| How will the Official Plan relate to other city initiatives and plans? |
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There are many existing city plans and initiatives underway. The Official Plan process will seek to align with these, as well as future plans and initiatives. |
| How does the Official Plan manage change? |
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The Official Plan is not a static or inflexible document. Sometimes the plan itself changes, to reflect environmental, social and economic trends, to respond to special circumstances, and to remove strategies that are no longer applicable. The Official Plan anticipates change and has mechanisms to manage change. For example, it contains criteria for evaluating intensification and infill proposals, and for evaluating land use conversion proposals. While the Official Plan is intended to provide clear direction, it is intentionally flexible because it is a long-term plan. It's the zoning bylaw, rather than the Official Plan, that works as a prescriptive tool, providing site-specific regulations, such as permitted uses, setbacks and heights. |
| How does the Official Plan change? |
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The Official Plan can change by amending maps and/or policies. These amendments follow a process prescribed by the Planning Act, and can be initiated by an applicant or the municipality. The process is set up to provide public notice, to allow people to provide input to Council on the proposed amendment, and to provide an opportunity to challenge a Council decision at the Ontario Municipal Board. The process includes a comprehensive review of studies, including the rationale for the proposed change and supporting technical studies. Subject to the review, staff may recommend to Council to approve, refuse or modify the proposal. Council makes the decision on the application and the proposed Official Plan amendment. In some cases, the decision is referred to the Ontario Municipal Board. |
| How does the zoning by-law relate to the Official Plan? |
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The zoning by-law is a key document that implements the Official Plan. In other words, it uses the policies set out in the Official Plan through by-law enforcement. The zoning by-law details site specific requirements, such as land use, density, heights and other parameters. The zoning by-law will be updated to align with the Official Plan. |