Why Do We "Plan" When Building Communities?
We have some clients who are frustrated by the red tape they need to deal with and feel challenged by the planners (public & and private sector) who are simply enforcing the rules.
They don't like being told no, especially when it involves their properties.
This frustration is amplified when the city planner needs to learn about them or understand their problem. These clients, and others, need help understanding why we need to plan, and ultimately pay fees to Council, to decide on their project/idea and zoning.
In short, why do we need to plan for our communities?
I operate a business that benefits from a written Business Plan. My business also has a Marketing Plan guiding my marketing/advertising work. Many companies have one/both of these, which record our goals to hold us accountable when our memory fails. The same approach applies to how a municipality grows or changes. Writing their growth goals down avoids making decisions "on the fly" or relying on the whim of Council. Having an Official Plan is the city's version of a business & and marketing plan but for land development. It's what Council and staff rely on when reviewing development applications.
Having the city's Official (Business) Plan allows them to make decisions that align with their long-term goals, much like operating your business. Every city in Ontario is required by law to have an Official Plan (vision/mission/goals) and a series of Zoning By-laws. Together, these documents "plan" your community. Each is considered "living," meaning they can change over time. LandPro Planning’s plan regularly changes. In proposing a change, you must "justify" the transition and ensure the new use meets the rules.
Only a city or the landowner (you), may change the planning rules for your property.
The city does this, usually for the entire city and one/more purposes. If "you" change the practices, you must justify the change at your expense. To do this, you become the applicant and are responsible for paying all costs to justify the change. These costs include city fees and those for planners, engineers, septic designers, biologists, and others.
Typically, you would hire a planner to understand your project. They in turn would work on your behalf with the city to determine what studies are needed to justify why your project should be allowed, and then hire the right team. Your planner becomes the team quarterback, ensuring everyone prepares the required reports to explain the change. We work directly with the team and city to ensure everyone is doing the right thing.
But why do we plan for our communities, you may still be asking?
It's to ensure compatibility of uses. This means avoiding putting a loud amusement park beside a residential neighbourhood, putting a livestock farm too close to houses, or allowing a motorcycle track next to some homes. While planners may differ on how they see compatibility, we generally consider it as trying to avoid negative impacts between uses. This naturally helps to maintain or improve quality of life and relative property values.
So we "Plan" communities to try to make our immediate world a little better. Councils plan to increase the tax base and keep most residents happy while encouraging new people and jobs to come to the city.
LandPro Planning specializes in navigating the planning process and negotiating to demonstrate that your project represents good planning. Ultimately, our goal is to make your community better.
Remember, "Changing your world is possible. We do it all the time."
