Planning and Development

E-Permitting for Building Permit Applications

In support of the Provincial Government’s emergency order and the revisions made to the essential services list in regards to construction, Dufferin County's Building Division has implemented new procedures effective as of May 19, 2020, please visit Dufferin County's Building Services for more information.

Dufferin County launched a NEW e-permitting building permit system on February 18th, 2020. Owners and/or Applicants are now able to submit building permit applications, check permit statuses & schedule inspections online! For more information 

Please contact the Township office to arrange payment associated with applications (example Township Development Charges, Entrance Deposit and Fee ext..).

Building permits are required for the construction of new buildings or structures, building additions, renovations, pools, decks, sheds, and structural alterations and must comply with the provisions of the Township By-Laws. A building permit application can be obtained from the Township website on the Applications, Licences and Permits page or the administration office or at the County of Dufferin Building Department.

Please see the following Township Building/Demolition Permits and Planning Information brochure for more information. 

Development Charges

For information regarding the 2019 Development Charges Background Study, By-Law 32-2019 for the Imposition of Development Charges and the annual indexed Development Charges as of January 1, 2021 please visit the Township 2019 Development Charges Background Study page.

Fencing

Please be advised that the Township does not have a fence bylaw for perimeter/boundary fences on private property in residential areas, although there is a Pool Fence Bylaw that applies to all properties. Fencing along the roadway should be placed far enough from the property line so as not to cause snow issues on the roadway, and fencing should not be located within a registered easement on a property, or located within a drainage swale, if such swale exists on the subject property.

Placement of a perimeter fence on a property:

• if there is no agreement between property owners to share the fence, it is advisable for the fence to be constructed solely on the property of the owner(s)

Except in the above noted circumstances (for a pool fence or impeding a registered easement), the Township would not be involved, does not provide surveys, nor require surveys for fencing

• Complement the objectives of the Official Plan;
• Conform to the requirements of the Zoning By-Law and other appropriate by-laws/regulations
• Eliminate or reduce negative impacts on adjacent land uses;
• Provide clear guidelines to help streamline and speed up the approval process.

• PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR SITE PLAN APPROVAL

Please visit our Applications, Licences and Permits webpage for the Site Plan Application and Agent Authorization Form.

The Township is responsible for applications for Severances or Consents. 

Pursuant to the Planning Act, applications for consent are required to be circulated to property owners within 60 metres of the subject property and applicable agencies a minimum of fourteen days prior to the Public Meeting. Public Meetings are held during Council meetings and Council are the decision making body. After a decision has been made by Council, the Clerks Department circulates a Notice of Decision, there is a twenty day appeal period from the date of the Notice. If the application has been approved the Notice of Decision will include the applicable conditions that need to be met prior to the consent being created. The whole process takes a minimum of three months.

For information regarding Surplus Farm Dwelling Severances please review the Township Surplus Farm Dwelling Severances brochure.

Please visit our Applications, Licences and Permits webpage for the Consent Application and Agent Authorization Form. 

• Zoning By-law 60-2004 *This edition (Township Consolidation dated January 2011) is prepared for the purposes of convenience only.   For accurate reference, recourse should be made to the original By-laws on file in the Office of the Township Clerk.
• Schedule A Map
• Schedule A-1 Map
• Schedule A-2 Map
• Schedule B & C

Please visit our Applications, Licences and Permits webpage for the Application for Zoning By-law Amendment.

Due to COVID-19 the Township is accepting Planning Applications electronically only. Please contact the office for more information.

• To review the 2004 Official Plan document (not consolidated with OPA#4)
• OPA#4 Decision Ministry of Municipal Affairs March 10, 2015
• OPA#4 Decision Ontario Municipal Board Decision June 24, 2016

• Schedule A Map
• Schedule A1 Map
• Schedule A2 Map
• Schedule B Map
• Schedule D Map
• Schedule E Map

Please visit our Applications, Licences and Permits webpage for the Application for an Official Plan Amendment.

Due to COVID-19 the Township is accepting Planning Applications electronically only. Please contact the office for more information.

Official Plan Review

Official Plan Amendment No.8 

County of Dufferin Declaration of No Appeal dated May 3, 2021 with respect to Official Plan Amendment No. 8 (OPA#8).

County of Dufferin By-Law 2021-19 being a by-law to approve Official Plan Amendment No. 8 (OPA#8) and Notice of Decision dated April 9, 2021. 

Notice of Adoption dated January 6, 2021 with respect to By-Law 50-2020 being a by-law for the adoption of an amendment to the Township of East Garafraxa Official Plan (Amendment No. 8).

