Oak Bay council has placed a temporary protection order on a farmhouse built in the 1880s.
The owner of the home at 2072 Hampshire Rd. wants to move the house to Metchosin and redevelop the 32,000-square-foot property into four lots. The land is listed for sale at $3.2 million.
Council, however, wants a closer look at the home, which is on the Oak Bay Community Heritage Register, but not officially protected. It could designate the home a heritage property instead of issuing a permit for removal.
The register notes the site is a rare example of a rural farmhouse built in the early 1880s, and that the half-acre site was once part of the 406 acres of farmland purchased in 1851 by John Tod, a chief factor with the Hudson’s Bay Company.
After the marriage of his daughter, Mary, to John Sylvester Bowker in 1864, Tod gave the couple the land, which contained a hut used by migrant fruit pickers. The building has since had several additions and improvements.
It is considered the second-oldest surviving home in Oak Bay, after Tod House.
The home is valued at $79,200 and the land at $2.948 million, according to B.C. Assessment’s latest data from July 1, 2020.
Moving the house would also include the removal of several trees on the property.
The 60-day protection period gives council time to determine the house’s future. The application is being referred to the Heritage Commission for review and recommendation.
According to a staff report to council, a heritage designation bylaw can be agreed upon between council and the owner, could be part of a negotiated agreement to provide heritage protection for the municipality and to provide development incentives for an owner, or could be imposed by local government without consent of the owner.
The report said if an owner does not consent, Oak Bay would have to compensate the owner if it is determined there is an impact on the market value of the property as a result of the heritage designation.
Oak Bay council is expected to receive the report from the Heritage Commission on April 13 and make a decision regarding heritage status on April 26.
