OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW
Introduction
The Township has recently completed a review and update of its previous Official Plan, which was adopted by Township Council on November 3, 1997, and approved by the Region of Durham on March 10, 1999 and the Ontario Municipal Board on November 5, 1999. This page provides an overview of the process, background information, reports, notices of public consultation events and other relevant documentation.
Click here to view the 2009 Township of Scugog Official Plan, as adopted by Township Council pursuant to By-Law No. 70-09 on June 22, 2009. The plan is currently being considered for approval by the Region of Durham.
Township of Scugog Official Plan
The Township Official Plan sets out a vision, policies and guidelines to guide and control future land use development and redevelopment within the municipality, while safeguarding significant natural features and rural areas. It provides a general policy direction and land use planning framework to guide the physical, social, economic and environmental management and growth of the Township.
Need for Official Plan Review
The Planning Act (Provincial legislation) requires that the Council of a municipality that has adopted an official plan shall, not less frequently than every five years, revise the official plan as required to ensure that it:
- Conforms with provincial plans;
- Has regard for matters of provincial interest; and
- Is consistent with provincial policy statements.
Subsequent to the approval of the Township Official Plan in 1999, the Province brought forth significant legislative changes to the Planning Act and introduced several new policies and plans that the Township’s plan had to comply with, including:
- The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan;
- The 2005 Provincial Policy Statement;
- The Greenbelt Plan;
- The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
The Township Official Plan must also conform to the Durham Regional Official Plan. The Region of Durham completed a review of its plan in September 2006 and amended the document to implement the review findings (Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 114). The Region has also further amended its plan to conform to the Provincial Growth Plan (Regional Official Plan Amendment No. 128).
Review Strategy and Documentation
In January 2007, Council authorized initiation of the Township Official Plan Review and approved the budget and terms of reference in March 2007.
| Document | Release Date | Staff Report No. |
| Staff Report to Initiate Official Plan Review | January, 2007 | PLAN-2007-02 |
| Staff Report to Seek Approval of Budget and Terms of Reference | March, 2007 | PLAN-2007-11 |
As noted in the reports, the Official Plan Review was undertaken in three (3) distinct phases:
- Issues Identification
- Key Policy Papers and Directions
- Official Plan Preparation and Approval
Once authorized by Council for release, documents prepared for the Review were circulated to agencies and placed on the Township website. They were also made available at the Municipal Office and the Scugog Memorial Public Library. Notices advertising their release were placed in the Township Bulletin Board section of the local newspapers. Comments received on the documents were forwarded to Township Council and considered in preparing the new Official Plan.
Phase I - Issues Identification
Two background papers were prepared to initiate discussion on the Official Plan Review. The
Planning Issues Report contained general facts on Scugog Township and provided the basis for the initial discussion and identification of issues. A
Growth Management Discussion Paper was also prepared.
Phase II - Key Policy Directions
The
Planning Issues Report and
Growth Management Discussion Paper identified several issues requiring further consideration through the Official Plan Review, including:
- Conformity with Provincial and Regional Plans
- Population and Employment
- Intensification and Land Needs
- Servicing Capacity
- Housing Type and Tenure
- Hamlet Development
- Downtown Strategy
- Commercial Policies
- Employment Areas
- Shoreline Development
- Rural and Agricultural Areas
- The Natural Environment
- Energy Conservation and Environmental Sustainability
Over 2007 and 2008 a series of background papers was prepared to address the issues.
The final document in the series of nine background papers released during Phases I and II of the Official Plan Review, entitled the
Planning Directions Report, provided:
- An overview of the consultation process;
- A summary of the issues and planning directions identified in each of the background papers; and
- An examination of the policy issues not addressed in the other background papers, which included servicing, transportation and infrastructure, accessibility, shoreline development, housing and intensification, hamlet development, economic development and monitoring.
Phase III – Official Plan Preparation
Phase III began with the release of the
Proposed Strategic Directions report in September, 2008. The directions provided the foundation upon which the new Township Official Plan is based.
