At the Special Council…

At the Special Council Meeting on May 7th, 2024, Belleville City Council approved a resolution to direct staff to submit comments on behalf of the Corporation of the City of Belleville regarding proposed Bill 185: Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024, and include the following:

The City of Belleville is concerned with the removal of third-party appeals, which would remove the ability for members of the public to appeal an Official Plan, Official Plan amendments, Zoning By-law, and Zoning By-law amendments. Third-party appeals demonstrate the rule of law. Legislation and regulatory changes should be framed to permit third-party appeals, based on planning criteria used in evaluating or determining an Official Plan, Official Plan amendments, Zoning By-Law, and Zoning By-law amendments. This approach would eliminate frivolous appeals without planning criteria grounds while allowing the appropriate checks and balances in planning decisions.

Secondly, the City of Belleville is concerned that expansions of the Urban Settlement Area can be done on individual properties or an ad-hoc basis, which may impact master servicing and infrastructure plans as well as the associated budget consequences.

Finally, the City of Belleville is concerned with the removal of pre-application requirements. Staff utilize this tool to facilitate and identify anticipated roadblocks for applications, and to expedite the application process. Correct and complete applications is key to faster construction. Staff use a common-sense approach to the pre-application process to reduce workload and possible grounds for appeals.

A copy of the resolution is attached with this submission.