Official Plan and Zoning By-law Update

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In 2023, Committee and Council considered a report (CS-23-032) on the approach to update the City’s Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw. The City had recently approved a new Official Plan and needed to update the Zoning Bylaw within three years of doing that.

Around the same time, the Province made several changes to the Planning Act and started talking about changes to the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS).

Because of this, the City paused its review until the Province finished updating its planning rules. The changes would mean the City’s new Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw would need to be updated to follow the new provincial rules.

The updated Provincial Planning Statement took effect on October 20, 2024. The City is now starting the required updates to its planning documents.

What is an Official Plan?

The Official Plan is Council’s contract with the community about how the city will grow and develop and contains the goals, objectives and policies intended to guide land use development and growth in the City over a 20-year time horizon.

The goals, objectives and policies of the Plan manage and direct physical development within the context of social, economic, built and natural environmental matters in the City.

The Official Plan is an important tool to support the City’s vision as a vibrant and thriving community that offers high quality amenities surrounded by unique natural heritage features. The City’s Official Plan was updated in 2022 and at that time, there was significant public engagement and input.

At the time of the preparation of the City’s 2022 Official Plan, four policy papers were prepared to inform and engage with Owen Sound residents and stakeholders. The papers included the following topics. Policies in these areas were included in the updated Plan:

  • Sustainability & Climate Change
  • Housing & Affordability
  • Transportation & Infrastructure
  • Land Use & Design

What is the focus of the current Official Plan Update?

The Planning Act requires that municipalities conduct a review of their Official Plan no less frequently than every five (5) years after it has last been comprehensively reviewed. The review of the current plan is not due for a couple more years, however, since 2022, provincially, there have been several amendments and updates to the Planning Act and the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS). As a result of Provincial changes, an update to the Official Plan is being completed. The County of Grey Official Plan has also been amended since 2022, and these amendments will also be reviewed and incorporated in the City’s Official Plan update. The focus of this update is on conformity with the provincial legislation changes, the new Provincial Planning Statement and the amended County of Grey Official Plan. Specifically, this will include:

  • Definitions to be revised in accordance with new PPS definitions;
  • References to the Provincial Policy Statement will be amended to note the Provincial Planning Statement;
  • The Vision, Goals and Objectives will be reviewed in accordance with the new PPS and County of Grey Official Plan;
  • The Official Plan Schedules will be reviewed for minor housekeeping amendments to designation limits;
  • Settlement Area policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Employment policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Land Use Compatibility policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Agricultural policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Housing policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Municipal services policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Cultural Heritage policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS; and,
  • Various sections will be reviewed in accordance with OPA 11 and OPA 23 to the County of Grey Official Plan.

What is a Zoning Bylaw?

The official plan sets out the City’s general policies for future land use.

Zoning bylaws put the plan into effect and provide for its day-to-day administration. A Zoning Bylaw includes detailed requirements that are legally enforceable. Construction or new development must comply with a zoning bylaw.

The Comprehensive zoning bylaw divides the municipality into different land use zones, with detailed maps.

The City of Owen Sound Zoning By-Law states exactly what land uses will be permitted in the City in certain areas and provides other detailed information such as:

1) Where buildings or structures may be located in the City;

2) Types of land uses within the City; and,

3) Standards for lot sizes, location requirements, parking requirements, building heights, and required yard setbacks.

The Zoning By-law implements the policies of the Official Plan and establishes a more detailed land use framework for the City.

The City’s Zoning Bylaw was last updated comprehensively in 2010. Since that time there have been several amendments to the Bylaw.

The Province requires that both the City’s Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw be updated to ensure conformity with Legislation (such as the Planning Act, Ontario Heritage Act) as well as the Provincial Planning Statement.

The review of the zoning by-law will include updates to the following sections:

  • Section 4 Definitions
  • Section 5 General Provisions
  • Section 6 Residential uses and development standards
  • Section 7 Commercial and Mixed Use uses and development standards
  • Section 8 Industrial Uses and development standards
  • Section 13 Rural uses and development standards

Urban Design Guidelines

The 2022 Official Plan includes policy which states that the City will develop urban design guidelines. The preparation of the urban design guidelines document is being proposed to be undertaken to implement this policy at the same time as the review and update of the Official Plan and Comprehensive Zoning By-law. The urban design guidelines document will be a guiding document which provides expectations and vision for design within an area.

