Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the implementation of the Minister enhanced authority under Section 47 of the Planning Act.
Town of Newmarket staff respectfully request the Province to limit the use of the enhanced Minister’s authority to only provincially significant or priority projects. The enhanced Minister’s authority can be an efficient way to expedite zoning and site plan approvals to facilitate transit-oriented projects. The use of inclusionary zoning as part of the Minister’s Zoning Order is supportive especially in addressing housing affordability. However, we would recommend the Province to consider identifying specific types of development or establish criteria to determine when the enhanced Minister’s authority can be exercised. For instance, it may be appropriate to exercise the Minister’s enhanced authority on defined provincially significant and time-sensitive projects; whereas typical local development projects should go through the regular rezoning and site plan approval process at the municipal level.
Site Plan approvals are largely local matters and local knowledge is important in the site plan approval process. Municipal councils have gone through extensive consultation process to determine what, where, and how site plan control shall be conducted based on local needs. As such, the established municipal review process and municipal council’s approval authority should be respected, unless the project is of bona fide inter-regional or provincially significant interest. At a minimum, the Minister should consult local municipalities and consider municipal council’s comments when making decisions on site plan matters.
We recognize there may be local development projects such as the establishment of health care facilities, long-term care homes or affordable housing, which contribute to Provincial priorities and may benefit from a more streamlined development approval process. We would like to work with the Province in exploring options to better facilitate these types of projects, if necessary.