The Official Plan is a comprehensive document designed to guide and direct future growth of the city in a logical and orderly manner to ensure healthy growth, which will benefit all residents. Since the Official Plan sets the tone and direction for the entire city, it must be detailed enough to guide day-to-day decision making on land use, transportation and development matters yet general enough to allow for some flexibility. The Official Plan is, in effect, a blueprint of how a city wants to guide and direct future land use development.
The Official Plan is intended to be of assistance to both community interests and public administrators. Through the Official Plan, private interests are informed of future development policies and as a result are encouraged to plan accordingly. Public administrators benefit by an enhanced ability to program future services that result in the most cost-effective delivery of those services.
If a proponent wishes to develop land differently than the Official Plan prescribes, they may make an application for an Official Plan Amendment. Official Plan Amendments can be citywide, area-wide or site-specific.
If you believe an Official Plan Amendment is needed in order to carry out your proposed development, you are required to meet and discuss your proposal with staff through a pre-consultation. A meeting with staff will help to determine if an amendment is in fact needed, if the proposed development is appropriate for the site, or if there is another way in which the development could be accomplished. The pre-consultation process is designed to help promote the exchange of information and development considerations, including the policy direction within the Plan for the particular type of development, early in the planning process and a customized list of the studies and plans required in support of a development application is provided.
Given the importance of an Official Plan Amendment and the impact a change in the Official Plan may have on a community, there is a public consultation process which includes providing notice to all property owners within 120 metres of the subject site. City Council or the Ontario Land Tribunal must approve any amendment to the Official Plan.
The Planning Act has a provision whereby City Council must make a decision on any Official Plan Amendment application within 120 days of receiving a complete application. If City Council does not make a decision within this timeframe, the applicant can appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal on the basis that a decision has not been made within this time period.
For additional details on the steps associated with the processing and review of development applications, please refer to the City’s development application process information.