Church eyes idea to turn rectory into seniors housing units

A local church is exploring a major project, which, if completed, will provide shared housing for seniors in Collingwood.

According to a letter sent to the Collingwood Heritage Committee and presented at the July 10 meeting, All Saints’ Anglican Church membership decided at an annual general meeting to look into an idea for the rectory on the property to serve as seniors housing.

The idea includes building an addition onto the rectory to create a seniors’ residence with private rooms and shared common areas.

Inspired by the Abbeyfield Homes model, currently functioning in Caledon. Each resident would have a private bedroom, sitting room, and bathroom, but no cooking facilities. In the existing rectory, there would be common areas, including a kitchen and dining room where residents would receive meals. Those living in the residence would be required to be independent.

The letter suggested there would be a “caretaker couple” living upstairs in the rectory who would cook meals for the residents in the new building. Residents would be responsible for cleaning their private rooms, but common area cleaning and meals would be provided.

Ron Emo, a member of the All Saints’ Parish, presented the idea to the Heritage Committee to gauge their general feelings about the plan, which, he said, was in early days.

The idea is to remove the garage from the rectory and build an addition to accommodate the resident’s rooms.

The garage is a square, stucco, and non-heritage part of the rectory that was added in the 1950s.

“Obviously, such an addition, which may entail the removal of the existing garage, will have to compliment the architecture of the Rectory and receive the approval of your committee,” stated the letter.

Emo said the plan was in “very early days,” and it is contingent on the church being able to sell surplus cemetery lands (10 acres). The All Saints’ cemetery is located off Ron Emo Road and Raglan Street.

Emo said those lands would also have to be rezoned to allow uses other than as a cemetery.

“It is my feeling, however, that the general concept of the Rectory project should be presented to your committee to ensure that it will have your support,” said Emo in his letter.

The Heritage Committee supported the idea in principle.

Emo’s letter calls All Saints’ Anglican church the “jewel” of Collingwood’s Heritage District

Currently, the rectory is rented out, but Emo’s letter suggested it has been vacant for two years, and is just receiving a tenant.