Official Plan Update Public Workshop
Press Release
The City of Orillia is hosting an in-person visioning workshop Tuesday, November 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Mariposa Inn.
An Official Plan is a long-term policy document that guides land-use planning decisions in the City.
The purpose of this workshop and survey is to understand the community’s vision for the future of Orillia. Key themes of the Official Plan Review and Update include growth management and land use, housing, climate action, transportation, infrastructure, community services, and protecting the natural areas.
The City is in the initial stages of reviewing and updating its Official Plan. The purpose of the workshop is to understand the community’s vision for the future of the City over the next 30 years. Please see the notice online for more information on the planning process.
Although the City is planning for growth over the next 30 years and is also in the process of studying a potential Settlement Area Boundary Expansion, this Official Plan Review process will only involve the development of planning policies for lands currently located in the City’s existing limits. Decisions made with respect to municipal boundary adjustments are separately made through a process governed by the municipal restructuring process, regulated by the Municipal Act.
The Official Plan Review is a multi-year planning process and will follow four distinct stages. At each stage in the process, the public and Council will be involved. All input and ideas provided by the community will inform the Official Plan Review. It is expected to take two years to develop the City’s new Official Plan. Once the new Official Plan has been adopted by Council, then the Province of Ontario must review and approve the new plan.
Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to attend. This is a drop-in event and no registration is required to participate. An introductory presentation will be delivered at 7 p.m., followed by activities and discussions. Help spread the word about this important visioning workshop by sharing the notice with your community stakeholders.
If you are unable to attend in-person you can complete a brief online survey to share your ideas for the future of Orillia. The online survey will be available to complete until Nov. 30. For more information, please contact planning@orillia.ca or 705-325-2622 or Jill Lewis, Senior Planner, at jlewis@orillia.ca or 705-418-3232.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
