of the existing property will drive some residents out of Streetsville entirely, especially since rental stock is limited (the city currently boasts a low rental vacancy rate of 0.8 per cent).

“[The] hardest hit are singles, single parents, those on fixed incomes, full-time workers whose income isn’t enough to pay for a 1 bedroom etc. and are forced to pay a lot more than 30 per cent of their income on housing,” the petition reads. 

The petition is asking the city to consider its new rental housing protection bylaw in relation to the Tannery lands application–a 2018 bylaw aimed at ensuring rental stock is protected and/or replaced in the event that it is demolished to make way for new development.

“The development should be stopped on 51 Tannery and modified to preserve the main house and the adjacent duplex that compliments the house and conserve trees on the land for residents use. It should be allowed as a heritage conservation area. This represents only a small portion of the development,” the petition reads. 

“The remaining land on 208 Emby Dr. and 57 Tannery St. could still be developed. The city should plan in a non-discriminatory manner for all renters threatened with loss of affordable housing.” 

The petition also argues that the new development, should it be approved, will create additional traffic and hurt the character of the village. 

A decision regarding the development application is pending.