The Official Plan is the most important planning document in any municipality! This is our long range plan and the road map for how we develop.
This ‘OP’ as we call it is created through consultation with the community and then approved by the Government of Ontario after review by several provincial branches. Every community must have an Official Plan that takes a 20 year look into the future and sets policies to direct all decision-making. We must then review and update this long range plan every 5 years.
The OP is more general in its language and broad sweeping in its designation of areas in town for different types of development. However, once the OP is adopted, the detailed site-specific zoning is adjusted to conform to the OP, and then every decision of Council and every policy we create should support the goals set out in that plan.
Other sub-plans are created to support the Official Plan such as the Comprehensive Zoning By-law, the Downtown Plan and the Community Improvement Plan.
Click here for the Official Town Plan (773 K)
Other supporting plans:
Downtown Plan
In development:
Requesting Amendments or Variances
Community Improvement Plan
Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw