Pre-zoning benefits developers

Orillia has a plan to spur residential development in the downtown core, says the city’s director of development services.“A lot of the intensification areas don’t have apartment buildings in them yet,” Ian Sugden said Wednesday. “In most cases, people have to apply for site-specific rezoning to permit that.”

In accordance with the Ontario government’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Orillia must meet an intensification target within the existing built-up area.

“We have to have at least 40% of our population growth occur within that built boundary between now and 2031,” Sugden said.

To direct growth to intensification areas, MHBC Planning Urban Design and Landscape Architecture — a consulting firm completing a comprehensive review of the city’s zoning bylaw — is recommending areas slated for intensification be prezoned.

This will save developers time and money, Sugden said.

Orillia’s official plan outlines the intensification areas as the south half of downtown Orillia from Colborne Street East to Cochrane Street and some areas along Laclie Street, West Street, Coldwater Street and Highway 12 and Memorial Avenue heading toward the city’s core.

Currently, developers are paying more than $3,000 in application fees to rezone land and must prepare background studies to support land-use applications, Sugden said.

The rezoning request could also be appealed at the Ontario Municipal Board, he added.

“If something gets appealed, they can spend thousands of dollars defending their position ....” Sugden said. “They could be at the Ontario Municipal Board for a couple of years.”

Prezoning land for developers removes a barrier, he said.

“It encourages development by providing some certainty to property owners or developers ....” Sugden said. “They know they don’t have to go through their own rezoning process, so it makes an investment in development or redevelopment more attractive.”

The city will lose rezoning application fees, but will make up for it in increased taxes if more development occurs, Sugden said.

At Monday’s council committee meeting, city politicians approved prezoning land in the intensification areas. It must be ratified by council May 6.

The city must update its zoning bylaw no later than three years after the approval of an official plan five-year review. The official plan was approved March 17, 2011.

Sugden said zoning bylaws always prezone land, but Monday’s motion is to see more uses added to the prezoning.

“There are some new uses in the official plan that are not in the zoning in some of the areas,” he said. “By adding more of those uses to it, you’re increasing the amount of things that people could do without seeking council’s permission or their neighbours’ permission.”

The rezoning stage is the only time the public can object or voice concern about a proposal.

If the city prezones intensification areas, developers will still need site-plan approval and/or a building permit, but those do not require public consultation.

When prezoning land, the city must go through the same process as an individual application, Sugden said.

“In order to prezone, we have to go through the same public meeting process and public consultation and appeal process,” he said.

Coun. Linda Murray voiced concern residents wouldn’t get involved in the prezoning process unless it impacted them directly.

“I don’t think, a lot of the time, the public will become interested until it’s in an area that’s going to affect them directly,” she said. “I was wondering what we could do to ensure there is a communications plan.”

Sugden said the city will be holding open houses and public meetings and is urging residents to get involved.

“With a site-specific application, it’s very easy for people to understand ... a complete zoning bylaw for an entire city is a much larger subject and there is no known land-use proposal,” he said.

Sugden added, prezoning only allows uses under Orillia’s official plan. All other uses would have to apply for rezoning.

Mayor Angelo Orsi said prezoning land will “fast-forward one step.”

“We need to talk about how we can better utilize land in the downtown, what (can) be leveraged to get more residents living downtown,” he said. “That’s been something this council has been focused on and wants to see happen.”

Orsi didn’t vote on the motion Monday. He declared a conflict because the zoning bylaw may affect his land. Orsi added it was a perceived conflict, not a legal conflict.

The prezoning motion will be before council Monday.