Proposed Planning Act and City of Toronto Act Changes (Schedules 9 and 1 of Bill 23 - the proposed More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022)

ERO number
019-6163
Notice type
Act
Act
Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Notice stage
Decision Updated
Decision posted
Comment period
October 25, 2022 - December 9, 2022 (45 days) Closed
Last updated

Update Announcement

Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 was passed by the Legislature and received Royal Assent on November 28, 2022. We have extended the deadline of this posting to enable your feedback to continue to be submitted so that it can help inform the implementation of this proposal as well as future initiatives. You may also want to consider submitting comments on other related postings and/or providing your comments directly to the Ministry at planningconsultation@ontario.ca.

This consultation was open from:
October 25, 2022
to December 9, 2022

Decision summary

The government has made changes to the Planning Act and City of Toronto Act to support increasing housing supply and streamlining planning approvals.

Decision details

Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, was introduced on October 25, 2022, and received Royal Assent on November 28, 2022.

To support More Homes Built Faster: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan: 20222023, Schedule 9 of Bill 23 made changes to the Planning Act. Schedule 1 of Bill 23 also made similar changes to the City of Toronto Act, 2006 related to site plan provisions.

The changes, among other matters, support:

Addressing the Missing Middle

  • Strengthening the existing “additional residential unit” framework by permitting “as-of-right” (without the need to apply for a rezoning) up to 3 units per lot (i.e., up to 3 units allowed in the primary building, or 2 units allowed in the primary building and 1 unit allowed in an ancillary building such as a garage) in many existing residential areas
  • Enabling applicability of additional residential units by automatically applying the framework Province-wide to any parcel of land where residential uses are permitted in settlement areas with full municipal water and sewage services (except for legal non-conforming uses such as existing houses on hazard lands).
  • Prohibiting municipalities from applying development charges, parkland dedication or cash-in-lieu requirements (019-6172 - Proposed Planning Act and Development Charges Act, 1997 Changes: Providing Greater Cost Certainty for Municipal Development-related Charges), minimum unit sizes (beyond what is outlined in the Building Code) or requiring more than one parking space per unit in respect of any second unit in a primary building and any unit in an ancillary structure

Higher Density Around Transit

  • Requiring municipalities to implement “as-of-right” zoning for transit supportive densities within one year in specified areas around major transit station areas (MTSAs), and protected major transit station areas (PMTSAs) that have been approved by the Minister

Streamlining Municipal Planning Responsibilities

  • Removing the planning policy and approval responsibilities from the following upper-tier municipalities:  Regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, York, and County of Simcoe, and changing their role to commenting on lower-tier planning decisions within their jurisdiction, effective upon proclamation at a future date
  • Allowing for additional upper-tier municipalities to be added as upper-tier municipalities without planning responsibilities in the future via regulation

Third Party Appeals

  • Limiting third party appeals for consents and minor variances.  Generally, third party appeals are appeals made by someone other than the person who made the planning application

Public Meetings – Draft Plans of Subdivision

  • Removing the public meeting requirement for plans of subdivision

Site Plan – Exemption for Development up to 10 units, Architectural Details and Landscape Design

  • Exempting all aspects of site plan control for residential development up to 10 units (except for the development of land lease communities)
  • Limiting the scope of site plan control by removing the ability for municipalities to regulate architectural details of buildings (except as permitted by the Building Code) and aesthetic aspects of landscape design

Streamlining Approval Process for Land Lease Communities (LLC)

  • Allowing LLCs to be approved through site plan control instead of plan of subdivision so that they can leverage a maximum lease period of up to 49 years (up from the maximum permitted of 21 years without a land division approval). This change would not apply in the Greenbelt Area

Facilitating Planning Applications

  • Removing the “2-year timeout” period for applications to amend new official plans, secondary plans, and comprehensive zoning by-laws and for applications for minor variances to site-specific zoning by-laws
  • Currently, the Act sets a 2-year period where changes to new official plans, secondary plans and new comprehensive zoning by-laws and minor variances to site-specific zoning by-laws are not permitted, unless these changes are municipally-supported

Conservation Authorities

  • Re-enacting provisions that are not yet in force but would limit conservation authority (CA) appeals of land use planning decisions. CAs would continue to be able to appeal matters where they are the applicant. When acting as a public body, CAs would only be able to appeal matters with respect to natural hazards
  • Broadening the ability of CAs to use an existing streamlined process to sever and dispose of land
  • Both of these changes applicable to CAs are proposed to take effect January 1, 2023

The legislation provides more detail on all the reforms and can be viewed on the website identified below.

Comments received

Through the registry

466

By email

116

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

The government received 582 written comments related to the consultation. This included 466 comments submitted directly through the ERO notice prior to the closing of the commenting period for the posting on December 9, 2022, and 116 comments submitted by email prior to this notice being posted.

