The City of Toronto has received a total of 694 appeals to the new zoning by-law for the amalgamated City of Toronto (the New By-law) that was passed by City Council on August 27, 2010.

Despite the passage of the New By-law the 43 zoning by-laws of the former municipalities will, for the time being, remain in effect. Where there is a conflict between the former zoning by-laws and the New By-law the most restrictive regulation is applied in the Building Permit review process.

While no pre-hearing conferences have been scheduled at this time by the OMB, the City has initiated settlement negotiations with some of the property owners who have submitted appeals.

Save the Date - March 24, 2011 - Amendments Proposed to New By-law

On March 24, 2011, the Planning and Growth Management Committee (PGMC) will consider the first comprehensive amendment to the New By-law. City Planning Staff are recommending amendments referred to as "housekeeping" amendments that are intended to clarify and correct certain provisions in the New By-law, including:

  • correcting errors in certain zoning maps;
  • re-wording certain provisions of the New By-law to clarify their intent;
  • correcting grammatical errors and section references; and,
  • updating zoning maps to accurately reflect properties that qualify for exemption from the New By-law according to the City's Transition Protocol.

What You Need to Know

Land owners of property in the City of Toronto should review the soon-to-be-released staff report and the proposed "housekeeping" zoning by-law amendments to ensure that the amendments to the New By-law recommended by Planning Staff do not adversely impact development opportunities on their lands in Toronto. To maintain the right to appeal proposed amendments to the New By-law, concerns and comments regarding the proposed zoning by-law amendments should be expressed to the PGMC in writing or by deputation at the March 24, 2011 meeting.

City Staff will release a staff report in advance of the March 24, 2011 PGMC meeting detailing the proposed changes contained in the zoning by-law amendment. The staff report will be available at the PGMC Meeting web page.

The March 24, 2011 public meeting of the PGMC will be held at 10:00am in Committee Room 1 of City Hall located at 100 Queen Street West, Toronto.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.