The City’s urban design guidelines document is intended to provide urban design standards for the development and redevelopment of areas or properties within the City. This will be particularly important where we are seeing redevelopment and intensification within existing neighbourhoods. The urban design guidelines will apply citywide and will implement the intent of the Official Plan’s urban design policy direction through the following key focus areas:

  • General Guidelines for Land Uses
    1. Residential
    2. Commercial
    3. Industrial
    4. Gateways & Nodes
  • Infill Development
  • Public Spaces
  • Site Plan Design Guidelines
    1. Access
    2. Parking
    3. Amenity Area
  • Guidelines for Projects <10 Units
  • Heritage & Culture

Public Consultation and Engagement

Planning policy affects everyone in the City and the involvement of all community members is encouraged.

How to get involved

The public engagement component of the Official Plan review, Zoning By-law review and Urban Design Guidelines preparation is planned to begin in spring 2025, focusing on receiving feedback on the existing Official Plan, existing Zoning By-law and proposed amendments, as well as the proposed Urban Design Guidelines document.

Please take a few minutes and answer the questions in this short survey:

Additionally, if you want to provide more general comments on the current Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw, please use this link:

All comments received will be considered and provided to Committee and Council as part of the update.

Open House

With the first draft Official Plan amendment, Zoning Bylaw amendment and Urban Design Guidelines, we will host an informal open house where staff and the consultant can interact with the public and answer questions on a more informal basis.

Watch for the date of the Open House coming soon!!

Public Meeting

Section 17(15) and 34(12) of the Planning Act requires that the Council of the municipality that is passing an Official Plan amendment or Zoning By-law amendment must hold a public meeting that is open to the public to discuss the revisions to the Official Plan or By-law that may be required. Notice of such a meeting is to be given not less than 20 days in advance of the meeting.

In 2023, Committee and Council considered a report (CS-23-032) on the approach to update the City’s Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw. The City had recently approved a new Official Plan and needed to update the Zoning Bylaw within three years of doing that.

Around the same time, the Province made several changes to the Planning Act and started talking about changes to the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS).

Because of this, the City paused its review until the Province finished updating its planning rules. The changes would mean the City’s new Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw would need to be updated to follow the new provincial rules.

The updated Provincial Planning Statement took effect on October 20, 2024. The City is now starting the required updates to its planning documents.

What is an Official Plan?

The Official Plan is Council’s contract with the community about how the city will grow and develop and contains the goals, objectives and policies intended to guide land use development and growth in the City over a 20-year time horizon.

The goals, objectives and policies of the Plan manage and direct physical development within the context of social, economic, built and natural environmental matters in the City.

The Official Plan is an important tool to support the City’s vision as a vibrant and thriving community that offers high quality amenities surrounded by unique natural heritage features. The City’s Official Plan was updated in 2022 and at that time, there was significant public engagement and input.

At the time of the preparation of the City’s 2022 Official Plan, four policy papers were prepared to inform and engage with Owen Sound residents and stakeholders. The papers included the following topics. Policies in these areas were included in the updated Plan:

  • Sustainability & Climate Change
  • Housing & Affordability
  • Transportation & Infrastructure
  • Land Use & Design

What is the focus of the current Official Plan Update?

The Planning Act requires that municipalities conduct a review of their Official Plan no less frequently than every five (5) years after it has last been comprehensively reviewed. The review of the current plan is not due for a couple more years, however, since 2022, provincially, there have been several amendments and updates to the Planning Act and the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS). As a result of Provincial changes, an update to the Official Plan is being completed. The County of Grey Official Plan has also been amended since 2022, and these amendments will also be reviewed and incorporated in the City’s Official Plan update. The focus of this update is on conformity with the provincial legislation changes, the new Provincial Planning Statement and the amended County of Grey Official Plan. Specifically, this will include:

  • Definitions to be revised in accordance with new PPS definitions;
  • References to the Provincial Policy Statement will be amended to note the Provincial Planning Statement;
  • The Vision, Goals and Objectives will be reviewed in accordance with the new PPS and County of Grey Official Plan;
  • The Official Plan Schedules will be reviewed for minor housekeeping amendments to designation limits;
  • Settlement Area policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Employment policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Land Use Compatibility policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Agricultural policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Housing policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Municipal services policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS;
  • Cultural Heritage policies will be reviewed in accordance with the new policies of the PPS; and,
  • Various sections will be reviewed in accordance with OPA 11 and OPA 23 to the County of Grey Official Plan.