There was a wide range of feedback with many submissions acknowledging Ontario’s housing crisis, and general overall support for increasing supply to meet demand, enabling more intensified housing forms, and making the development process more streamlined and faster.  Many of the comments received pertained generally to housing affordability and supply and included specific feedback on matters beyond the Planning Act.

There was both positive feedback and concerns raised regarding the proposed changes to the Planning Act. Commonly referenced areas in the feedback received related to the proposed changes to increase missing middle housing and residential housing densities, the powers of Conservation Authorities, the municipality ability to regulate aspects of site plan control, changes to third party appeals, and the streamlining of planning responsibilities in certain upper-tier municipalities.

There was general overall support for increasing housing supply / availability, promoting higher density around transit, and leveraging existing space to create new homes.  Positive feedback was generally received regarding the proposed changes to strengthen the existing “additional residential unit” framework by permitting “as-of-right” permissions for up to 3 units per lot in most residential areas, the proposal to increase transit-supportive densities in specified areas around transit, and the proposals related to land lease communities.  Some commonly identified concerns related to infrastructure and the ability to handle additional capacity.

Generally negative feedback was received with respect to other proposed changes in the Bill, specifically those related to: third party appeals, upper-tier planning, site plan control, and the role of Conservation Authorities.

Effects of the Consultation on this Decision

In developing and finalizing the legislation, consideration was given to all comments received, including those received through other related consultations, and comments received through the Standing Committee process.

A number of changes were made to the Bill through the Standing Committee process in response to consultation feedback received, specifically:

Third Party Appeals:  

  • The Bill as introduced proposed to limit third party appeals for all planning matters (appeal rights would be maintained for key participants, such as applicants, the Province and public bodies, including First Nations, and utility providers that participated in the process)
  • Through the Standing Committee process, changes were made to limit third party appeals only for minor variances and consents (appeal rights would be maintained for key participants, such as applicants, the Province and public bodies, including First Nations, and utility providers that participated in the process).  Appeal rights for official plans and amendments and zoning by-laws and amendments would be maintained for all parties

Facilitating Planning Applications:

    • The Bill as introduced proposed to remove the “2-year timeout” period for applications to amend new official plans, secondary plans, and zoning by-laws for aggregate operations only
  • Through the Standing Committee process, changes were made to apply this timeout more broadly.  The changes to the Act remove the “2-year timeout” period for applications to amend new official plans, secondary plans, comprehensive zoning by-laws, and minor variances to site-specific rezonings

Site Plan:

  • The consultation brought heightened attention to the use of site plan control to regulate the implementation of green standards in new developments   
  • The proposed changes to the site plan provisions were not intended to prevent municipalities from implementing green standards, but to prevent municipalities from using site plan to implement unnecessary visual design requirements (e.g., mandating a certain type of brick exterior colour or finish)

Through Committee, the government proposed changes to Bill 23 that give municipalities the authority to apply green development standards through site plan control if they pass by-laws to this effect, by referencing opt-in Building Code standards that the government will be developing

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-6163
Notice type
Act
Act
Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Proposal posted

Comment period

October 25, 2022 - December 9, 2022 (45 days)

Proposal details

Everyone in Ontario should be able to find a home that is right for them. But too many people are struggling with the rising cost of living and with finding housing that meets their family’s needs.

Ontario’s housing supply crisis is a problem which has been decades in the making. It will take both short-term strategies and long-term commitment from all levels of government, the private sector, and not-for-profits to drive change. Each entity will have to do their part to be part of the solution to this crisis.

Ontario needs more housing, and we need it now. That’s why the Ontario government is taking bold and transformative action to get 1.5 million homes built over the next 10 years.

To support More Homes Built Faster: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan: 2022-2023, the government introduced the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, which, if passed, would ensure that cities, towns, and rural communities grow with a mix of ownership and rental housing types that meet the needs of all Ontarians. These visionary changes will place Ontario at the forefront of housing policy in North America.

These changes are providing a solid foundation to address Ontario’s housing supply crisis over the long term and will be supplemented by continued action in the future.

Bill 23 proposes changes to the Planning Act and City of Toronto Act, 2006 to further streamline approvals for housing and reduce barriers and costs to development so that cities, towns and rural communities can grow with a mix of ownership and rental housing types – from single family homes to townhomes and mid-rise apartments.

You are invited to share your thoughts on the changes proposed under the proposed More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, which are set out in more detail below.

Proposed Planning Act Amendments

Schedule 9 of the Bill proposes a number of amendments to the Planning Act.

The proposed amendments, if passed, would, among other matters, support:

Addressing the Missing Middle

  • Changes are proposed to strengthen the existing “additional residential unit” framework. The proposed changes would allow, “as-of-right” (without the need to apply for a rezoning) up to 3 units per lot in many existing residential areas.
  • The proposed changes would supersede local official plans and zoning to automatically apply province-wide to any parcel of land where residential uses are permitted in settlement areas with full municipal water and sewage services (except for legal non-conforming uses such as existing houses on hazard lands).
  • To remove barriers and incent these types of units, the proposed changes would also prohibit municipalities from imposing development charges, parkland dedication or cash-in-lieu requirements (Proposed Planning Act and Development Charges Act Changes: Providing Greater Cost Certainty for Municipal Development-related Charges), applying minimum unit sizes or requiring more than one parking space per unit in respect of any second unit in a primary building and any unit in an ancillary structure.

