An old house that has significant heritage value in Delta will be staying put.
Last year, following a public hearing, council approved an application for a Heritage Revitalization Agreement and development permit involving the Olaf Stokkeland Residence in 11000-block of River Road.
Constructed in 1913, the Olaf Stakkeland Residence is listed on both the Delta Rural Heritage Inventory and the Delta Heritage Register.
The rezoning and subdivision application would have seen the 17,644-square-foot lot in North Delta, which contains the heritage house and a shed, split into two.
A new single-family house would have been constructed on one lot and the heritage house would have been relocated from its current location to the new second lot, with a new in-ground basement and a secondary suite added to the structure. The shed would be retained in its current location.
A recent report from the planning department notes that the application has been abandoned as the owners are no longer interested in pursuing the subdivision. The owners advised that they are considering constructing additional units on their property, such coach houses, following the adoption of the new Delta zoning bylaw that are being prepared to address the provincial requirements for small-scale multi-unit housing on lots.
The report notes that staff do not consider abandoning the Heritage Revitalization Agreement to pose a risk to the heritage asset, as it has recently been restored and remains protected by a conservation covenant. Staff will continue to assist the owners in reviewing the redevelopment options available for their property.
Olaf Stakkeland Residence is a one-and-a-half storey, wood-frame house facing River Road that was originally owned by Olaf Pedersen Stokkeland (1883 to 1957).
The Norwegian-born Stakkeland immigrated to British Columbia in 1907, where he took up employment as a shipwright. The following year, he married Serianna Larsen (1883 to 1951) and they lived in the house for the remainder of their lives.
A previous report to council states the house is a significant heritage resource in the historic settlement of Annieville. The house is an excellent example of a wood-frame arts and crafts style residence, built at a time when Scandinavian immigrants settled in certain communities of Delta as a result of the booming agricultural and fishing industries in early 1900s.
Delta at the time was home to a leading salmon fishing community that was second only to Steveston for local canning capacity.
