March 9, 2015 news release from Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Peter MIlczyn’s office

A previous post about this topic can be accessed here.

NEWS

Office of MPP Peter Milczyn

Etobicoke-Lakeshore

Ontario Amending the Planning Act and Introducing New Rules for Community Smart Growth

Smart planning for a stronger and more engaged Etobicoke-Lakeshore

NEWS                                                                                                               March 9, 2015

Ontario is proposing reforms to the Planning Act and the Development Charges Act that would give residents a greater say in how their communities grow and restore local decision making to municipalities.

QUOTES

“I am very pleased with the changes to the Planning Act and Development Charges Act which have been proposed by the Hon. Ted McMeekin, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. These are precisely the changes that I had called for during my seventeen year career as a City Councillor and in my recent Private Member’s Bill. Municipalities will have more final decision making, there will be far fewer appeals to the OMB, more citizen engagement in the planning process, more money for transit and other growth related services. My constituents will also be very happy to hear that the definition of a ‘minor variance’ will be more clearly defined.”

The proposed Planning Act changes, if passed, would:

• Give municipalities more control and decision making over local Planning matters, reduce the number and frequency of appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board, better define what constitutes a “minor variance”, ensure that development provides increased funding for transit, increase transparency and accountability on use of funds collected from development, in addition to a whole suite of changes proposed.

• The Ontario Government is also committed to undertaking additional reviews and changes to the structure and operation of the Ontario Municipal Board, and housing policies later this year.

Changes to the Development Charges Act, if passed, would:

• The Development Charges Act will be amended to allow municipalities to collect more funding for Transit infrastructure, Waste Recycling and Handling facilities.

• The current Development Charge system requires municipalities to base their charges on historic levels of service provision to new development. The proposed changes will allow municipalities to derive fees on the basis of desired future levels of service or enhanced levels of services (The City of Toronto will be able to collect millions of additional dollars annually from new development. The precise figures will be subject to the City of Toronto adopting a new development charges by-law).

• Changes will require municipalities to clearly report how much money has been collected and how it is being spent.

LEARN MORE

• MPP Milczyn’s E-News summary of Bill 73

• Details about changes to the land use planning and appeal system

• Changes to the development charges systems

______________________________________________________________

For further inquiries, please contact:

 Tanya Kuzman, Office of MPP Peter Milczyn, 416 526 9307

ontario.ca/landuseplanning

Disponible en français