Council Review Process

Submit a pre-application online through DASH.

During pre-application meetings, you will meet with City staff who will identify necessary approvals, supporting studies, drawings, and other submission requirements. We hold pre-application meetings virtually or in person at 1211 John Counter Boulevard. 

The assigned planner will confirm requirements and fees in the Pre-Application Report provided after the meeting. 

For Zoning Bylaw amendment pre-applications, a Community Meeting is required as part of the pre-application process. The Planning Committee holds Community Meetings.

A Community Meeting Report is prepared by the Manager of Development Approvals and includes copies of the Community Meeting Form (completed by the applicant) and mapping showing the site location and applicable Official Plan land use designation and zoning information.  

After the completion of the pre-application process, submit your application online through DASH. To submit your application, ensure that you: 

1. 1. Complete all required online application fields. 
   2. Pay the application fees in full either online, by phone or in person (via cheque or other methods). 
   3. Include the required drawings and reports listed in the Pre-Application Report. 

We collect planning and engineering fees during the initial application submission. Some external agencies (e.g., conservation authority) charge additional fees for reviewing applications, payable directly to them.

Once your application is complete, we will issue a Letter of Complete Application within the 30-day limit set by the Planning Act. 

If your application is incomplete, you will receive a Letter of Incomplete Application listing the missing information. If you disagree, contact your assigned planner. You can appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal if no agreement is reached. 

For Official Plans, Zoning Bylaw Amendments, and Plans of Subdivision, we must issue a public Notice of Complete Application within 15 days after a Letter of Complete Application has been issued. If possible, we combine this with the Public Meeting Notice. Otherwise, they're issued separately. 

Timelines for decisions begin once a complete application including the required application fees have been submitted. 

After receiving your complete application, our assigned planner will send it to various City departments and external agencies. Depending on the application type and location of the property, this may include our Council, City departments, external groups, nearby towns, school boards, railway companies, utility companies and provincial and federal government departments. 

Once responses are received, the assigned planner puts together comments based on their review of technical feedback and planning policies. These comments are then shared with you or your agent. 

You will need to address staff and agency comments, provide any needed extra information, and send revised drawings to the assigned planner. They will then share this material with the right departments and agencies, working with you to resolve technical comments or concerns. This process continues until all comments have been resolved. 

For some larger projects, peer reviews of certain studies, like market studies or environmental impact assessments, may be necessary. You are responsible for the cost of peer reviews. 

The Planning Act mandates public meetings for certain types of applications. Public meeting notices are sent by mail, posted on-site, and may appear on our website or in the newspaper. 

The public meeting notice period for Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendment applications is 20 days before the meeting. 

No public meetings are required for Draft Plans of Subdivision or Final Subdivision/Condominium approval.

Meetings are held on specific days each month. During the meeting, you or your agent present the proposed development, staff may offer information and Committee members may ask questions. The public can submit comments in writing or attend the meeting and provide oral comments. 

At the meeting, the Planning Committee receives a recommendation report from staff. This report includes a summary of the proposed application and site description, and an analysis of your proposal, relevant policies and bylaws, submitted studies, technical responses, and public input. It includes a recommendation from staff to approve the application as-is, with changes, or deny it. 

At the meeting, the Planning Committee discusses the application and makes recommendations to our Council. 

The Committee can suggest our Council approves the application as-is, with changes, or deny it. Sometimes, they might ask for more information before making a recommendation. 

The Planning Committee's recommendations go to our Council for a decision. Our Council can accept, change, reject or send them back for more information. If our Council approves an application, the related bylaws are passed at that meeting and forwarded to the Mayor for approval and signing of the Mayoral Decision. 

The Planning Act requires us to send out notices of Council’s decisions. The notice is sent out within 15 days of Council’s decision and includes the deadline for any appeals to be submitted. 

The Planning Act allows for appeals in planning decisions. If you spoke at the public meeting or sent a written comment before the decision, you can appeal Council’s decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal. You need to do this within the time mentioned in the notice. You also need to say which part of the decision you're appealing and why. 

If an application is appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal, there may be a hearing to decide the appeal. Learn more about the Ontario Land Tribunal and its processes.

To get a building permit, apply online through DASH. This permit gives you permission to start construction or demolition. We review your plans to ensure they follow the Ontario Building Code, our Zoning Bylaws, and other rules. You will also pay development charges at this stage. 

Building permits ensure that construction follows the rules and safety standards. They protect your interests and the community. Our staff can help you with information and solutions to construction issues. You are responsible for following all building requirements, even if someone else gets the permit for you. 

You can find more information about the building permit process in the Citizen's Guide to land use planning from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.