Livable Oakville Plan Becomes “Official”

July 25, 2011

The new Official Plan for the Town of Oakville, “Livable Oakville,” was approved by the Ontario Municipal Board on May 10, 2011.  Livable Oakville is now in force except for a few remaining policies that are the subject of appeals before other panels of the Board, and some outstanding site-specific appeals.

An Official Plan serves as a long term policy document that guides land use development and growth within a community.  Livable Oakville addresses lands south of Dundas Street and north of Highway 407. 

The lands north of Dundas are subject to the North East and North West Secondary Plans which are already in place. 

When Livable Oakville was initially unveiled in 2009, a number of community members, organizations, and businesses in Oakville raised concerns surrounding the Plan’s impact on their existing businesses, future land use and development, within Oakville.   In total, 56 Ontario Municipal Board appeals were made against the policies within Livable Oakville.  Many appeals addressed concerns relating to the impact that the new policies would have on a landowner or a business’ ability to grow its businesses and service and use their land to continue providing high-quality services within Oakville.

In addition, concerned community residents and business owners were fearful that an unsuccessful appeal of the land use policies in Livable Oakville applicable to their lands would result in a later rezoning or down-zoning of their property in the new Consolidated Zoning By-law that is anticipated to be introduced in the fall of 2011.  As a new Consolidated Zoning By-law will reflect the policies approved in Livable Oakville, ensuring Official Plan policies met the needs of the community was essential. 

O’Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP represented about 20 of the 56 parties who appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board.  We assisted them in meeting their particular needs and in ensuring the policies in Livable Oakville supported their continued success within the community. 

A number of exceptional results were achieved for clients:

1. The original prohibition against plans of subdivision and plans of condominiums and the attempt to limit new lot severances to a maximum of two was abolished.  This will enable a greater variety of innovative land development options within Oakville.
2. Greater certainty for land owners in clarifying which uses are permitted within particular land use designations was realized. 
3. Places of Worship within Oakville were reassured that the provision of essential Special Needs Housing    would continue to be permitted within residential neighbourhoods.
4. Private Schools within Oakville were able to find reassurance that current operations on lands would be preserved to ensure future operation and development on their respective sites.

If you would like further information regarding the application of the policies found in the new approved Livable Oakville Plan, or of the subsequent related land use planning issues that may arise in the future, such as the upcoming production of the Town of Oakville’s new Comprehensive Zoning By-law, please contact our Municipal team at our offices.