If your project does not comply with the City's Zoning By-law or involves the division of land, a development application may be required. Projects involving apartments, block townhouses, commercial, industrial or institutional development may require a development application.
Planning Services reviews and processes the following types of development applications under the Planning Act.
Pre-Consultation |
Before submitting an Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law, Subdivision, Condominium or Site Plan Control application, applicants are encouraged to have a multi-stage meeting with the City of Oshawa in accordance with the Pre-consultation By-law, as amended. Early consultation helps identify issues and assists in the application process. It will also help determine if other applications are needed and which plans, studies and documents are required for a complete application.
Before submitting a pre-consultation request, applicants are encouraged to contact Planning Services for an initial discussion to help identify current zoning and potential road widening requirements and assist in preparing preliminary plans for pre-consultation.
To apply for pre-consultation and submit materials visit the Oshawa Application Portal.
Fees
Type | Fee |
Stage 1 Pre-consultation |
$1,858 |
Stage 2 Pre-consultation (no technical review requested) |
$531 |
Stage 2 Pre-consultation (technical review requested) |
50% of the appropriate fee |
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Subdividing Land
To divide a single lot of land into two or more lots, one of following applications may need to be submitted:
Committee of Adjustment |
Visit our Committee of Adjustment webpage for more information.
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Part Lot Control |
To apply for removal of part lot control, complete the Application for Removal of Part Lot Control and submit it through the Oshawa Application Portal. In addition to the Oshawa Application Portal submission, send one original hard copy of the application form to Planning Services by mail or deliver it in-person, to Service Oshawa (50 Centre St. S.) along with 2 hard copies of all other submission materials.
Fees
Type | Fee |
Application to Lift Part Lot Control and Amendments to Part Lot Control Approvals |
$2,081
plus cost of by-law registration |
Application to Amend Part Lot Control Approval that involves changes to Conditions only |
$1,044 |
Extension to a Part Lot Control By-law |
$1,044
plus cost of by-law registration |
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Plans of Condominium or Subdivision |
Plan of Condominium
A condominium is a type of tenure or ownership (not a type of building). Typically, a condominium owner does not own the land but rather the building or unit located on or above the land.
Plan of Subdivision
A plan of subdivision is a legal survey that proposes to divide a piece of land into smaller pieces. A plan of subdivision is generally required when more than three lots, new roads or extensions to existing roads or services are proposed.
If a proposal involves creating only one or two parcels, you may be able to seek approval for land severance.
Apply for a draft plan of condominium or subdivision
Before starting the application process, request a pre-consultation through our Oshawa Application Portal.
To apply for a draft plan of subdivision or condominium, complete the Application to Process a Draft Plan of Subdivision or the Application to Process a Draft Plan of Condominium and submit it through the Oshawa Application Portal. In addition to the Oshawa Application Portal submission, one original hard copy of the application form must be commissioned and mailed/dropped off to Planning Services, as well as two hard copies of all submission materials.
One of the reports required with an application to process a draft plan of condominium intended to convert a rental property to condominium tenure is a Planning Justification Report. See below for terms of reference for this report.
Fees
Type | Fee |
Draft Approval or Amendment for Common Element Condominiums |
$15,914 |
Draft Approval or Amendment for all other Condominiums |
$12,466 |
Condominium Agreement or an Amendment |
$2,773 |
Changes to the conditions of a Draft Plan of Condominium approval that do not involve any review of plans (e.g. extension of draft approval) |
$1,044 |
Amendment to Condominium Description or Declaration |
$2,824 |
Draft Plan Approval for Subdivision or Amendments plus $47 per unit/block for the first 200 units/blocks and $266 per unit/block over 200 units/blocks |
$37,132
plus unit/block fees
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Subdivision Agreement or Amendment |
$5,544 |
Clearing/Releasing any Phase of a Plan of Subdivision or Condominium for Registration |
$2,911 |
Reduction of Letter of Credit or Cash Securities for City Services & Landscaping pursuant to Subdivision Agreements |
$352
per release plus H.S.T.
