New Official Plan Project

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Get Involved Burlington

Taking a Closer Look at the Downtown

A vote to endorse any changes to the policies that will guide development in the downtown until 2031 will be made by City Council by March 2020. Voices from across the city are needed to provide input on what these changes should be.

Lend Your Voice
To include as many people as possible in this important conversation about the future of the downtown, the City will host a series of public engagement opportunities designed to give the community the chance to provide meaningful input, both online and in person.

For information about how to participate and news related to the re-examination of the adopted Official Plan, please visit www.GetInvolvedBurlington.ca

Engagement Plan
View a copy of the engagement plan that will be used to guide the community conversation about the re-examination of the downtown policies in the adopted Official Plan.

Engagement Plan for re-examination of the downtown policies [PDF]
(Request this PDF in an alternative format]

What is the status of the new Official Plan project?

On Feb. 7, 2019, Burlington City Council voted to re-examine the policies in Burlington's Official Plan, adopted in April 2018.

View a copy of the adopted Official Plan

The motion, approved by Council, directs Burlington’s Director of City Building to immediately commence a process to re-examine the policies of the Official Plan adopted April 26, 2018 in their entirety related to matters of height and intensity and conformity with provincial density targets.

Read the media release

View the approved motion

On Monday, March 18, 2019, City staff and members of Burlington City Council discussed the scope of the work for further study at a Committee of the Whole workshop.

Through the discussion, it was identified that while Council supports many of the policies in the adopted Official Plan, an area that requires targeted reconsideration is the Downtown Precinct Plan.

View the webcast...

With this area identified, City staff presented report PB-47-19, Work Plan for the Scoped Re-examination of the Adopted Official Plan, to Burlington City Council at the May 21 meeting of the Planning and Development Committee. The report identifies details of the work and timing that needs to take place to bring modified policies back to Burlington City Council for approval by March 2020. Report PB-47-19 was approved by Burlington City Council at its meeting on May 27, 2019.

View the webcast

On Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at 10 a.m. a Committee of the Whole workshop was held to assist in the creation of a community engagement plan for the re-examination of the adopted Official Plan. This educational workshop for Council was open to the public, however no delegations were heard.

View the webcast

Background

What is an Official Plan?

An Official Plan is a statutory document required by the province that describes a city's land-use strategy to 2031, and beyond. 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 other elements of a growing city are all considered in the Official Plan.

View Burlington's Current Official Plan (2008)

Why is Burlington doing a new Official Plan?

The Planning Act requires every city to update its Official Plan at least once every five years, or every 10 years after the approval of a new Official Plan. 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.

On April 11, 2016, Burlington City Council unanimously approved Burlington's Strategic Plan 2015-2040, which captures the priorities of the city's residents and community leaders for the next 25 years.

Among these priorities is that Burlington is A City that Grows - a city that attracts talent, good jobs and economic opportunity while having achieved intensification and a balanced, targeted population growth for youth, families, newcomers and seniors.

To implement this vision, the City of Burlington must develop a new Official Plan to guide growth in Burlington. The new Official Plan will help the city plan for the type of growth it wants in the locations it wants to ensure Burlington continues to be a thriving city in the 21st century.

History of Burlington's new Official Plan project

Dec. 4, 2018 - Halton Region Notice of Non-Conformity

Dec. 4, 2018

On Dec. 4, 2018, the City of Burlington received notice from Halton Region regarding the city’s Official Plan. The notice advised that the city’s adopted Official Plan does not conform with the Regional Official Plan in a number of respects related to policies and mapping, and among others, in the areas of:

proposed employment land conversions and permitted uses within the employment areas and lands;
the identification of and permitted uses within agricultural lands;
the identification of and permitted uses within the Natural Heritage System; and
transportation matters, including road classifications.

Ongoing work will continue between the city and Region which will result in a draft notice of decision containing modifications to the city’s Official Plan. These modifications will be shared with the city and brought forward to City Council for consideration.

View cover letter from Halton Region

View notice from Halton Region

Read the media release: Update on the Region of Halton's review of the city's Official Plan, Dec. 7, 2018

April 26, 2018 - Official Plan Adopted by Burlington City Council

On Thursday, April 26, 2018, Burlington City Council adopted Burlington Official Plan. A report recommending adoption of the plan was presented at a meeting of the Planning and Development Committee on April 24, 25 and 26, followed by a special meeting of City Council on April 26.

The new Official Plan is now subject to review and approval by Halton Region. Until the plan is approved at the regional level of government, the City of Burlington’s current Official Plan remains in effect.

Development applications that are submitted before Regional approval will continue to be processed under the current in force and effect Official Plan (1994, as amended), but during the review of the application, the new Official Plan will inform land-use decisions, and staff will encourage applicants to consider the objectives and policies of the adopted new Official Plan.

