Whistler municipal staff have recommended demolishing the historic Gebhart/Hillman cabin, located at 5298 Alta Lake Road, citing extensive costs, limited functionality, and challenges with its preservation. Whistler council will discuss recommendations from the staff at a Committee of the Whole meeting today.
The Gebhart/Hillman cabin, built in the mid-1940s by Alf Gebhart, is one of the few remaining structures that trace Whistler’s transition from a summer retreat to a winter ski destination. The Gebhart/Hillman cabin is unique in its connections to the logging industry, skiing, second-home ownership, employee housing challenges and Whistler’s counterculture of the 1960s and ‘70s. While it was listed in a draft inventory of significant heritage sites in Whistler, its deteriorating condition and high restoration costs have led staff to reconsider its viability.
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Under current zoning, the cabin must be relocated to a new park on the same property before January 2025 to allow for employee and market residential housing development. The plan requires the cabin to be weatherproofed and structurally sound so that the main floor can be safely used. However, this could significantly exceed the $250,000 budget allocated for restoration.
“Due to the demonstrated need for major reinvestment in older buildings, the better accessibility, functionality, location, and desirability of other buildings, staff recommend that the Gebhart/Hillman cabin not be retained,” the report states. The report to council highlights critical limitations, including the cabin’s lack of parking, public access via the Valley Trail, and its inability to withstand winter snow loads, which would restrict its use to summer months only.
Municipal staff have presented three options for the cabin’s future. The first, and the one they recommend, is to demolish the cabin and replace it with a new structure that honors its historical significance. This could involve creating a picnic shelter that incorporates design elements from the original building. Additionally, a financial contribution would be made to a municipal heritage preservation fund.
Other options include demolishing the cabin and reallocating funds either to heritage preservation or employee housing initiatives or moving and restoring the cabin in line with its original plan. However, moving the cabin would still leave it with significant limitations, such as a bare interior with no insulation, water, or heat, making it impractical for year-round use.
While the cabin holds historical value, staff emphasized the financial and logistical challenges of preserving it in a functional state. The final decision will require Council feedback before the deadline for relocation early next year. “The future indoor public use of the building is significantly limited by its interior condition and access challenges,” the report notes, casting doubt on the cabin’s long-term sustainability without considerable investment.
The Council will now weigh the options and provide input to staff on whether the cabin should be preserved, repurposed, or replaced with a new structure.
Ace says
Heritage Building. ❤️