Services
Planning Consulting
Guidance and direction can be provided for:
- Development Potential Review
- Official Plan Zoning By-law Amendments
- Minor Variances, Community Planning
- Permits, and Site Plan Approval
- Consents/Land Severances
- Plans of Subdivision and Condominium
- Road Allowance and Original Shore Road
- Allowance Closures
- OLT Professional Planning Evidence
Development Potential Review
Planning analysis at the outset of the development of a property can provide you with valuable insight into the full potential and existing planning constraints of your property or future property. Plan Muskoka can provide you with an analysis of the existing zoning and provide you with a description of the minimum and maximum development provisions that will help guide your design and avoid unnecessary Planning Approvals when obtaining Building Permits. In some instances, a conceptual site design can be prepared for you to visually assess your development rights.
This service has proven to be valuable to contractors and designers beginning the design process for clients, and for real estate agents to help potential purchasers understand the development potential of the property for sale.
Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments
Often when seeking the approval of a land development project a change in land use or a broader change in Official Plan policy relating to a property is required. Plan Muskoka can assist you to determine if an Official Plan or Zoning By-law Amendment is required for your project and can also navigate the Planning Act approval process on your behalf by working with the local municipality for you.
Minor Variances, Community Planning Permits, and Site Plan Approvals
Often prior to getting a Building Permit your project may require a Planning approval beforehand, such as Site Plan Approval or a Community Planning Permit. In some instances a Minor Variance from the Zoning By-law or a variation to a local Community Planning Permit By-law is required when the proposal does not meet the minimum/maximum regulations of the municipality. Plan Muskoka routinely obtains these approvals for their clients’ projects and can do the same for you.
Consents/Land Severances
Consent approvals can divide property to create a new lot, can create a right-of-way fo access, can create easements for various purposes, such as utilities, and can change a boundary or add land from one property to another. Plan Muskoka can assist to determine if your property can be divided and can help you to obtain Consent approval from your local municipality.
Plans of Subdivision and Condominium
While Consent/Land Severance approvals are sufficient for a limited number of properties, Plans of Subdivision or Condominium subdivides land at a greater scale. If you are planning to develop your property as a Subdivision or Condominium, Plan Muskoka can assist you to obtain the approvals necessary to implement your land development project by working with the local approval authority for you.
Road Allowance and Original Shore Road Allowance Closures
If you are seeking to close a road allowance or original shore road allowance that abuts your property, Plan Muskoka can assist in making the application to the local municipality needed to close and purchase those lands.
OLT Professional Planning Evidence
If your Planning Act approval did not go as you hoped or expected it to, sometimes an appeal of the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal (“OLT”) is warranted. Plan Muskoka has worked with lawyers on several OLT cases providing expert witness testimony in the field of Land Use Planning.