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Official Plan and Zoning
If your project does not comply with the City's Zoning By-law or the Oshawa Official Plan, you may need to revise your plans to comply, or submit one of the following applications.
Official Plan Amendment
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The Oshawa Official Plan sets out the land use policy directions for long-term growth and development in the city, and manages and guides the physical form and growth of the city.
Regular reviews of the Plan ensure it continues to meet the City's changing needs and complies with the Durham Regional Official Plan and Provincial policies. Changes are sometimes required to allow new development or redevelopment.
Apply for an Official Plan Amendment
Before starting the application process, request a pre-consultation through our Oshawa Application Portal.
If your project does not comply with the Oshawa Official Plan, a revision may be required to comply or submit an Application for an Official Plan Amendment through the Oshawa Application Portal. In addition to the Oshawa Application Portal submission, one original hard copy of the application form must be commissioned and mailed/dropped off to Planning Services, as well as two hard copies of all submission materials.
One of the reports required with an application to amend the Official Plan is a Planning Justification Report. See below for terms of reference for this report.
Fees
Type | Fee |
Official Plan and/or Part II Plan and/or Secondary Plan Amendment |
$26,523 |
Regional Official Plan Amendment Review |
$3,465
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Zoning By-law |
Visit our Zoning webpage for more information about zoning and holding symbols. |
Committee of Adjustment |
Visit our Committee of Adjustment webpage for more information. |
Site Plan Control
Certain projects also require a Site Plan Control application, including:
- apartment buildings
- block townhouses
- commercial
- institutional and industrial buildings
- residential and farm development in the Oak Ridges Moraine
Site plan control is a way to manage development under the Planning Act. It deals with the review of the detailed design of a property. The process reviews and approves development details including building location, loading and parking facilities, landscaping, grading and servicing. It also ensures that City, Regional and other agency standards are met.
Development that requires site plan control cannot begin building until approval is granted. Once the plans are approved, the owner and the City enter into a site plan agreement. This agreement ensures the owner develops and maintains a site according to the approved plans and the terms of the agreement.
Visit the Province of Ontario's Site Plan Control Guide to learn more about site plan control.
Site Plan Control applies to all development in the City except for specific uses. Site Plan Control also applies to all residential developments, farm buildings and structures in the Oak Ridges Moraine.
Apply for Site Plan Control |
Before starting the application process, request a pre-consultation through our Oshawa Application Portal.
To apply for site plan approval, complete the Application form and submit it through the Oshawa Application Portal. In addition, one original hard copy of the application form must be printed and either mailed or dropped off to Planning Services, along with two hard copies of all submission materials.
Fees
Type | Fee |
Non-residential |
$5,835 plus 0.45/sq. m. of land area |
Residential
*Note: $79,568 maximum for per unit fee
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$5,835 plus 381/unit* |
Residential development containing 10 units or less in a Prescribed Area |
$5,835 |
Processing of Engineering Drawings |
$4,159 plus 0.31/sq. m. of land area |
Site Plan Agreement or Amendment to Agreement |
$4,244 |
Minor Change Only |
$1,500 |
Notwithstanding the above, the fee for residential development, less than 4 dwelling units including any accessory buildings and structures located within the Oak Ridges Moraine and for farm buildings or structures located with the Oak Ridges Moraine |
$407 |
Site Inspections (for third inspection or more) |
$337 per inspection plus H.S.T. |
Telecommunication Tower |
$6,926
plus site plan fees
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Sign Variance
A Sign By-law controls the details of signs in the City by setting out rules related to their size, location and the type of sign permitted.
In the City of Oshawa, signs are regulated by Sign By-law 72-96.
A sign variance is a minor exception to the Sign By-law for a specific property.
An example of a sign variance may involve a case where an owner wants to install a sign on a business with a sign area of 1.0 sq. m. but the Sign By-law allows a maximum sign area of 0.9 sq. m. To install the larger sign, the owner requires a sign variance.
Apply for a sign variance |
To apply for a Sign By-law variance, complete the Application for a Sign Variance and submit it through the Oshawa Application Portal. In addition, one original hard copy of the application form must be commissioned and either mailed or dropped off to Planning Services, along with one copy of all submission materials.
