Residents of Rockcliffe Park have lost a fight to halt the redevelopment of a property in the upscale Ottawa neighbourhood.
A Divisional Court appeal panel has rejected the Rockcliffe Park Residents Association’s bid to prevent the construction of a large home at 480 Cloverdale Rd.
According to the RPRA, the home is oversized and too contemporary for the heritage district.
The property has been the subject of controversy since owner and homebuilder Jianbin Wang first applied for a building permit on the empty lot in October 2021.
In July 2023, Wang’s permit was approved by the City of Ottawa’s built heritage committee. But the RPRA sought a judicial review, according to RPRA documents.
The address is considered a Grade 2 property within the Rockcliffe Park Heritage Conservation District.
“Properties in Rockcliffe Park have been scored on a scale from one to 100 to reflect the extent of their contribution to its heritage character. Those scoring 50 or more are called Grade 1 properties. Those scoring less than 50 are Grade 2 properties,” according to the Rockcliffe Park website.
With seven of Cloverdale Road’s properties listed Grade 1, Wang’s Grade 2 property stands out along the historic street.
According to Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King’s website, Wang’s proposal featured a single detached home built into a slope to appear as a two-storey home at street level, and a three-storey home at the back of the property. The proposal also featured extensive landscaping of more than 50 trees.
The large double lot is more than half an acre in size, located on the east side of Cloverdale Road between Hillsdale and Lakehurst roads, backing onto the Rockcliffe Lawn and Tennis Club.
Because of the legal tussle, the property is sitting with a large chain-link fence blocking access.
Andrew Reeves, the architect behind the house’s proposed contemporary design, disagreed with the RPRA’s assessment of the property.
“Rockcliffe — you have the most interesting modern architecture in Canada (my opinion) – a community that shows how design is of its time,” Reeves wrote on X, with a picture of the famous Hart Massey House included in the post.
In May 2023, the federal government declared Rockcliffe Park a national historic site, making it the 33rd district in Canada with such a designation.
Originating from the 1800s, the tony neighbourhood is known for its narrow roads, deep lots and houses surrounded by extensive greenery.
