Site Plan Control
What is Site Plan Control?
Site plan control is a form of development control under the Planning Act that deals with the review of the detailed design of a property to ensure that City, Regional and other agency standards and requirements are met. The process allows City staff to review and approve development details like building location, loading and parking facilities, landscaping, grading and servicing.
Development subject to site plan control cannot proceed until site plan approval is granted. Upon approval of the plans, the owner and the City enter into a site plan agreement that contractually binds the owner to develop and maintain a site in accordance with the approved plans and the terms of the agreement.
The Province of Ontario’s Site Plan Control Guide provides additional useful information about site plan control.
Who is affected?
Site Plan control applies to all lands in the City except the following types of development in accordance with By-law 137-89:
- A residential building with two or fewer units, including any accessory buildings or structures, located outside of the Oak Ridges Moraine;
- Farm buildings and structures, located outside of the Oak Ridges Moraine;
- A flood or erosion control structure;
- Mineral aggregate extraction, including wayside pits and quarries;
- Any temporary building or structure as defined in any zoning by-law; and
- Buildings or structures on lands owned or leased by the City of Oshawa, Region of Durham, Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the Oshawa Public Utilities Commission or any other Public Utility Corporation, Ontario Hydro, the Oshawa Harbour Commission and the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority for uses by, or on behalf of, the aforementioned levels of governments or bodies.
Site Plan control applies to all development not exempted by By-law 137-89.
How does a person apply for Site Plan Control?
To apply for site plan approval, complete the Application for Site Plan Approval and Site Plan Agreement or Amendment to an Existing Site Plan Agreement and submit to Planning Services.
The basic process for receiving Site Plan Approval is as follows:
| Step 1 - Pre-consultation |
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Prior to submission of a site plan application you must review your application with staff of the Planning Services Branch, Development and Urban Design Division. This process is called Pre-Consultation. |
| Step 2 - Submission of Application |
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The applicant submits a completed Application for Site Plan Approval and Site Plan Agreement or Amendment to an Existing Site Plan Agreement to Planning Services. Supporting documentation and a fee are required. The Pre-Consultation will determine what plans and documents are required for the first submission. |
| Step 3 - Agency Circulation |
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Detailed drawings and any supporting documentation is circulated to commenting agencies and departments. Applicant obtains comments on any supporting documentation and the detailed site plan drawings. If detailed plans are not acceptable, Step 3 is repeated until plans are acceptable to all commenting agencies and departments. |
| Step 4 - Site Plan Agreement |
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Site Plan Agreement or Amending Agreement is drafted by Development Services Department when applicant provides acceptable detailed drawings. |
| Step 5 - Execution of Agreement |
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City staff finalizes the Site Plan Agreement and forwards to the owner for execution. Owner returns the executed Site Plan Agreement and any required fixed payments or securities to the Legal Services Branch. The City executes the Site Plan Agreement and registers it on title. |