Fees
Type | Fee |
Residential |
$769 |
Non-residential (all others) |
$1,360 |
Central Business District Zone |
$274 |
Signs not regulated by the Ontario Building Code |
$140 |
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Resources for Development Applications
City Policies |
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War Veteran Street Naming |
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Development Guidelines resources |
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Community Improvement Plan application forms |
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Heritage |
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Terms of Reference
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The Planning Justification Report provides an overall planning framework for understanding the proposal from the applicant’s point of view. This document is intended to help the applicant organize and substantiate the application(s) and to assist municipal staff in the review of the proposal to expedite the City’s responses.
Who Should Prepare This
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A Registered Professional Planner or through direct supervision of an Registered Professional Planner. The report must be stamped and/or signed and dated by the author, licensed in the Province of Ontario.
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When Required
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A full Planning Justification Report is required to be submitted as part of a complete application with the following Planning Act applications:
- Official Plan Amendment
- Zoning By-law Amendment
- Draft Plan of Subdivision
- Draft Plan of Condominium (on a site by site basis)
- Site Plan Control (on a site by site basis)
- Consent (on a site by site basis)
- Minor Variance (on a site by site basis)
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Rationale |
The Planning Justification Report is required to:
- Provide a clear understanding of the proposal
- Provide an opportunity at the outset to establish why the proposal should be considered and approved
- Highlight information specific or particular to the proposal (i.e., special history, different circumstances)
- Assist municipal officials in undertaking their analysis and preparing reports on the application.
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Required Contents |
The Planning Justification Report must contain the following:
- Description of the proposal, overview, major statistics (e.g., height, density, parking), relevant phasing issues, site and contextual considerations
- Required approvals and their sequencing (e.g., Zoning, Site Plan Control, Consent, Condominium)
- Site description and surrounding land uses, context and built form, including planned developments
- Site’s planning history such as pre-consultation, previous approvals, legislative references, appeal history and relevant authorities (e.g., Site Plan Control Agreements, site specific zoning, etc.) with copies of relevant documents
- Indication of intended tenure (e.g. rental, freehold, condominium, etc.)
- Parkland dedication information
- Summary of additional reports and studies that support the application(s)
- Information on the following:
- Relevant Planning Act provisions and regulations
- Relevant Provincial Planning Statement policies
- Relevant Official Plan, Part II Plan and Secondary Plan policies with information/rationale to how and why the proposal is addressing each
- Relevant Zoning By-law information, areas of compliance and non-compliance and why
- How the proposal will address any other relevant City planning studies or guidelines
- Rationale for all proposed site-specific provisions; including design precedents, inspirations and/or examples of similar developments;
- Evaluation and reasoning why the proposal follows good planning, including issues of impact
- Public consultation strategy (as per applicable Ontario Regulation)
- Summary and conclusions
- A draft Official Plan amendment and/or Zoning By-law amendment, as applicable
- Appendices, Maps and Plans
- For all major residential developments consisting of 100 or more units, an Affordability and Accessibility Analysis for all major residential development applications, that:
- justifies how the development application will contribute to achieving affordable housing targets;
- identifies opportunities to include a variety of special needs housing options to accommodate seniors and persons with disabilities; and
- identifies how residents would be able to access health care, social services and other amenities in their community.
- Rationale for all proposed site-specific provisions; including design precedents, inspirations and/or examples of similar developments;
- Evaluation and reasoning why the proposal follows good planning, including issues of impact
- Public consultation strategy (as per applicable Ontario Regulation)
- Summary and conclusions
- A draft Official Plan amendment and/or Zoning By-law amendment, as applicable
- Appendices, Maps and Plans
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Policy and Planning Analysis |
The Policy and Planning Analysis is the most important part of the Planning Justification Report, for establishing why a proposal should be considered for approval by the City of Oshawa.
The Policy and Planning Analysis must provide an outline of applicable planning policy documents and the regulatory contexts and quote specific policies relevant to the proposal. The analysis must establish a planning basis for the application(s) by providing a detailed analysis of the identified relevant policies, including a rationale and opinion, and demonstrate thorough discussion and understanding of the required content described above.
