As a practicing architect…

As a practicing architect with projects in major municipalities across Ontario, I strongly support the initiatives in Bill 17 to limit the number of expert reports and make their acceptance mandatory when prepared by certified professionals. Currently, there is a huge variation in the number and type of reports requested and they are subject to redundant reviews, leading to multiple resubmissions. This is one of the many issues contributing to delayed planning approvals and the associated impacts identified in by the Ontario Association of Architects in their recent report on the Cost of Site Plan Delays.