Zoning By-law Review

What is a Zoning By-law?

Every property within the Municipality of South Bruce is subject to requirements of the Zoning By-law. A zoning by-law is a legal document passed under Section 34 of the Planning Act. It is the primary implementation tool for the Municipality and County Official Plans and is intended to reduce conflict between incompatible land uses. The Zoning By-law is considered “applicable law” under the Ontario Building Code Act.

A zoning by-law contains provisions to control:

What a property can be used for;
Where buildings can be placed;
How tall, what size, and how many buildings can be built; and
How many parking spaces are needed, and where the parking spaces can be located.

The by-law includes maps to show what zone each property is and the permitted uses for each zone.

Click here to view the in-effect Zoning By-law for the Municipality of South Bruce.

Visit Bruce County’s website to view interactive zoning maps for all properties located in the County.

Why is the Municipality updating its Zoning By-law?

The Planning Act mandates that Municipalities update their Zoning By-laws within three years of updating their Official Plans to ensure alignment between the two documents. The Municipality’s Official Plan was last updated in 2018, and the Zoning By-law is due for an update. Since the Zoning By-law determines what land uses are and are not permitted on property, it’s important to regularly update these permissions to address the changing needs of society. Updating the Zoning By-law will result in a set of land use regulations that more effectively, efficiently, and fairly address the needs of our community.

For further information on the Planning Act, the Provincial Policy Statement, Citizen’s Guide to Land Use Planning, Bruce County Official Plan, and Municipality of South Bruce Official Plan please visit:

Timeline

Phase 1 Research and Analysis & Initial Public consultation. Phase 2 first draft zoning by-law & ongoing public consultation. phase 3 final zoning by-law approval

Scope of Project

The comprehensive review of the Zoning By-law will include:

A review of zoning of all lands within the Municipality of South Bruce
A review of the existing Zoning By-law as compared to the Official Plan for the County of Bruce and the Official Plan for the Municipality of South Bruce
An analysis of zoning trends
A discussion of planning issues that can be addressed through changes to the zoning by-law
A first draft and final draft of the new zoning by-law, which includes an opportunity for your input and comment
A review of public and stakeholder feedback on how the in-effect Zoning By-law could improve

The comprehensive review of the zoning by-law will not explore matters that are not appropriately resolved through zoning nor deal with requests to change zoning on specific properties, which are more appropriately dealt with through private development applications.

Please visit the County of Bruce’s website for more information on municipal planning applications.

Opportunities for Community Engagement

As part of the comprehensive review of the zoning by-law, there are many opportunities for you or your organization to get involved and provide the municipality with valuable input into your vision for the new zoning by-law.

The Zoning By-law review project will include several public consultation events across the municipality. We are developing timelines for public engagement to keep the public informed and get your valuable feedback into the Zoning By-law. Stay tuned for more details!

Zoning By-law Survey