Cathedraltown Options for Protection

Cathedraltown is significant as an example of a new type of planned community. Stephen B. Roman began the project on lands formerly occupied by a large 19th century farmstead and, latterly, by his prize Holstein farm. He began construction of the Cathedral first, but instead of continuing the low-density suburban housing development that was becoming typical of development in this part of Markham, Roman wanted a more suitable setting for this major place of worship. He aske a renowned British architect to provide a design that referenced Georgian/Regency principles of architecture and planning, with strong axial views of the Cathedral along major streets and curving crescents in flanking residential areas. The intent was to develop a complete mixed-use community, with a wide range of housing types supported by shopping, office space and parks. The design incorporated an existing watercourse as well as an apple orchard from the early farmstead. Development is ongoing, with each phase constructed within special policies and design guidelines. However, developers of the early phases have had mixed success in implementing the architect’s intentions and existing municipal policy tools have not been well-adapted to suit such a unique setting. Carl Bray was retained to provide a more robust framework to guide future development. His work reviewed the community’s original design intent, its history and evolution, and the policies and guidelines that have governed development to date. Based on an understanding of the special character of Cathedraltown, he provided options for using a variety of current Provincial and municipal policy tools that are available to improve land use and heritage conservation in the existing and proposed parts of the community. The final report provided Romandale with choices for protecting and enhancing the special character of Cathedraltown from which an overall conservation and development strategy can be created.