John George Staznik - Approval to amend a municipality’s official plan

The Sault Ste Marie North Planning Board adopted a site-specific Official Plan Amendment (OPA) on March 14, 2024, by By-law No. 2021-11. The ministry will review all feedback received before presenting any potential modifications to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for a decision in accordance with sections 17 and 21 of the Planning Act.

The purpose of this OPA is to allow for the creation of two new lots, through the consent process, that do not meet the Official Plan requirement of being a minimum of 0.8 hectares in size. The proposed OPA exempts the subject property from this policy requirement governing consent applications, thereby enabling the creation of the proposed lots.

The proposed OPA will be reviewed for consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, and matters of provincial interest as set out in section 2 of the Planning Act. Matters of provincial interest include the protection of ecological systems, conservation and management of natural resources, efficient land use, conservation of energy and water, waste management, among other interests.