Official Plan Review

By-law 2024-40 adopts the updated new Official Plan for the Township of Severn and repeals both the original new Official Plan adopted by By-law 2022-65 on November 14, 2022, as well as the previous Official Plan adopted by By-law 2005-90, and all amendments thereto.

The purpose of the updated new Official Plan is to ensure conformity to current provincial and County of Simcoe plans, policies, and legislation and reflect the goals and values of the community. The updated new Official Plan is intended to establish a planning and growth management framework for the Township to the year 2051.

The updated new Official Plan affects all lands within the Township of Severn, and as such, no key map has been provided in this notice.

The updated new Official Plan, together with applicable background information, may be viewed online on the Township's website or in person by appointment at our Administration Office (1024 Hurlwood Lane, Severn

All statutory written and oral submissions made on the updated new Official Plan have been reviewed and considered, and suggestions incorporated into the updated new Official Plan where appropriate. Please refer to the Comment Response Matrix included as Attachment 11 to Planning Report P24-028 prepared for the June 26, 2024 Special Council meeting and as available on the Township's Council portal. 

The updated new Official Plan for the Township of Severn will be submitted to the County of Simcoe for approval. As the approval authority for the updated new Official Plan, the County may approve, modify and approve, or refuse to approve the updated new Official Plan

Any person or public body will receive notice of the decision of the County of Simcoe, as the approval authority, if a written request to be notified is made to:

Nathan Westendorp, MCIP, RPP
County of Simcoe, Planning department
Director of Planning / Chief Planner
Administration Centre, 1110 Highway 26
Midhurst, Ontario L0L 1X0
Email Nathan

The decision of Township of Severn Council to adopt the updated new Official Plan is not subject to appeal. Appeals may only be filed with the County of Simcoe, as the approval authority, once a decision has been made by the County.

The purpose of the proposed new Official Plan is to ensure conformity to current Provincial and County of Simcoe plans, policies, and legislation and to reflect the goals and values of the community. The proposed new Official Plan is intended to establish a planning and growth management framework for the Township to the year 2051.

Township of Severn Council originally adopted a new Official Plan on November 14, 2022. The adopted Official Plan was sent to the County of Simcoe as the approval authority. The County of Simcoe provided comments and proposed modifications to the Township staff for discussion. In the meantime, the Province has unveiled some changes to the planning legislation and policies that will directly impact the Official Plan.

Township staff has worked closely with the planning consultants who were retained by the Township to assist in the preparation of the new Official Plan, to review of the County’s proposed modifications, the legislative and policy changes brought forward by the Province and to consider further modifications.

The scope of the proposed modifications warrants an additional opportunity for public review and commenting prior to the Township Council considering re-adoption of the proposed new Official Plan. 

The proposed new Official Plan has been modified as described below. 

All were welcome to participate in the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation about the proposed new Official Plan. All comments formed part of the public record.

Participation options include: 

As the proposed new Official Plan will apply to all lands within the municipal boundary of the Township of Severn, there is no key map included in this Notice.

The proposed new Official Plan and related information was available on the Township’s website on May 30, 2024, and a hard copy was available for public inspection between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Township’s Administration Office (1024 Hurlwood Lane). Appointments were recommended for viewing the materials. 

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the County of Simcoe 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 Township of Severn before the Official Plan is adopted, 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 Township of Severn before the Official Plan is adopted, 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 do so.

The County of Simcoe is the approval authority of the proposed new Official Plan. If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Township of Severn regarding the adoption of the proposed new Official Plan, you must make a written request to the Township of Severn at planning@severn.caor to the mailing address at the top of this Notice prior to the Township Council’s adoption of the Plan.

For more information about this matter, including information about appeal rights, contact planning@severn.ca or 705-325-2315 x246. 

Our new Official Plan was adopted by Council on November 14, 2022. The new Official Plan for the Township of Severn was then submitted to the County of Simcoe for approval. As the approval authority for the new Official Plan, the County may approve, modify and approve, or refuse to approve our new Official Plan.

View the new Official Plan as adopted on November 14, 2022

Maps and Schedules

Maps included within the adopted Official Plan show the different land uses, functions, infrastructure and resources within the Township.

These are found within the Official Plan Schedules:

• Official Plan Policy Text
• Schedule A – Settlement and Land Use Structure
• Schedule B – Land Use North
• Schedule C – Land Use South
• Schedule D – South of Division Road Secondary Plan Area
• Schedule E - Transportation
• Schedule F – Overlays
• Schedule G – Source Water Protection
• Schedule SA1 – Settlement Areas 1
• Schedule SA2 – Settlement Areas 2

A virtual public meeting of Council was held on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. The community was invited to register as an attendee, and to submit written comments by email. You can watch the recording of the Public Meeting on Severn’s YouTube channel

Severn hosted an open house on September 21, 2022, pursuant to Sections 26(3) and 17(16) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, as amended, to discuss the draft new Official Plan. The open house provided members of the public with the opportunity to learn about the draft new Official Plan, ask staff questions, and provide comments.

The comment period on the adopted new Official Plan is now closed. Written comments were accepted until October 5, 2022, to Andrea Woodrow, Director of Planning and Development by email or by mail. 

Building on our visioning sessions, we released our discussion paper for public review and comment in late 2021.  

An Official Plan is the primary tool for implementing our goals and objectives. The Official Plan will establish a long-term strategy for growth, land use and development in Severn. The new Official Plan will guide all land use planning and development decisions in Severn for the next 20 years.

Over a past four years, we have updated the Official Plan Review in four phases:

1. thorough background research, including opportunities for community input
2. preparation of a draft Official Plan
3. finalization and adoption of the new Official Plan
4. new modifications in response to review and recommendations by the County of Simcoe and proposed provincial policy changes

There are several planning documents that guide land use planning in Ontario, including:

• Planning Act
• Provincial Policy Statement
• Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
• County of Simcoe Official Plan

The new Official Plan will be considered by Council and the County of Simcoe. The County’s decision is subject to appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

The new Official Plan may impact the zoning of your property. The Planning Act requires that we update our Zoning By-law three years after the plan is approved.

Our new Official Plan addresses the following planning and policy areas:

• achieving sustainable development
• delivering a sufficient supply of homes
• building a strong and competitive local economy
• ensuring the vitality of settlement areas and promoting healthy and safe communities
• promoting sustainable transport
• supporting high-quality communications
• making effective use of land
• achieving well-designed places
• conserving and enhancing the natural environment
• conserving and enhancing the historic environment
• meeting the challenge of climate change

We also addressed the following issues:

• shoreline development
• affordable housing
• accessory buildings and structures
• second dwelling units and garden suites
• on-farm diversified uses
• hazard lands
• short-term rentals
• cannabis production facilities
• aggregate operations and associated land use considerations
• rural development

We'll provide information about final approval of our new Official Plan through a range of methods and channels:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• website
• email

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