The City of Kenora, with the assistance of its consultants WSP, has started the review of its Official Plan and Zoning By-law. The review process will result in a new Official Plan and Zoning By-law that will help to address many community priorities.
Project update
The process of drafting a new Official Plan is currently underway. The project continues to proceed more slowly than anticipated. In September 2021, an initial working draft was submitted to the Province of Ontario for review. This is a required step in the process, which is done to ensure that our Official Plan is consistent with the province’s Provincial Policy Statement 2020 and conforms or doesn’t conflict with any other applicable provincial plans. Visit Ontario.ca for more information on the Provincial Policy Statement.
The provincial review typically takes approximately 3 to 4 months, but we are still awaiting a response 16 months later. The City of Kenora is not the only municipality currently experiencing this delay in receiving a response from a provincial review. We anticipate that a response may not be received until an updated Provincial Policy Statement is released, which is anticipated in the April-June timeline. Until the response is received, the project has been paused and the Planning Department will be focusing on other municipal priorities.
When a response is received, the project team will prepare a final draft copy of the Official Plan that incorporates changes required by the Province of Ontario. We will also be preparing an updated Zoning By-law that reflects any new or revised Official Plan policies. Both documents will eventually be made available for public review and comments in conjunction with a Public Open House, and may see further edits prior to being brought forward to Council for a Public Meeting and eventual approval.
If you wish to be notified of project updates, please see the Stay up-to-date section.
Get involved
There are ways you can get involved in the review process.
- Attend public meetings.
- Review the reports.
- View the recorded presentation.
Open house for business owners
Join us for an open house on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the Rotary Room at the Moncrief Construction Sports Centre. At the open house, we will discuss the proposed zoning amendments and strategic planning visions for property and business development in Harbourtown Centre.
The Planning Department is proposing to update the Zoning By-law No. 101-2015, affecting most zones in the City. These “housekeeping” amendments will affect Harbourtown Centre. The meeting will also encourage full discussion about the commercial vision of Harbourtown Centre and how to support this vision in the future.
The proposed zoning amendments for Harbourtown Centre includes changes to the “GC” General Commercial Zone which is the common zone in Harbourtown Centre. These amendments are:
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Relaxing parking requirements for all properties by:Permitting commercial development on upper storeys without those commercial developments having to be an extension of first-floor use, thus permitting easier conversion of upper storeys to commercial uses.
- eliminating the requirement for loading spaces,
- eliminating the requirement for visitor parking spaces,
- setting a minimum requirement of one parking space per residential unit for all types of residential dwellings, and
- reducing the parking space requirement for non-residential developments to 50% of what is required elsewhere in the City.
- Clarifying regulations for accessory residential units in commercial buildings.
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Increasing the maximum permitted height of buildings from 11 m to 15 m.
The following zoning amendment for Harbourtown Centre was removed from recommendations to Council, but Planning encourages discussion of this policy:
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Restrict clinics and offices from existing in the first storey of buildings in the GC Zone but to allow offices and clinics to be located on upper storeys in the GC Zone.
If you are unable to attend, you are welcomed to submit comments directly to the Planning Department by email or mail your comments to the Planning Department.
Reports
Review the reports prepared for the project.
Official Plan policy directions recommendations report
Proposed mapping amendments report
OP and ZBL review background report
Recorded presentations
View the recorded public presentation.
If you prefer, you can read the video transcript of the presentation.
How does this project affect me
Since the Official Plan and Zoning By-law guide and regulate where and how future growth and development in the City will occur, it is important to have a wide variety of input into the review of these documents to help establish a common vision.
- Residents, business owners, and organizations have valuable information to share in this process…
- Are you thinking about subdividing your land?
- Do you think there is a need for more diverse housing options?
- Do you wish you had improved access to businesses and services?
- Would you like to see more greenspaces and trails in your community?
- Are you concerned about protecting natural areas?
These are just a few examples of the many ways in which your community’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law affects you. Please take every opportunity to be involved in the process.
Stay up-to-date
Stay tuned for future community engagement opportunities and keep updated on the project progress by signing up for the project email list with the Planning Division.
Overview
The objectives and policies of the Official Plan and the requirements of the Zoning By-law attempt to achieve a balanced approach to economic development, land development, land use, infrastructure, and resource management issues affecting the City.
The City’s current Official Plan and Zoning By-law were approved in 2015. Council must undertake a review and update of its Official Plan periodically, to ensure that the objectives and policies of the Plan remain current and relevant, and meet the requirements of the Planning Act, the Provincial Policy Statement, and other provincial policies and regulations. The Zoning By-law must be updated to conform with the new Official Plan.
Throughout the review process, there will be many opportunities to provide input and participate in online and in-person engagement events.
The new Official Plan and Zoning By-law will be adopted by Council, and the Official Plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval. The project is expected to be completed in 2023..
Planning framework
View the infographic about planning at the provincial and municipal levels.
What is an Official Plan |
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The Official Plan sets out the vision, goals, objectives, and policies for growth and development within the City for the next 25 years. An Official Plan is the cornerstone for decision-making related to land use and development, and must be kept current to reflect the vision and goals the community is trying to achieve.
An Official Plan helps to ensure:
Specific policies in each of these areas provide direction on how development should occur. The Official Plan also includes a series of Schedules (maps) that identify a series of land use designations where specific existing and future land uses are permitted. |
What is a Zoning By-law |
| A Zoning By-law is a legal document and planning tool which implements the policies of the Official Plan by establishing various zones and standards that regulate land uses and how a property may be developed within each zone in the City.
A Zoning By-law establishes:
Zoning helps to reduce land use conflicts between incompatible land uses by prescribing the types of uses that are permitted in specific areas. Zoning can also be used to protect or enhance the character of a community or area through development standards. |
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