The
Draft Official Plan, released on February 9, 2009, built on the outcome of Phase II and the
Proposed Strategic Directions. The Draft Plan updated the policy framework for guiding growth and development within the municipality, while taking into consideration important social, economic and environmental matters. It also incorporated required Provincial plans and policies, and amendments to the Durham Regional Official Plan introduced through Amendment Nos. 114 and 128.
The
Draft Official Plan – Strikeout Version, released on May 25, 2009, incorporated changes to the original Draft Plan resulting from public comments received until April 24, 2009. This version of the Plan formed the basis for the
Recommended Official Plan, which was presented to Council for adoption.
During its consideration of the
Draft Official Plan – Strikeout Version, Council identified the need for additional policies and mapping related to Parks and Open Space. Staff prepared two reports recommending text and schedule amendments to address this need. The
Recommended Official Plan incorporated the approved revisions.
| Document | Release Date | Staff Report No. |
| Parks, Open Space and Trail Policies and Mapping | June, 2009 | PLAN-2009-35 |
| Addendum Report | June, 2009 | PLAN-2009-39 |
On June 22, 2009, Council passed By-Law No. 70-09 to adopt a new Township of Scugog Official Plan. The adopted Official Plan has since been forwarded to the Region of Durham for approval.
Click here to view 2009 Township of Scugog Official Plan.
Public Consultation
In accordance with the Planning Act, the Township Official Plan Review provided several opportunities for interested parties to offer input.
To effectively engage the public and stakeholders, information on the Official Plan Review process was made available through the Township website and advertisements in the Township Bulletin Board section of the local newspapers. A public consultation process complemented the published material, and included public meetings, open houses and workshops.
The first round of public consultation for the Official Plan Review took place at the conclusion of Phase I and provided stakeholders an opportunity to comment on the
Planning Issues Report and
Growth Management Discussion Paper. During this round, the statutory public meeting to initiate the Review, as required by the Planning Act, was held on May 28, 2007 in the Council Chambers. Additional public open houses were convened on May 31, 2007 in Greenbank and June 4, 2007 in Blackstock to offer further opportunity for stakeholder input.
Through the Review process, the Township also convened a three-day interactive design charette in May 2007 to elicit input into the Downtown Development Strategy. A subsequent open house regarding heritage conservation within downtown was held on January 28, 2008.
Public input on the
Proposed Strategic Directions, Planning Directions Report and Phase II was received through two workshops (September 23 and 24, 2008) and a Council public meeting (October 27, 2008). A report summarizing the feedback received through Phase II was presented to Council on October 27, 2008.
The third and final stage of public consultation began with the release of the
Draft Official Plan in February 2009. As part of the statutory approval process set out in the Planning Act, the Township held an open house on March 30, 2009 to explain the Plan and obtain initial feedback.
Comments on the Draft Plan were received until April 24, 2009. A total of 38 submissions were received from advisory committees, agencies, organizations and individuals. Most of the comments received were requests for minor changes to the wording of the policies or the mapping in the schedules. A report summarizing the comments on the
Draft Official Plan was presented to Council on May 25, 2009.
| Document | Release Date | Staff Report No. |
| Comments on the Planning Directions Report and Proposed Strategic Directions | October, 2008 | PLAN-2008-54 |
| Comments on the Draft Official Plan | May, 2009 | |
After Council adoption, the new Official Plan was forwarded to the Region of Durham for approval. During this process, the Regional Planning Committee will hold a public meeting, likely in Scugog, to hear comments related to the approval of the Plan. Complementary amendments to the Regional Official Plan to enable implementation of the Township’s document will be brought forward at this time.
Additional Information/Comments/Questions
Interested persons may also obtain information on the Official Plan Review at the Township of Scugog Planning and Public Works Department, in the Municipal Office at 181 Perry Street, Port Perry, ON, L9L 1A7, during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You may direct your inquiries to the Department at:
