Zoning By-law Review

The Town of Caledon has initiated a review and update of the Town's Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2006-50 and has retained Meridian Planning Consultants to assist in this project. Additional information in regards to future steps in the Zoning By-law Review process will be announced on this page in the future.

A staff recommendation report is being brought forward to Planning and Development Committee on April 20, 2021, with ratification to occur on April 27, 2021.

Objectives

The objective of the Zoning By-law Review and Update is to create a more reader-friendly, concise and forward-thinking zoning document by making key revisions to various provisions and standards that will assist in the interpretation and understanding of the document.

This review is also intended to align the Zoning By-law with current planning policies and to improve its structure and format for ease of understanding and implementation.

Principles

The following guiding principles were established for the Zoning By-law review project. These principles serve to guide future decision-making on By-law review matters.

Recognize updated legislation and planning policy
Eliminate duplication and redundancy
Create a user friendly document
Appropriately implement design documents
Maintain existing standards and permissions (where possible)
Avoid site-specific considerations

Process

Part 4: Structure Envelope Mapping Updates - In Effect

The Town is currently in the process of digitizing the Zoning By-law mapping to bring all maps into a geographic information system (GIS) format, ultimately allowing the Zoning By-law to be viewable interactively online. As part of this larger project, staff are first revising all structure envelope (SE) maps contained within the Zoning By-law.

A staff recommendation report was brought forward to Planning and Development Committee on September 22, 2020, and ratified by Council on September 29, 2020. On September 29, 2020, Council approved By-law 2020-072 and no appeals were received. This by-law is in full force and effect.

Part 3: Agricultural and Rural Zoning Updates, including Country Inns, Cannabis, Parking, Driveways and Open Storage - In Process

The Town is currently in the process of reviewing zoning topics, issues, standards and uses related to Agricultural and Rural land uses and areas. Although this review primarily applies to Agricultural and Rural zones (A1, A2, A3, A1-ORM, A2-ORM and A3-ORM), some of the topics may apply to other areas of the Town as well such as parking, driveway, commercial and tractor trailer parking, etc.

As a result of this review, Town staff has identified that updates are required to:

Amend the Maximum Building Area permitted for non-residential uses in the agricultural and rural zones
Amend/clarify the zoning provisions related to undersized agricultural lots, including permissions relating to accessory structures and buildings
Create a definition and associated provisions for Country Inns and adjust other rental/lodging definitions to remove duplication and old terms, and clarify permissions for Bed and Breakfast Establishments
Amend and create definitions and zoning provisions relating to the growing (indoor and outdoor cultivation) and production of cannabis in agricultural areas
Note: This component has a related Official Plan Amendment under File No. POPA 19-06
Create new definitions and provisions to address common zoning issues relating to driveways, open storage and parking, including the insertion of appendices to assist with measuring driveway width
Amend and consolidate permitted uses and definitions in the agricultural and rural zones to remove duplication
Complete general housekeeping tasks such as deletion of zones which are no longer in effect and correction of zone titles

POPA 19-06 and RZ 19-08: Public Notices and Documentation:

Notice of Application and Public Meeting (pdf)
Technical Report and Appendices, prepared by Meridian Planning Consultants (pdf)
Draft Official Plan Amendment (pdf)
Draft Zoning By-law Amendment and Appendices (pdf)

Part 2: Cannabis Production Facilities - Appealed

As recommended by the Staff Report, Council passed By-law 2019-27 to amend Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2006-50, as amended, to permit and regulate cannabis production facilities in Prestige Industrial (MP) and Service Industrial (MS) zones within the Town of Caledon, by deleting, adding and amending definitions and general provisions to reflect new legislation and requirements and changing the permitted use in the A2-595 zone to permit a cannabis production facility rather than a medical marihuana production facility.

At the April 30th Council Meeting, the Staff Report recommendation was amended through a Notice of Motion by Council to add the following paragraphs:

That the growing, producing, processing, etc. of Cannabis on lands designated Prime Agricultural Area, General Agricultural and Rural lands be reviewed as part of the Agriculture Policy review of the Official Plan; and

That the growing of Cannabis on lands zoned Agricultural (A1 and A1-ORM), Rural (A2 and A2-ORM) and Small Agricultural holdings (A3 and A3-ORM) be considered as part of the current 2019 review of the Zoning By-law.

The by-law has been appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Important Message Regarding Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) Proceedings and COVID-19

The Government of Ontario’s Emergency Order made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act retroactive to March 16, 2020, will affect proceedings before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), including suspending timelines, hearing events, and any period of time to initiate or take a step in a proceeding. The suspension will be in effect until the declaration of emergency is lifted and the limitation periods are no longer suspended under O.Reg. 73/20.

For general information concerning the Tribunal, including the LPAT appeal process, you can visit the LPAT website, or call 416-212-6349. For specific questions about how Ontario’s Emergency Order is affecting LPAT proceedings contact:

Tribunal Deputy Registrar
Evelyn Dawes

Part 1: Expedited Industrial and Commercial Zoning Review - In Effect

As a first step in this project, the Town focused on an expedited review of Industrial and Commercial policies and designations in the Town of Caledon Official Plan and how they are being implemented in the Zoning By-law. This component of the project was completed through the adoption by Council of By-law 2016-100 on November 29, 2016.