The following documents must be reviewed where applicable to a submitted application including all land use policies in force and effect at the time of submission of any application.
Provincial Policy and Legislation:
- Provincial Planning Statement
- Greenbelt Plan
- Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan
- Any other applicable provincial plan
Municipal Policy or Documents:
- Oshawa Official Plan
- Secondary Plans and Part II Plans
- Subwatershed Studies and Subwatershed Impact Studies
- Master Plans
- Environmental Assessments
- Master Environmental Service Plans
- Council adopted Guidelines and/or Studies
- Applicable provisions in the City’s Zoning By-law
In addition to the above, the following should also be considered, where relevant:
- Applications for Residential Uses:
- Applications for residential use must include an analysis of the proposed number of units counts and their density compared to the requirements in applicable policy documents. Explain why any of the guidelines in the current parent zone that are not being complied with are not suitable for the development. If there are significant changes from the parent zone requirements and provisions and/or density and housing mix provisions will require additional detailed explanations and documentation.
- Documents under Appeal:
- In some cases, policy documents or zoning by-laws affecting the subject lands may have been adopted or approved by Council, but are under appeal. When this happens, the documents are not in effect, but may be relevant to the proposal. All Planning Justification Reports must address the policies in these documents as part of the Policy Analysis and identify if changes would be needed if the document or by-law were in effect.
- Applications for Conversion from Rental Tenure to Condominium Ownership:
- Applications for Draft Plan of Condominium, which propose a conversion of a building from being rental units to condominiums will require a Planning Justification Report. In addition to including a site context and a description of the proposal, the report must provide a detailed analysis addressing the criteria for rental conversions as set out in Official Plans and provincial planning documents. The report must include current vacancy rates in the applicable market(s), the impacts of the proposed conversion to those rates, and the maintenance of the required rental housing thresholds.
Planning Analysis:
- This analysis provides a rationale and opinion for why the proposal is appropriate, in terms of how the proposal addresses “good planning principles”. For example, include a discussion of how the proposal provides beneficial social, cultural, economic or environmental outcomes; how the proposal contributes to creating complete, vibrant communities; and/or how potential negative impacts have been avoided and/or mitigated. A comprehensive assessment of all relevant and appropriate planning policies at the local, regional and provincial levels is required. Reference to only select policies to advance a specific position or argument is not appropriate and may result in the application being deemed incomplete.
- Specifically, the planning analysis should include information on the relevant hierarchical planning criteria found within the Oshawa Official Plan Section 2 Land Use Policies, including, but not limited to, Central Areas, Corridors, Transportation Hubs and Commuter Stations, etc., which may be applicable alongside the policies of the underlying land use designation.
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Resources |
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Need Help with the Oshawa Application Portal
Municipal Planning Application Data
On a quarterly basis, Ontario municipalities that have been assigned housing targets by the Province must send planning application data to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as per Ontario Regulation 73/23, using a standardized report template provided by the Ministry. This report includes the following application types and includes data based on applications submitted, decided or appealed in each reporting period (each quarter):
- Official Plan Amendment
- Zoning By-law Amendment
- Site Plan Approval
- Minor Variance
- Land Severance (Consent)
- Plan of Subdivision
- Plan of Condominium
A standardized summary table is also required to be posted on the municipality’s website. The following pages contain the summary tables from each reporting period starting with the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December 2024). City of Oshawa staff have supplemented the table with a third column (“City Comments”), which summarizes the planning application data using formulas created by the Ministry, with additional information where necessary to clarify the Ministry’s calculations and provide additional information to help create a more accurate understanding of planning application activity within the reporting period.
2024
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4th Quarter Summary Table (Reporting Period of October to December 2024) |
2025
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1st Quarter Summary Table (Reporting Period of January to March 2025)
2nd Quarter Summary Table (Reporting Period of April to June 2025)
3rd Quarter Summary Table (Reporting Period of July to September 2025)
4th Quarter Summary Table (Reporting Period of October to December 2025)
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