Once the plan is approved by Halton Region it may be appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

Revisions to policies in the new Official Plan, as directed by Council at the Planning and Development Committee meeting on April 24, 25 and 26, were incorporated into the Official Plan that was sent to Halton Region for approval.

View a copy of the adopted Official Plan

A copy of Burlington's Official Plan, adopted on April 26, 2018, can be downloaded here. (Please note: this version contains the most recent revisions requested by Burlington City Council at the adoption meeting on April 26, 2018)

Individual chapters of the proposed new Official Plan (April 2018) are available for download here.

A summary of the motions passed by Council related to the Official Plan recommended for adoption can be downloaded here:

Table 1: OP-Related Councillor-Initiated Council Motions
Table 2: OP-Related Staff-initiated Council Motions
Table 3: Non-OP Related Council Motions

Please visit the Staff Reports and Studies pages for more background on the new Official Plan.

March 28, 2018 - Official Plan (April 2018) released

A fourth version of the proposed new Official Plan, Burlington's Official Plan (April 2018) was released on March 28, 2018, for adoption.

View a copy here.

Individual chapters of the proposed new Official Plan (April 2018), can be downloaded here.

A document that compares the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018) and Burlington's Official Plan (April 2018) in tracked changes can be downloaded here:

Tracked Changes [10 MB]

Please visit the Staff Reports and Studies pages for more background on the new Official Plan.

Feb 9, 2018 - new mapping released by Province

On July 1, 2017, the Province of Ontario approved a revised Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), which outlines policies for planning and managing growth in the GGH to the year 2041, and includes the City of Burlington.

The revised Growth Plan policies recognize the importance of both a Natural Heritage System and an Agricultural System to the GGH. The protection of these resources is vitally important to the Growth Plan's long-term vision for the GGH.

Natural Heritage System
The revised Growth Plan states the Province will map a Natural Heritage System for the GGH to support a comprehensive, integrated, and long-term approach to planning for the protection of the GGH's natural heritage and biodiversity. Municipalities are required to incorporate the Natural Heritage System as an overlay in their Official Plans. They are also required to apply appropriate policies to maintain, restore, or enhance the diversity and connectivity of the system and the long-term ecological or hydrologic functions of these features and areas.

Agricultural System
The revised Growth Plan also states the Province will identify an Agricultural System for the GGH. Prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas, are to be designated in official plans in accordance with mapping identified by the Province and these areas must be protected for long-term use for agriculture in municipal Official Plans.

Feb. 9, 2018
On February 9, 2018, the Province announced the release of the final mapping for both the Natural Heritage System and the Agricultural System for the GGH to support the Growth Plan. It is now in full force and effect, as of the date of its release. It therefore applies in the consideration of all planning matters, including development applications, within municipalities in the GGH, including the City of Burlington.

The City of Burlington has incorporated the Provincial Natural Heritage System and Agricultural System mapping as released by the Province into the mapping of the new Official Plan as adopted by Council, in order to conform to the Provincial Growth Plan. The mapping does not impact the Urban Area of Burlington.

Refinements to the provincial mapping
In implementing the Natural Heritage System and Agricultural System, the Province permits municipalities to refine provincial mapping with greater precision in a manner that is consistent with the Growth Plan. However, this is only permitted as part of a "municipal comprehensive review," which is a new official plan or an official plan amendment initiated by the upper-tier or single-tier municipality, in this case Halton Region, that comprehensively applies the policies and Schedules of the Growth Plan.

The refinement of the Natural Heritage System and Agricultural System mapping will be undertaken on a Regional basis as part of Halton Region's next Regional Official Plan Review. The city cannot make refinements to the mapping in the Burlington Official Plan until the Region completes its municipal comprehensive review through its Official Plan Review process.

View more information about the Provincial Growth Plan and Natural Heritage and Agricultural

Feb. 7, 2018 - Official Plan (February 2018) released

A third version of the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018) was released on Feb. 7, 2018. It contained revisions that were made as a result of feedback the city received at the Nov. 30, 2017 statutory public meeting, the Jan. 23 and 24, 2018 public meeting, and through written submissions.

View a copy of the Official Plan (February 2018) [31 MB]

Individual chapters of the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018) are available for download here.

A document that summarizes feedback received on the draft new Official Plan, and staff's response to that feedback can be downloaded here:

Agency, Public and Stakeholder Feedback [890 KB]

A document that compares the proposed new Official Plan (November 2017) and the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018) in tracked changes can be downloaded here:

Tracked Changes [9.2 MB]

Nov. 7, 2017 - Official Plan (November 2017) released

A second version of Burlington's proposed new Official Plan (November 2017) was released on Nov. 9, 2017. It contained revisions to the draft new Official Plan that was released in April 2017. Feedback received from agencies, stakeholders and the public was considered in undertaking revisions to the draft new Official Plan.

