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A unanimous decision at Etobicoke-York Community Council this week paves the way for the demolition of what remains of Ashfield, Alderwood's best-known manor house circa 1850.

Councillors voted in favour of staff recommendations to withdraw a notice of intention to designate the home at 185 Beta St. under the Ontario Heritage Act�­- a recommendation also endorsed by the Toronto Preservation Board and the Conservation Review Board.

City Council first stated its intention to designate the home- which was built by Toronto merchant Archibald Cameron in 1850, then purchased by real estate broker and Etobicoke Township Councillor Daniel Fisher Horner in 1874- in July 2006 after the property owners were granted a demolition permit.

But the Ferkul family, who have owned the house for the last 50 years or so, appealed the designation on the grounds that the majority of the historical features of the home were demolished years ago.

In 1964, while undertaking renovations, 80 per cent of the home's foundation walls were deemed unsafe, Robert Ferkul told Community Council on Tuesday. The original house was then demolished and replaced by an infill structure.

"Only two small wings, about 15 per cent of the so-called historical elements, remain," he said, noting that his mother has gone through "tremendous hardship" since the intention to designate was filed. "She's a widow, and was depending on the money from the sale of the property to live on."

The Conservation Review Board convened a hearing on Feb. 26 of this year and recommended that City Council not proceed with the protection of the property. They determined that based on the evidence heard "the proposed statement of cultural heritage value or interest and the description of the heritage attributes (reasons for designation) lacks credibility."

Etobicoke-York Community Council upheld those recommendations this week.

Paul O'Conner, president of the Alderwood Historical Society, said that decision was based mostly on the fact that the centre block is now gone, but also because the remaining wings are now "falling apart."

"It's a case of destruction by neglect," he said, noting that the loss is a great one. "It was a very beautiful house - one of the last of its time still standing in the area."

Although Ferkul didn't suggest future plans for the site, O'Conner said the family had previously planned to tear down the house to make room for new plots on the prime piece of land.