What is planning?
Municipalities, like people, need to plan for the future. City planning is the management of land and resources to ensure a healthy community - economically, socially, and environmentally.
Through various documents and by-laws, planning provides a framework for orderly development and the choice of appropriate locations for homes, shops, parks, offices, and factories, supported by a network of roads, water mains, sewers, and transit. Successful planning protects the environment, conserves cultural heritage and contributes to a unique sense of place.
A well planned community is a vibrant place where people want to be.
Why get involved?
Planning affects everyone. It determines where you will live, shop, gather, work or go to school. Changes to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law can impact the height and density of new development. Design guidelines can impact the architecture and design elements you see on building facades. That’s why the planning process provides opportunities for public input. Under the Planning Act of Ontario, municipalities are required to notify the public, hold public meetings and request input on important planning decisions.
Why do plans change?
Updates and amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law are periodically processed by the City. Applicants may propose buildings or land uses that do not meet the policies and requirements of the Official Plan or Zoning By-law. These proposals are reviewed along with appropriate technical studies and public input. If it is determined that the proposed change will not negatively affect the surrounding properties and neighbourhoods, the Official Plan and Zoning By-law may be amended to allow the development.
The Burlington Planning Process in 9 Steps
| 1. Preconsultation meeting |
| The owner of a property must meet with staff from the City of Burlington and the Region of Halton to discuss a possible development application. Staff will tell the owner what kind of planning applications will be required for the proposal and whether technical studies (such as environmental impact or traffic) will be needed. |
| 2. Planning application is submitted |
| The owner, or applicant, submits an application to Burlington’s Planning & Building Department, along with the required fees and background studies. The owner must post a sign on the property describing the proposed development and listing a phone number that members of the public can call for further information. |
| 3. Notification to neighbouring property owners |
| A letter is sent to all owners of property located within 120 metres of the affected property (300 metres in the Rural Area). The letter describes the proposal and asks for written comments. The public may send comments by mail, fax, or e-mail. They can also be added to a mailing list to be kept informed about the application. A neighbourhood meeting may be held at this point in the process to discuss the proposal further. |
| 4. Circulation of application to agencies |
| The planner assigned to the file sends information about the application to external agencies such as Conservation Halton, and internal City departments such as Traffic, asking for comments and conditions that must be imposed on the development. Technical studies submitted with the application are reviewed and additional information may be requested from the applicant. |
| 5. Preparation of information report |
| The planner reviews the application, area planning policies, technical studies, and comments submitted by agencies and the public and then prepares an information report that incorporates all of this information. Letters from the public are attached to the information report to the Planning and Development Committee and Council. The Planning and Development Committee is a standing committee of Council which makes recommendations to Council. |
| 6. Statutory Public Meeting |
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The neighbouring property owners are sent a letter inviting them to a statutory public meeting before the Planning and Development Committee. The letter explains how members of the public can register to speak at the meeting about their concerns with, or support for the application. Delegates have up to 10 minutes to speak. No Council decision is made at this meeting where an information report is presented. Most Planning and Development Committee meetings take place on Tuesday evenings. Staff describe the planning application and the issues raised by the public and technical agencies. Members of the public, make presentations about their concerns or support for the application. |
| 7. Preparation of Recommendation Report |
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Following the statutory public meeting, there may be further refinements to the application in response to the public and technical comments. Once their review of the application is complete, the planner prepares a recommendation report to the Planning and Development Committee and Council which contains a professional planning opinion about whether to approve, modify, or refuse the application. A second Planning and Development Committee meeting is held and notice is sent to members of the public who have participated in the process. |
| 8. Recomendation report to Planning and Development Committee and Council |
| At the Planning and Development Committee, Council members will consider the Planning staff recommendation and the input from the public before approving, refusing or modifying an application. Members of the public must pre-register to speak at this meeting if they wish to make a presentation about their concerns or support for the application. The decision of the Planning and Development Committee to approve, modify or refuse the application is then reviewed by City Council at their next meeting. |
| 9. Notice of Council decision/appeal period |
| The Planning and Development Committee and Council make the decision to approve, modify or refuse the application. Anyone who has sent in comments, spoken at a Planning and Development Committee or Council meeting, or asked to be kept informed about a proposal, receives a notice of the Council’s decision. The notice includes information on how to appeal the decision to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), if necessary. |
How can you get involved?
| Call the Department of City Building Planning Section |
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If you receive a notice about a proposed development in your neighbourhood, call the planner who sent out the notice and ask for more information. If you see a sign in your neighbourhood describing a proposed development, make a note of the telephone number, the file number, and the address of the property. You can ask to be kept informed about the application, and put on a contact mailing list, even if your property is beyond the standard circulation area. |
| Talk to Your Neighbours |
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| Put your Opinion in Writing |
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Tell the City what you think:
Your written comments will be included in the staff report to all Council members. |
| Read the Staff Report |
| A week before the Planning and Development Committee meeting, get a copy of the planning report. You can pick it up at the City Clerk’s Department on the main floor of City Hall or view it on our Agendas and Minutes webpage. |
| Attend the Meetings |
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In addition to the Planning and Development Committee meeting, there may be a neighbourhood meeting to discuss a particularly complex proposal. At neighbourhood meetings, you can ask questions and find out more about what is proposed.The neighbourhood meeting is also an excellent opportunity to express your views directly to the developer. Try to attend the Planning and Development Committee meeting. If you register to speak at a Planning and Development Committee meeting, you will have ten minutes to make your points. You may make a joint presentation with other speakers, provided that each speaker does not simply repeat the same points. |
Other relevant planning information
| Planning legislation |
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Planning in Ontario is governed by the provincial Planning Act. The Act sets out the steps that municipalities must follow during planning processes such as public notice, and requires municipalities to make decisions that align with provincial policies such as environmental protection and the preservation of farmland. If a member of the public believes that a planning decision should be re-examined, he or she can appeal the decision to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT). The LPAT is an independent tribunal whose members are appointed by the cabinet of Ontario. The LPAT has the authority to approve, change, or refuse planning applications. Its decisions override the decisions made by a municipal Council. |
| Official Plans |
| The Official Plan is a municipality’s blueprint for the future. It contains a wide variety of policies that guide municipal planning decisions and maps that identify residential, commercial, recreational, and industrial development areas. It also contains information on the future expansion of the city’s network of roads, transit system and utilities. Official Plans evolve as cities do and are subject to regular reviews and updates. |
| Zoning By-laws |
| The Zoning By-law contains detailed information on the land and building forms that are allowed on each property in the city. Detailed zoning regulations include requirements such as permitted building types, maximum height, the distance a building must be set back from the street, as well as parking and landscaping requirements. Zoning By-laws are legally enforceable decisions of Council. Proposed developments that do not fit the By-law requirements are not allowed to proceed without further planning approvals. |
| Plans of subdivision |
| When undeveloped land is divided into multiple lots, the developer must prepare a plan of subdivision showing details such as the position and width of roads, size and shape of lots, the location different land uses, and the availability of water mains and sewers. The City of Burlington, with input from the Region of Halton, examines the plan to ensure that it works with the surrounding area in terms of land use, transportation systems and environmental areas. If the plan is appropriate, it is approved by Burlington Council. |