Future of 120-year-old heritage home in London could be decided next week at city hall

A London woman’s year-long battle to save her 120-year-old home could be coming to an end.

Since last January, 75-year-old Nan Finlayson has been fighting to save her heritage home at 100 Stanley St.

The problem for Finlayson is her home is standing in the way of the city’s $39 million plan to widen Wharncliffe Road and replace a bridge at Wharncliffe Road and Horton Street.

“She has an attachment to that house, and she’s done magnificent things with it. Her gardens there are truly spectacular and she’s been an excellent steward for the property,” said Ben Vazquez, a member of London’s advisory committee on heritage (LACH) in an interview with 980 CFPL during a civic works committee meeting last November.

At that meeting, the committee heard how Finlayson has looked after her home, paying for a new roof, a new furnace, insulation and a chimney all while keeping the original windows, floors and key characteristics of the home.

The city wants to expand Wharncliffe Road at the Horton Street underpass from two lanes to four lanes, including two turn lanes. The city says it needs the land to build new abutments for the railroad bridge that covers the intersection.

LACH is at odds with city staff over the plan and has questioned the need to widen the road at all.

“It’s a difficult situation,” said Vazquez. “The consultants have their work cut out for them. The house is really inconveniently located if you want to do this road widening.”

“The question isn’t how do we widen this road without re-locating the house? The question is, why are we widening this road to begin with?” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The question isn't how do we widen this road without re-locating the house? The question is, why are we widening this road to begin with?" he said.

There are three options for Finlayson’s home: Leave it as it is, demolish it or move it.

Leaving the house as is would require removing Finlayson’s prized garden, sharing a driveway with the home at 98 Stanley St., and temporarily moving out of the house for 18-24 months while construction is underway.

London’s civic works committee will be asked next Tuesday to endorse an environmental assessment that says it’s impossible to do the work that’s necessary if the home stays put. If the committee votes to back the assessment, Finlayson’s only options will be to move the home or demolish it.

City staff are recommending the home be moved to an empty plot of city-owned land 60 metres away on the west side of Wharncliffe Road South, south of Evergreen Avenue, then turn the land into St. James Park, which is what the property used to be before the home was built in 1901.

The road widening is part of London’s 2030 Transportation Master Plan.

Tuesday’s committee meeting will start at 4 p.m.