Council approved designating a 1937 Braeside residence as a municipal historic resource (MHR) to ensure its preservation at its June 20 meeting.
The former owners of the house submitted the application to change the designation of the house, which is located at 8 Burnham Ave. and is known as the Lorne and Marguerite Akins Residence. The house is now the first privately-owned MHR property in St. Albert, with publicly-owned protected structures including but not limited to the Cunningham House and Hogan Farm House.
Ann Ramsden, executive director of Arts and Heritage St. Albert, said that lived-in quality makes the Akins Residence unique as an MHR.
“This is a house that’s actually lived in,” Ramsden said. “It’s been continually lived in from the time it was built, so it’s a family home, and it’s really nice to see it still being used as a residence.”
According to the property’s statement of significance, the Akins Residence was “a hub of family and community activity.”
“The building mass itself carries a cornucopia of details that express artistic and technical craftsmanship,” the statement says. “While numerous alterations have taken place over the years to the Akins Residence, none appear to have destroyed its heritage value.”
Constructed in 1937, the Akins Residence is an arts and crafts bungalow-style house with a large roof, detailed windows, and a battered wall chimney. The statement of significance describes the residence as a “landmark” reflecting “the aspirations of an agricultural family in the 1930s living in St. Albert.”
Lorne Akins — a farmer and early settler to the St. Albert area — was a prominent local baseball player, and a member of the St. Albert school board, the statement says.
Tamsin Brooks, community cultural co-ordinator, told the council committee April 11 that the house sits on River Lot 48 facing the Sturgeon River, instead of subsequent subdivision streets.
“This river lot configuration was typical of Francophone and Métis settlements in Canada at the time,” Brooks told the committee.
The city allocated up to $6,000 from the heritage reserve fund for the administrative process of designating the Akins residence. The fund currently sits at $183,849.
The owner of a home designated MHR is eligible for conservation grants through the City of St. Albert. These include a major conservation grant of up to $25,000 (which can only be accessed once), and a minor conservation grant of up to $7,500, which they can access on an annual basis.
While the owner is obligated to preserve the house’s exterior, city administration told council June 20 the owner is free to renovate the interior.
Mayor discloses that partner was house listing agent
During the council meeting, Mayor Cathy Heron disclosed that her partner John Carle is the listing agent of the house, which was listed for sale earlier in June.
Heron said she had spoken with city administration and determined she does not have to recuse herself from the vote.
“Thankfully, the house is pending before we made the decision,” Heron said, adding that the new owner is aware of council’s intention to change the designation.
Earlier, in an April 11 council committee meeting, city planner Tracy Tsui said St. Albert discussed whether there would be a price impact with the City of Edmonton, which has its own program to preserve historic houses.
“They don't have solid evidence as to how it may increase or decrease the value of a property,” Tsui said.
David Leflar, city chief legislative officer, said the Municipal Government Act (MGA) does not contemplate what the effect of an increase in value would be, but requires the city to compensate the owner if their property value decreases because of the historical designation.
In an email, city spokesperson Cory Sinclair said the city cannot disclose “anything about any conversation legal counsel may have had with the mayor on this topic.”
Coun. Sheena Hughes said in an interview that she respects Heron’s decision not to recuse herself from the vote.
“She said she went to lengths to determine whether or not she should be there, so it wasn’t just simply dismissed,” Hughes said. “It wouldn’t have been an issue for her to recuse herself if the legal advice was that she had a conflict.”
