FAQs
- Affordable housing
- Accessible housing for people with disabilities
- Public transit improvements
- Active transportation investments (walking and cycling)
- Public parking investments
- Community facilities (e.g. libraries, recreational facilities)
- Parks and open spaces
- Improvements to the public realm (e.g. landscaping, urban forestry, public art, etc.)
- Green building design (e.g. green roofs, energy efficiency, low impact development, etc.)
- The introduction of Additional Residential Units (ARU)
- Changes related to putting an end to exclusionary zoning by permitting up to four units on a lot, as-of-right
- Recent changes to the residential parking standards that align with Paradigm Transportation Solution’s Residential Parking Standards Review (2023).
What is an Official Plan?
An Official Plan sets out a community’s vision and goals for the future. Its a policy document that guides the short-term and long-term development in your community. It applies to all lands within the municipal boundary and the policies within it provide direction for the size and location of land uses, provision of municipal services and facilities, and preparation of regulatory bylaws to control the development and use of land.
Check out the City of Peterborough’s Official Plan here: https://www.peterborough.ca/en/doing-business/official-plan.aspx
What is a Zoning By-Law?
A planning tool that controls the use of a parcel/land. Zoning By-Laws implement the Official Plan and provide for its day-to-day administration. Zoning By-Laws are legally enforceable, and construction or new development that doesn't comply with a zoning by-law is not allowed, and the municipality will refuse to issue a building permit. Zoning By-Laws set out detailed requirements such as minimum lot areas, maximum building height and number of parking spaces that need to be provided.
What is a Community Planning Permit System (CPPS)?
A land use planning tool available to municipalities in Ontario that combines zoning by-law amendments, site plan approvals and minor variances into a single application and approval process. A CPPS is implemented through a Community Planning Permit By-law, which replaces a municipality’s zoning by-law.
What is Land Use?
Land use refers to the way land is utilized by property owners. Through land use planning, we can determine the best uses of lands to achieve the goals of the community, municipality or senior levels of government. Land uses are often classified into designations like “residential” or “commercial” and often outline what developments and uses are permitted.
Is CPPS replacing all zoning by-laws? Why have a CPPS or staff variation at all as opposed to just updating the zoning by-law?
A CPP By-law can be applied to a specific geographic area or city-wide. In November 2023, Council directed staff to proceed with the recommended option in the CPPS Background Review and Strategic Directions Report to implement a CPPS for the Strategic Growth Areas. The completion of a CPP By-law is one of the City’s key initiatives in its Housing Action Plan as part of the CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund. In March 2025, Council will decide whether to complete a comprehensive update to the zoning by-law for the remaining lands in the city or implement a city-wide CPP by-law.
A CPPS enables the City to streamline development approvals by combining multiple application processes into a single process and shortening the timeframe for approvals i.e., a 45-day timeframe in contrast to the cumulative timeframes (minimum 150 days) for current application processes. A CPP By-law additionally provides the City the ability to impose conditions of approval on the issuance of a Planning Permit. Being able to apply conditions of approval helps to process and move development applications forward to proceed with a building permit and limits amendments for speculation purposes. Further, a CPP By-law can enable the City to consider increased height and density in exchange for “facilities, services and matters” (i.e., community benefits such as affordable housing, green building design, parks and open spaces).
Are new land uses or development regulations, including maximum building heights being contemplated within the City’s Residential, Employment and Rural Transition Area designations being updated / revisited?
In Ontario, municipalities are required to update their zoning by-laws within three years of a new or updated Official Plan coming into effect. The City-wide Community Planning Permit (CPP) By-law will modernize development regulations and ensure consistency with the City’s new Official Plan. It will ultimately replace the City’s existing Zoning By-law.
As part of this process, changes to development regulations across all land use districts will be considered. All proposed changes will be subject to public consultation and will be guided by the policies outlined in the City’s Official Plan.
Through the CPP By-law, the City has the ability to consider adjustments to land use permissions, including the introduction of discretionary uses within zoning districts (precincts). This approach supports greater flexibility as the City grows and enhances the City’s ability to respond to evolving market conditions over time.
The CPP By-law will also keep general regulations with respect to definitions, application and administration, and parking, whereby housekeeping amendments to these regulations may be contemplated within the City-wide CPP By-law.
What are “facilities, services and matters” (i.e., community benefits)?
A CPPS also has a mechanism referred to as “facilities, services, and matters” which can provide the City with opportunities to request community benefits in exchange for height or density. These benefits could include:
Given that the City of Peterborough has significant need for several community benefits noted above, the City is exploring the opportunity for increased height or density within the Study Area.
What previous studies or projects have been completed to inform this work?
The City-wide CPP By-law will build on the policies of the Official Plan and other technical studies completed by the City such as the Transportation and Cycling Master Plans and parks and open space studies. The City-wide CPP By-law will incorporate current updates to the City’s Zoning By-law, including recent changes related to: