Proposed City-wide Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments

The Public is invited to participate in a Public Meeting before City Council to consider General Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments (City-wide) on: Monday, August 26th, at 6:30 p.m.

How to participate:

Submit written comments, by emailing Planning Services, no later than August 19th. Please quote the file number, PROJ-04-2024, in your submission.

Participate online using Microsoft Teams. Online participants must register by the end of the day on August 21st. Please email Planning Services to register.

Attend in person, by visiting Council Chambers on the 3rd Floor of City Hall (500 Donald St. E.).

Watch live from home by visiting the Watch Council Meetings webpage or tuning in to Shaw Spotlight Channel 10, BlueCurve Channel 105 or TBayTel TV Channel 110.

 

Purpose and effect of the amendments

The purpose of the proposed amendments is to permit mid-rise and high-rise residential uses within specific non-residential areas to increase opportunities for housing intensification in the Urban Settlement Area. This includes Official Plan policy changes to permit and/or broaden permissions for residential uses in appropriate locations within the Institutional, Service Commercial, Community Commercial, and Business Area designations. The proposed amendments would also redesignate Institutional land to Residential and Heavy Industrial land to Light Industrial in key areas. The proposed Zoning By-law amendments would implement these policy changes and re-designations by permitting and establishing regulations for apartments, care housing, and townhouses in these locations and eliminating new industrial uses from being developed nearby. The proposed amendments would also establish development holding provisions which provide the criteria for residential development at some of these locations. Criteria include land use compatibility studies, archaeological assessments, and the availability of full municipal services.

The effect of the proposed amendments will be to facilitate development that supports housing intensification targets and the City's Official Plan.

The proposed changes would apply to all land within the City of Thunder Bay, therefore a key map has not been provided. Please see the summary of proposed changes (updated August 13th).

Additional information

The report and proposed amendments that will be considered at the public meeting will be made available for viewing on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 online at the Current Agendas and Minutes webpage.

If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Thunder Bay City Council on the proposed Zoning By-law Amendments, you must submit a written request to Planning Services.

Copies of all comments will be forwarded to City Council.  The collection of personal information including names and contact information provided in written submissions is made under the authority of the Planning Act for the purpose of creating a Public Record.  Personal information is collected in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Right to appeal

Please note that the rights of third parties to appeal decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal have been restricted under the Planning Act. Only the applicant, the Minister, and specified persons, public bodies, and registered owners of lands to which the plan or by-law will apply and who make submissions at the public meeting or who make written submissions to the City before the plan is adopted and or By-law passed, will be able to appeal the decision of the City of Thunder Bay to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the City of Thunder Bay to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the City of Thunder Bay before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted and/or by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the City of Thunder Bay before the proposed official plan amendment is adopted and/or by-law is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this notice or require accessible accommodations or materials, please email Planning Services or call (807) 625-2216.