Please note that Official Plan Amendment No. 8 requires approval from the County of Dufferin, which is the approval authority under the Planning Act. Any person or public body will be entitled to receive notice of the decision of the approval authority if a written request to be notified of the decision (including the person’s or public body’s address, fax number or email address) is made to the approval authority at the address listed on the Notice. 

Purpose and Effect of the Official Plan Amendment 

The purpose of this Amendment is to ensure the Township of East Garafraxa Official Plan is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 (PPS 2020) and to bring the Plan into conformity with the County of Dufferin Official Plan, the Credit Valley-Toronto and Region - Central Lake Ontario (CTC) Source Protection Plan; and the Grand River Source Protection Plan.

Official Plan Review - Public Open House and Public Meeting

Please see Notice of Official Plan Public Open House and Public Meeting dated August 31, 2020 and details below with respect to the Township of East Garafraxa Official Plan Review.

Draft Official Plan Amendment Documents

• Draft Official Plan Amendment No. 8 dated September 2020
• Draft Official Plan Amendment - Tracked Changes Consolidation dated September 2020
  

Due to the COVID-19 State of Emergency, physical attendance is not permitted at this Open House and Public Meeting.  The Open House takes the form of a presentation which can be found below. Questions and comments can be submitted by email or mail to Susan M. Stone between Friday, September 11, 2020 and Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at the address below. The public meeting is being held electronically through Zoom and will be available for public viewing, please register here.  The Open House and Public Meeting dates and times are as follows:

OPEN HOUSE DATES

Friday, September 11, 2020 at 10 a.m. to Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 4:30 p.m.
Please see the following Virtual Public Open House Presentation. 

MEETING DATE and TIME

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. 

ANY PERSON may participate in the public meeting or make written or oral representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed Official Plan Amendment. 

1. Written Submission

Written submissions should be addressed to the Township Clerk at the address shown below.   Written comments will be accepted until October 16, 2020. If you wish to be notified of the adoption or the refusal of the proposed Official Plan Amendment, you must also make a written request to the Township Clerk before the adoption of the amendment.

2. Oral Submission

Oral submissions may be provided to Council at the meeting electronically. You must pre-register with the Clerk’s office by email at info@eastgarafraxa.ca, or telephone at 226-259-9400 or mail at the address below before 4:30 pm on Monday, September 28, 2020.  Please include your full name, address, and a call-back phone number.  You will be contacted by the Clerk’s office to confirm your participation and receive the online and call-in information before the meeting.  Technical assistance may be provided to ensure you are able to participate.

The Township of East Garafaxa is processing the Official Plan Amendment as required by the Planning Act and welcome any comments that you may have. 

DETAILS OF THE OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW AND PROPOSED AMENDMENT

The current Official Plan was adopted by Township Council on December 14, 2004 and approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on October 26, 2005.   Official Plan Amendment No. 4 (“OPA No. 4”) to bring the Official Plan into conformity with the Provincial Greenbelt and Growth Plans was subsequently approved in part by the Ontario Municipal Board on June 24, 2016.  OPA No. 4 constituted Phase One of the Official Plan Review.

Phase Two, as noted, addresses matters of provincial interest, and consistency with the PPS and conformity with the County Official Plan.  It affects lands throughout the entire Township of East Garafraxa, therefore a key map or description of the affected lands has not been provided.  Proposed changes include:

1. additions to the permitted uses in the Agricultural and Rural designations to reflect the County Plan;
2. expanded permissions for secondary residential units in existing or new single detached dwellings and related accessory buildings in accordance with the Planning Act
3. prohibition of new residential lots and other sensitive uses not ancillary to primary employment uses in the Employment Area designation;
4. updated policies for the evaluation of Extractive Industrial uses and related development;
5. addition of policies related to source water protection;
6. updated policies related to development criteria including with respect to development compatibility;                     environmental impact assessments; cultural heritage resources; minimum distance formulae; stormwater               management; and excess soil;
7. updated growth management policies in conformity with the County Plan;
8. pre-application consultation and complete application requirement;
9. updated Schedules with respect to the Environmental Protection designation within the Grand River                       Conservation Authority Watershed and Source Water Protection; and,
10. housekeeping matters to the text and Schedules.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional information relating to the Township Official Plan Review and the proposed Township Official Plan Amendment may be requested by email, mail, fax, or telephone from the Township at the address below.

PLANNING ACT REQUIREMENTS

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at the public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of East Garafaxa before the proposed Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the Township of East Garafraxa to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

If a person or a public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of East Garafraxa before the Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party.