Higher Density Around Transit

  • Changes are proposed to require municipalities to implement “as-of-right” zoning for transit supportive densities in specified areas around transit stations, known as “major transit station areas” (MTSAs), and “protected major transit station areas” (PMTSAs) that have been approved by the Minister.
  • If passed, the changes would require municipalities to update their zoning by-laws to permit transit-supportive densities as-of-right within 1 year of MTSA or PMTSA approval; if zoning updates were not undertaken within the 1-year period, the usual protection from appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal for PMTSAs would not apply.

Streamlining Municipal Planning Responsibilities

  • Changes are proposed to remove the planning policy and approval responsibilities from certain upper-tier municipalities (regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Simcoe, Waterloo, York). These proposed changes would come into effect upon proclamation at a future date.
  • Future regulations would identify which official plans and amendments would not require approval by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (i.e., which lower-tier plans and amendments of the lower-tier municipality would need no further approval).
  • The proposed changes could also potentially be applied to additional upper-tier municipalities in the future via regulation.

Third Party Appeals

  • Changes are proposed to limit third party appeals for all planning matters (official plans, official plan amendments, zoning by-laws, zoning by-law amendments, consents and minor variances). Third party appeals are generally appeals made by someone other than the person who made the planning application.
  • Appeal rights would be maintained for key participants (e.g., applicants, the Province, public bodies including Indigenous communities, utility providers that participated in the process), except where appeals have already been restricted (e.g., the Minister’s decision on new official plan).
  • The proposed limit on third-party appeals would apply to any matter that has been appealed (other than by a party whose appeal rights are being maintained) but has not yet been scheduled for a hearing on the merits of the appeal by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) on the day the bill is introduced.

Public Meetings - Plans of Subdivision

  • Changes are proposed to remove the public meeting requirement for draft plans of subdivision.

Site Plan – Exemption for Development up to 10 units, Architectural Details and Landscape Design

  • Changes are proposed to exempt all aspects of site plan control for residential development up to 10 units (except for the development of land lease communities).
  • Changes are proposed to limit the scope of site plan control by removing the ability for municipalities to regulate architectural details and landscape design.

Streamline Approval Process for Land Lease Communities (LLC)

  • Changes are proposed to allow LLCs to be approved through site plan control instead of plan of subdivision so that they can leverage a maximum lease period of up to 49 years (up from the maximum permitted of 21 years without a land division approval). This change would not apply in the Greenbelt Area.

Facilitating Aggregate Applications

  • Changes are proposed to remove the “2-year timeout” period for applications to amend new official plans, secondary plans and zoning by-laws in respect of mineral aggregate operations.
  • Currently, the Act sets a 2-year period where changes to new official plans, secondary plans and new comprehensive zoning by-laws are not permitted, unless these changes are municipally-supported.

Conservation Authorities

  • Changes are proposed to re-enact provisions that are not yet in force but would limit conservation authority (CA) appeals of land use planning decisions. CAs would continue to be able to appeal matters where they are the applicant. When acting as a public body, CAs would only be able to appeal with respect to matters related to natural hazard policies in provincial policy statements.
  • Changes are also proposed to broaden the ability of CAs to use an existing streamlined process to sever and dispose of land.
  • Both of these changes are proposed to take effect January 1, 2023.

Schedule 1 of Bill 23 would also make consequential amendments to the City of Toronto Act, 2006 related to proposed changes to site plan provisions.

Bill 23 provides more detail on all the proposed reforms and can be viewed on the website identified below.

Analysis of Regulatory Impact:

  • The anticipated economic benefits of this proposal overall would be positive in terms of impacts on the land development and construction industry and homeowners. The proposed changes to the land use planning system would expedite development (time savings), remove barriers and reduce costs (e.g., application fees) for the development sector and private homeowners.
  • There would be no annual administrative costs to businesses anticipated from these proposed changes.
  • However, based on preliminary analysis, there may be costs to municipalities as a result of these proposed changes. This would range from minimal direct compliance costs associated with municipal staff learning about the changes and adapting existing business processes, to significant one-time direct compliance costs for “upper-tier municipalities without planning responsibilities” and the lower-tier municipalities in those jurisdictions to revise administrative and financial processes and shift resources accordingly. It is expected that any additional costs associated with planning responsibilities would be taken on by lower-tier municipalities
  • The Ontario Land Tribunal would have an interest in these proposed changes and would be expected to benefit from the resulting reduced caseload, which could also help expedite the resolution of other appeals These impacts on the tribunal could also benefit municipalities, property owners and the development sector through faster decisions.

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Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from October 25, 2022
to December 9, 2022

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