The Committee of Adjustment (C. of A.) consists of five Council appointed citizens to consider minor variances to the Township's zoning by-law and fence by-law, to consider extensions, enlargements or variations to existing legal non-conforming uses, and to grant consents/severances.
For current C. of A. applications, please visit our current development applications page.
View the Committee of Adjustment Calendar for meeting dates, agendas and minutes.
Minor Variance |
What is a Minor Variance?A variance is a minor change to the Zoning By-law for a specific property. The C. of A. may approve the variance if it is satisfied that the variance maintains the general intent of the Official Plan and the Zoning By-law, if the proposed development will be appropriate and if the variance is minor. An example of a minor variance could involve a case where a homeowner wants to construct an addition 6.0m from the rear lot line but the Zoning By-law requires a minimum rear yard of 7.5 metres. In order to construct the building 6.0m from the rear lot line, the owner requires C. of A. Approval. Changes to the Zoning By-law that are beyond the limited scope of the C. of A. must be considered through the Zone Change/amendment process. What is a legal non-conforming use?A legal non-conforming use is one that is not recognized in the Zoning By-law, but lawfully existed on the day the Zoning By-law was passed. A legal non-conforming use should cease to exist in the long run and should be replaced by a use that conforms to the Zoning By-law and the Official Plan. Given the use already exists, the Planning Act gives the C. of A. some additional powers regarding the enlargement and expansion and variations to existing legal non-conforming uses. Applying for a Minor VarianceThe C. of A. meets the first Wednesday of every month. Applications are due a minimum of twenty-five calendar days prior to a meeting. Minor variance applications are available on our Planning application forms page. Prior to filing an application we strongly recommend contacting our Planning division and reviewing the application fees. For more information on Minor Variances, please visit the Province's Citizens' Guides to Land-use Planning. Applications can be made online by visiting our Development Application Submission page. |
Consent/Severance |
What is a Consent/Severance?Consent of the C. of A. is required to:
The Planning Act stipulates that consent must be granted before a parcel of land can be divided to create an additional lot(s). This process is referred to as land severance. Controlling the division of land through "severance" gives the Township a mechanism for ensuring that the creation of lots is consistent with the planning policies of the Province, Region and the Township. Applying for a ConsentThe C. of A. meets the first Wednesday of every month. Applications are due a minimum of twenty-five calendar days prior to a meeting. Consent applications are available on our Planning application forms page. Prior to filing an application we strongly recommend contacting our Planning division and reviewing the application fees. For more information on Consents, please visit the Province's Citizens' Guides to Land-use Planning. Applications can be made online by visiting our Development Application Submission page. |
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