Official Plan Update

Please join us to learn more and provide your feedback on the Town's Draft Official Plan.

You can view the Notice here.

The Town is now seeking feedback on the Collingwood Official Plan - Draft 2.

Media Release: Collingwood Official Plan Draft 2 - Release for Public Consultation

Staff Report P2023-24 Official Plan Update – Release of Draft 2 for Public Consultation was approved by Council on July 31, 2023, and highlights the changes based on significant feedback received and proposed changes to the Provincial Planning framework.

Comments may be sent to officialplanupdate@collingwood.ca. Please stay tuned for more information about an upcoming Public Open House and Statutory Public Meeting in early fall 2023.

Please note that comments will not be replied to individually, but Town staff and consultants will review and consider the comments through this consultation, revise the draft Official Plan again, and intend to recommend that Council adopt a final Official Plan before year end 2023.

The Province recently announced another series of policy, legislative and regulatory changes for consultation, designed to assist with meeting its goal of constructing 1.5M houses in the next decade.

For land use planning in Collingwood, the most important proposal is a new Provincial Planning Statement (PPS), which would eliminate the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and act as a single, unified land use planning policy document for the entire Province. The proposed PPS is accompanied by implementing legislative changes and other regulatory changes related to Bill 23, and is targeted to be in place by the fall of 2023.

Given the significance of the land use planning-related changes, Planning Services staff are pivoting resources to advising Town Council on the impacts of the proposed changes.

Unfortunately, this means the release of the Draft 2 of the Town’s Official Plan will be delayed in order to provide comments on the proposed PPS, understand the impacts of the changes, and adjust the Town’s policy framework to be consistent with Provincial Policy.

Draft 2 of the Official Plan will incorporate the upcoming Provincial Policy and legislative changes and is targeted to be released early in the summer of 2023, with further public consultation targeted for early fall 2023.

Please subscribe to the Town’s Official Plan Update Engage Page for the release of Draft 2 of the Official Plan and future consultation opportunities.

The following updates were provided by Summer Valentine, Director, Planning, Building, & Economic Development, during the Development & Operations Services Standing Committee meeting held February 13, 2023:

A few matters have arisen that will impact the timing of the delivery of the next draft of the new Town of Collingwood Official Plan, now targeted for release in March or April of 2023.

First…

We are closing in on nearly 200 comment letters received from the circulation of the first draft released in August of 2022, and they continue to come in. Staff are thrilled with the community interest and engagement in this project. Stakeholder, Indigenous, agency and public input is critical to the land use planning process, and it is imperative each comment is reviewed and responded to accordingly with any necessary policy changes. The comments range from general insights to individual site matters. Addressing this feedback and providing Council with a strong rationale for the anticipated multiple changes to the draft Official Plan is underway but will take time.

While staff are extremely grateful and excited about the interest in the Official Plan Review, we do not have the resources or budget to meet with or respond to each comment individually with a letter or email. However, the next draft of the Official Plan will have a comprehensive feedback-response matrix that covers every submission.

Second…

Bills 109 and 23, passed by the Province to facilitate the construction of 1.5 million homes in the next decade have significant consequences on land use planning policies and processes as well as land economics, which are just starting to be understood. Staff want to ensure that the next draft of the Official Plan appropriately responds to the legislative requirements and limits the risks associated with unintended consequences of the Bills, where possible. This includes reviewing the County of Simcoe Official Plan (which will no longer have any effect under Bill 23) and incorporating any operative policies into the Town Plan.

Further, the Province has been consulting on policy changes as part of their housing plan. If the Provincial Policy Statement and/or Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe change significantly in the near term, as guiding documents for Official Plans in the Province, the amendments will need to be reviewed and translated into local policy.

Third…

The growth management official plan amendment that represents Phase One of the County's Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) was adopted by County Council and is under consideration for approval by the Province. Notwithstanding the lack of clarity on the County's future role in land use planning, any approved MCR updates must be incorporated into the Town's Official Plan. Additionally, the MZO for the Poplar Regional Health and Wellness Village was approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The conversion of those lands from traditional employment to mixed use will have significant impacts on residential and non-residential unit supply for the Town and needs to be considered in the next draft of the Official Plan.

Stay tuned for the release of the next draft of the Official Plan and future consultation opportunities at: https://engage.collingwood.ca/official-plan!

Substantial feedback was received through public consultation on Draft 1 of the Official Plan.

The Town is currently reviewing the detailed comments, and legislative changes at the Provincial level in preparation of Official Plan Draft 2.

Please subscribe here to be informed of future consultation opportunities on Draft 2 in early 2023.

Staff Report P2022-23 Official Plan Update - Release of Draft One was approved at a Special Council meeting on July 11, 2022.

Media Release: New Collingwood Official Plan Draft 1 released for public consultation

The Town is now seeking feedback on the draft policies and mapping schedules.

Comments may be sent to officialplanupdate@collingwood.ca and will be accepted until August 17, 2022.

The first draft of the New Official Plan has been completed, and will be presented to Council on July 11, 2022, with a recommendation to begin consultation with the community. Pending Council authorization, please stay tuned for opportunities to provide feedback!

Work has been underway on preparing the first draft of the new Official Plan for the Town of Collingwood. The goal of the project team was to release the draft in March 2022, with public consultation opportunities to follow. However, on Thursday, March 10, 2022, Town Council resolved to temporarily redirect consulting resources to the review of another transformative project for the Town – a Minister’s Zoning Order for the proposed Poplar Regional Health & Wellness Village. The decision has the effect of delaying the release of the draft Official Plan by approximately 3-4 weeks. Please stay tuned!

As a result of landowner requests for re-designation through the Official Plan update process, Planning Services is taking Staff Report #P2021-27 to Development and Operations on Sept 13, 2021, and then to Council on Sept. 27, 2021.

The purpose of the staff report is to provide Council with recommendations and to provide direction to staff. The staff report is located here

https://collingwood.civicweb.net/document/82086/P2021-27%20OP%20Update%20Redesignation%20Requests.pdf?handle=2FE0FDF1FCC64F40BDFE626A25E82B36

Here is a link to The Collingwood Civic Portal. Subscribe to receive email updates directly to your mail box!

Do you still have concerns after reading the report and attending the portal meeting, we look forward to receiving your comments via our specific email address @ officialplanupdate@collingwood.ca

Work is underway on writing the draft New Official Plan. More information coming soon.