Anmore resident Fred Soofi is behind a proposal to save three heritage homes in Port Moody.
Soofi has applied for a Heritage Revitalization Agreement (HRA) for 123 Douglas St. in Moody Centre. The proposal would subdivide a single-family lot into three separate properties, on to which the homes would be moved.
The corner lot has three frontages on St. Andrews, Douglas and St. George streets, placing it within the Moody Centre Heritage Character Area but just outside the Conservation Area. The homes, all of which are in different locations, are on the city's Heritage Register.
The Moisio residence was built in 1912 by Esa Moisio, a millwright at the Thurston-Flavelle mill and one of the city's aldermen from 1915 to 1917. Architecturally, the home is described as a "well-maintained example" of the Arts and Crafts bungalow style, with modest detailing typical of that built for the working class before the First World War.
Built in 1922, the Siddall residence shows the "late persistence of the influence of the Craftsman style," according to a staff report. Its first owner was James Pridham Siddall, a sawmill engineer originally from Nova Scotia.
The "youngest" home was built in 1944 by Ross Sutherland, a millworker who reaped the benefits of cheap construction materials; it's significant as a connection to PoMo's wartime development.
Should the properties be moved to Douglas Street from their current locations on Clarke, St. Johns and St. George streets, Soofi will be responsible for restoring the exterior of the buildings to their original character.
PoMo staff recommended approving the HRA because of the unique opportunity to preserve three heritage buildings in a single development and the Douglas location would provide a suitable transition from nearby properties where six storeys are permitted in the official community plan.
The application is also consistent with PoMo's affordable housing strategy, which aims to create smaller and more affordable options, including reduced lot sizes and coach houses.
Council approved first two readings of the HRA bylaw and a public hearing on Nov. 8 (Coun. Diana Dilworth was absent and Coun. Zoe Royer recused herself due to a potential conflict of interest given her husband's firm is involved in the project).
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