The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) ordered on Tuesday that the City of Thunder Bay can now implement its new Zoning By-law, officially passed by City Council on April 11, 2022.
Five appeals to the new By-law have delayed its implementation. The Tribunal’s decision will allow the new By-law to take effect, while the appeals are dealt with separately since they are property-specific.
“Many developers, businesses and property owners have been waiting for the approval of the new Zoning By-law,” said Devon McCloskey, Manager of Planning Services. “This decision allows people who were waiting for the new rules to take effect to be able move ahead with their development project.”
The new Zoning By-law encourages infill development, increasing density, limiting urban sprawl, decreasing parking requirements, and provides for new types of housing on residential lots, such as backyard homes. The changes are in response to provincial policies requiring cities to offer more options to increase housing density.
Commerical properties now have expanded opportunities for retail or office use. The new By-law also has “Business Zones” to encourage additional business development.
The new regulations will also benefit the environment by reducing urban sprawl and encourage increasing housing density within the city’s urban area.
The new Zoning By-law was a priority action of council’s 2019-2020 Strategic Plan, and is aligned with the goals of the City’s Official Plan, which was updated in 2019.
For additional information on the City’s zoning regulations, visit: www.thunderbay.ca/zoning