View a copy of the Official Plan (November 2017) [31 MB]

Individual chapters of the proposed new Official Plan (November 2017) are available for download here.

Tables have been prepared that summarize all feedback received on the draft new Official Plan, and staff's response to that feedback. The tables can be downloaded here:

A document that compares the draft new Official Plan (April 2017) and the proposed new Official Plan (November 2017) in tracked changes can be downloaded here:

Tracked Changes [10.2 MB]

April 2017

In April 2017, the city released the first draft of the new Official Plan for public consultation.

Through the engagement and consultation process, the city received over 1,000 surveys, over 100 written submissions and collected information at a variety of different events. A summary of public consultation and engagement can be found in staff report PB-47-17.

The top highlights of the new Official Plan included:

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 Frequent Transit Corridors 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;
Emphasizes the important role of public participation, and includes updates to other implementation matters; and
Includes new policies for the Downtown.

View a copy of the Official Plan (April 2017) [32MB]

Individual chapters of the draft new Official Plan (April 2017) are available for download here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key differences between the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018) and Burlington's Official Plan (April 2018) recommended for adoption?

The proposed new Official Plan recommended for adoption now includes:

New natural heritage and agricultural systems mapping that was released by The Province of Ontario on Feb. 9, 2018 as part of its Places to Grow program;
A revised urban structure and employment policies to conform to Halton Region's Area of Employment;
Modifications to the Downtown Precinct Plan including changes to: the Upper Brant Precinct; site specific policies within the Brant Main Street and Downtown Core precincts; the Downtown urban design section and other various minor technical modifications;
Revisions throughout the plan to improve clarity, to address Council motions and to address conformity to provincial and regional plans.

Staff report PB-04-18 provides more detail on the updates included in the proposed new Official Plan (April 2018).

Please see the tracked changes version of the Official Plan to view the policy changes that occurred between the February 2018 and April 2018 versions. It can be downloaded here:

Tracked Changes [10 MB]

What are the key difference between the proposed new Official Plan (November 2017) and the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018)?

The edits made to this version of the plan include changes to respond to public feedback and Council motions, to address conformity, improve clarity, correct editorial issues and address technical concerns. Staff report PB-14-18 (available by Feb. 16) provides more detail on the updates included in the proposed new Official Plan (February 2018).

Please see the tracked changes version of the Official Plan to view the policy changes that occurred between the November 2017 and February 2018 versions. It can be downloaded here:

Tracked Changes [9.2 MB]

What are the key differences between the draft new Official Plan (April 2017) and the proposed new Official Plan (November 2017)?

The proposed new Official Plan now includes:

The proposed new Downtown Precinct Plan and associated policies resulting from the Downtown Mobility Hub Area-Specific Planning process;
A new approach to design policies including direction on the public realm, and urban design and built form;
Updated process requirements for development applications, including a revised Growth Framework and development criteria;
Revised rural policies to further protect and strengthen the rural community;
A guide to reading the plan; and
Modifications throughout the plan to clarify the intent of policies.

Staff report PB-50-17 provides more detail on the updates included in the proposed new Official Plan (November 2017).

Where can I get more information on the Downtown policies?

The downtown is considered an Urban Centre and is identified as a mobility hub in the new Official Plan that was adopted by Council. This area was reviewed through the Downtown Mobility Hub Area-Specific Plan, and as a result the new Official Plan contains the new Downtown Precinct Plan and associated Official Plan level policies resulting from this study.

For background information on the Mobility Hubs Area Specific Plan please visit the Mobility Hubs page.

Does the proposed new Official Plan include updates to address North Aldershot?

In general, the North Aldershot policy framework was not updated given that a comprehensive review will be conducted as part of Halton Region's Official Plan Review. However, the new Official Plan contains a new policy that broadens the range of uses pertaining to lands in the vicinity of the Highway 403 interchange and west of Waterdown Road. In order to conform to provincial plans, the new Official Plan also identifies the provincial Natural Heritage System which inclues lands in North Aldershot. Other minor technical changes to policies and mapping were also made.

How can I participate in the approval of the new Official Plan?

Please visit Get Involved Burlington to learn about how you can participate.

What are the sustainable building and development guidelines?

The Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines were approved by Council on April 26, alongside the adoption of the new Official Plan. While the guidelines have been approved, the enabling Sustainable Design policies in the new Official Plan are subject to the review and approval of Halton Region. Until the approval of the Official Plan, applicants will be encouraged to consider the Sustainable Design policies and the Sustainable Building and Development Guidelines.

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 Burlington's Strategic Plan 2015-2040. For more background information please see staff report PB-83-16