There are two proposals that have been floated before residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake recently and both will require town council approval for rezoning to allow the projects to proceed.

The first is for a 29-unit apartment building proposed to be located in that curious arm — a strip comprised of a row of single residential lots on either side of Four Mile Creek Road — of the Virgil urban area zone district, which extends down to East & West Line.

The second proposal is for the construction of an 18-suite hotel, which can be more correctly described as an expansion of the existing 124 on Queen Hotel and Spa, on lands owned by that business located at 222 Gate St. in Old Town.

Now, this column will not visit the question of whether Old Town needs another 18 hotel rooms, nor will we consider the issues associated with shoehorning an apartment building onto a lot barely large enough to contain it on the periphery of Virgil.

Rather, let’s take a few minutes to examine the architectural design of 222 Gate St. and 1839 Four Mile Creek Rd., respectively, as a study in contrasts.

The streetscape of Gate between Queen and Johnson is entirely composed of traditional building forms, the majority of which are residential dwellings ranging in height from a single one-storey cottage to three two-storey homes. On the other side of Queen this streetscape character continues as it does (with a couple of exceptions) on Johnson.

In fact, the proponent’s application includes a full streetscape study and has utilized same in the understanding of the proposed building’s design.

Architecturally, this design is of the New Traditional school and draws on the Georgian, neoclassical and Second Empire styles — evident in many Old Town historic buildings — in its form, height, massing, elements and presentation.

Even the choice of the stucco cladding is a nod to the materials commonly used in the surrounding neighbourhoods and its colour, white, ensures and maintains a continuity with the uniformly light coloured buildings on Gate.

In short, this building, if constructed as proposed, will blend with, complement and positively contribute to the existing streetscape.

The streetscape of Four Mile Creek Road between Pleasant Lane and East & West Line is a completely different proposition.

Here, the streetscape is dominated by one-storey dwellings with the occasional punctuation by a two-storey or one-and-a-half-storey home.

Set on generous lots with distinct separation, brick-clad ranch bungalows (typical of the latter half of the 20th century) make up the stylistic majority, while the remainder are largely late 20th and early 21st-century expressions of common builder forms, all set under gable or hip roofs.

Into this existing streetscape, the proponent has applied to build a three-and-a-half-storey (above grade), 11.28 metre (37 feet) tall, flat-roofed apartment with exterior finishes comprised of white brick, white vertical siding and what appears to be stucco coloured dark grey set off by both black metal and natural wood appointments. 

Stylistically, the design could best be classified as a commercial expression of 21st-century modern; a distinct visual disruption to the existing streetscape, something that will be accentuated by the proposed building’s height and massing.

While the application attempts to draw a precedent from the Radiant Care Pleasant Manor building, I would offer that the four-storey flat-roofed building cited is located on Pleasant Lane and, as such, is not a part of the Four Mile Creek streetscape.

Further, the part of Pleasant Manor that is within the Four Mile Creek streetscape (albeit not within the Pleasant Lane to East West line portion) is not only set much further back that the proposed apartment building — partly ameliorating the building’s height and massing — but also constructed of materials (brick & stucco) with a direct relationship to other dwellings on the street and is set under a hip roof. 

Despite the proponent’s consultants’ assertions to the contrary, with the exception of the front setback at 13.61 metres, the proposed design pays no respect to the existing streetscape nor does it draw any inspiration from the neighbourhood.

Indeed, it will disrupt, dominate and negatively impact a relatively bucolic part of Four Mile Creek Road in Virgil.

Good design and fine architecture is nearly always contextually appropriate with, and sympathetic to, its setting within a neighbourhood or streetscape.

I have said it before and will say it again … Good design costs no more than bad design, but bad design will scar a street, neighbourhood and community for decades.

And besides, good design is a lot less contentious!                

Brian Marshall is a NOTL realtor, author and expert consultant on architectural design, restoration and heritage.