- What is an Official Plan?
- Why are we doing a new Official Plan?
- What are the top highlights of the draft new Official Plan?
- Does the draft new Official Plan include updates to address the downtown or North Aldershot?
- Where can I access a copy of the draft new Official Plan?
- How can I get involved and provide feedback on the draft new Official Plan?
- What are the next steps in the process?
- What are the sustainable building and development guidelines?
What is an Official Plan?
An Official Plan is a statutory document required by the province that describes a city's land-use strategy over the next 20 years. It addresses the location and form of new housing, industry, offices and shops as well as anticipated needs for infrastructure. Streets, parks, transit, schools, community amenities, and everything else needed for a growing city are all considered in the Official Plan. Read Burlington's current Official Plan.
Why are we doing a new Official Plan?
The Planning Act requires every city to update its Official Plan at least once every five years. Burlington's last Official Plan review began in 2002, and the revised document was approved by Halton Region in 2008.
As the city continues to change and grow, we must regularly revisit the Official Plan to ensure we are realizing the city's collective vision and responding to our community's needs.
The city started work on an Official Plan Review in 2011. The Official Plan Review process included policy research, analysis, studies, staff reports and community feedback on a number of topics.
With the approval of the Strategic Plan in April 2016, Council made the decision to protect Burlington's rural boundary and grow in its urban areas over the next 25 years. The review the city's current Official Plan demonstrated that significant changes to the document were required to help reflect and guide the city's new priorities. As a result, the city is now preparing a new Official Plan.
The work completed to date through the Official Plan Review process will be used to create the policies of the new Official Plan.
What are the top highlights of the draft new Official Plan?
The draft new Official Plan:
- Updates the community vision and guiding principles to align with the 2016 Strategic Plan;
- Reaffirms the commitment to maintain a firm urban boundary;
- Introduces a new Urban Structure and Growth Framework to direct growth to the right parts of the city, and to prioritize growth around our Mobility Hubs. Mobility Hubs include the downtown and the lands within a short walking distance of our three GO Stations;
- Protects established residential neighbourhoods by directing growth to other areas of the city;
- Highlights the importance of employment by supporting the retention of employment lands, supporting innovation and supporting employment intensification;
- Improves integration of land use and transportation planning, and introduces a Frequent Transit Network to service Burlington's growth areas;
- Updates policies and land use designations to better support mixed use development in our intensification areas;
- Puts a strong emphasis on design excellence and great public spaces;
- Includes direction to protect and strengthen our rural area, by supporting the viability of farming through an agriculture system, and the protection and enhancement of the natural environment;
- Introduces a city-wide Natural Heritage System, and improved policies to support environmental sustainability; and
- Emphasizes the important role of public participation, and includes updates to other implementation matters.
Does the draft new Official Plan include updates to address the downtown or North Aldershot?
The draft new Official Plan does not contain updated policies related to the downtown or the North Aldershot area.
DOWNTOWN: The downtown is considered an Urban Centre and is identified as a mobility hub in the draft new Official Plan. The area is currently under review through the Mobility Hub Area-Specific Plan. The review will confirm or change the policies as currently contained in the existing Official Plan. The draft new Official Plan does not contain policies for lands in the downtown that are identified in the current Official Plan as: Downtown Core; Wellington Square; Old Lakeshore Road; Residential Medium and High Density, and some other related policies.
For more information on the Mobility Hub Area-Specific Plan, and on how you can get involved visit the Mobility Hubs page.
NORTH ALDERSHOT: Updates to the policies and mapping for North Aldershot will be considered through the North Aldershot Policy Review related to the Region of Halton's Official Plan Review. More information on the Region of Halton's Official Plan Review Process can be found here.
Where can I access a copy of the draft new Official Plan?
Download the draft new Official Plan [32MB]
Individual chapters of the draft new Official Plan are available for download here.
A hard copy of the draft new Official Plan is available at all City library branches and at City Hall, at the Planning and Building counter.
City Hall is open between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Monday-Friday.
How can I get involved and provide feedback on the draft new Official Plan?
We want to hear your feedback on our draft of the new Official Plan. Please see our Get Involved page to learn about how you can participate.
What are the next steps in the process?
Public consultation on the draft new Official Plan will continue until June 30, 2017. A revised new Official Plan will be presented to City Council for adoption by the end of 2017. After Council adoption, the new Official Plan is subject to approval by the Region of Halton, and is then subject to appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board.
What are the sustainable building and development guidelines?
Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines are part of the new Official Plan Project. These guidelines have been prepared to encourage sustainable design approaches through Planning Act applications, in keeping with the City's declaration as a sustainable community, and in alignment with from Burlington's Strategic Plan 2015-2040. For more background information please see staff report PB-83-16