What is a Zoning Bylaw?

The official plan sets out the City’s general policies for future land use.

Zoning bylaws put the plan into effect and provide for its day-to-day administration. A Zoning Bylaw includes detailed requirements that are legally enforceable. Construction or new development must comply with a zoning bylaw.

The Comprehensive zoning bylaw divides the municipality into different land use zones, with detailed maps.

The City of Owen Sound Zoning By-Law states exactly what land uses will be permitted in the City in certain areas and provides other detailed information such as:

1) Where buildings or structures may be located in the City;

2) Types of land uses within the City; and,

3) Standards for lot sizes, location requirements, parking requirements, building heights, and required yard setbacks.

The Zoning By-law implements the policies of the Official Plan and establishes a more detailed land use framework for the City.

The City’s Zoning Bylaw was last updated comprehensively in 2010. Since that time there have been several amendments to the Bylaw.

The Province requires that both the City’s Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw be updated to ensure conformity with Legislation (such as the Planning Act, Ontario Heritage Act) as well as the Provincial Planning Statement.

The review of the zoning by-law will include updates to the following sections:

  • Section 4 Definitions
  • Section 5 General Provisions
  • Section 6 Residential uses and development standards
  • Section 7 Commercial and Mixed Use uses and development standards
  • Section 8 Industrial Uses and development standards
  • Section 13 Rural uses and development standards

Urban Design Guidelines

The 2022 Official Plan includes policy which states that the City will develop urban design guidelines. The preparation of the urban design guidelines document is being proposed to be undertaken to implement this policy at the same time as the review and update of the Official Plan and Comprehensive Zoning By-law. The urban design guidelines document will be a guiding document which provides expectations and vision for design within an area.

The City’s urban design guidelines document is intended to provide urban design standards for the development and redevelopment of areas or properties within the City. This will be particularly important where we are seeing redevelopment and intensification within existing neighbourhoods. The urban design guidelines will apply citywide and will implement the intent of the Official Plan’s urban design policy direction through the following key focus areas:

  • General Guidelines for Land Uses
    1. Residential
    2. Commercial
    3. Industrial
    4. Gateways & Nodes
  • Infill Development
  • Public Spaces
  • Site Plan Design Guidelines
    1. Access
    2. Parking
    3. Amenity Area
  • Guidelines for Projects <10 Units
  • Heritage & Culture

Public Consultation and Engagement

Planning policy affects everyone in the City and the involvement of all community members is encouraged.

How to get involved

The public engagement component of the Official Plan review, Zoning By-law review and Urban Design Guidelines preparation is planned to begin in spring 2025, focusing on receiving feedback on the existing Official Plan, existing Zoning By-law and proposed amendments, as well as the proposed Urban Design Guidelines document.

Please take a few minutes and answer the questions in this short survey:

Additionally, if you want to provide more general comments on the current Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw, please use this link:

All comments received will be considered and provided to Committee and Council as part of the update.

Open House

With the first draft Official Plan amendment, Zoning Bylaw amendment and Urban Design Guidelines, we will host an informal open house where staff and the consultant can interact with the public and answer questions on a more informal basis.

Watch for the date of the Open House coming soon!!

Public Meeting

Section 17(15) and 34(12) of the Planning Act requires that the Council of the municipality that is passing an Official Plan amendment or Zoning By-law amendment must hold a public meeting that is open to the public to discuss the revisions to the Official Plan or By-law that may be required. Notice of such a meeting is to be given not less than 20 days in advance of the meeting.

  • Official Plan and Zoning By-law Updates Survey

    Please read the background information on the main project page before completing this survey.  

    Take Survey
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Page last updated: 16 May 2025, 02:17 PM