Official Plan Review

The Planning Act of Ontario requires municipalities to regularly review their Official Plans to reflect updates to legislation, Provincial plans and policies, and regional government (Simcoe County) plans. The Township is in the process of updating our Official Plan and will be providing opportunities for residents to give input.

Official Plan Review

Our Official Plan is a long-term plan that provides a policy framework for the following:

making land use planning decisions
managing resources
protecting the environment
setting a structure for guiding growth and development.

Draft Official Plan

Maps and Schedules

Timeline

(Update: November 21, 2023) Staff are currently updating the Draft Official Plan, incorporating and reviewing comments received from the public and agencies.

Once the Provincial Planning Statement is in effect, the Draft Official Plan will be finalized, presented to the public as a final draft and subsequently presented to Council for consideration.

Comments will continue to be collected through the Public Consultation Form.

Open Houses

The Townships Official Plan review is focused on the following key themes:

Vision and Guiding Principles
Complete Communities and Balanced Growth
Housing
Community Design and Heritage
Sustainability and Climate Change
Agriculture and Rural Lands

Public Meeting Schedule (TBD)
Date	Time	Location

FAQ

Submit a question you would like answered to planning@ramara.ca. The answer to the question will be added below.

Why do we need to update the Official Plan?

In Section 26(1) of the Planning Act, it outlines the requirements for updating an existing Official Plan. An approved Official Plan can be reviewed at any time, but each local council must update its official plan at least ten years from the date the plan came into effect in the case of a new comprehensive official plan. When an Official Plan is not being replaced, it should be updated at least every five years. This ensures the plan is consistent with Provincial policies and conforms and/or does not conflict with provincial plans, as required. If the plan is inconsistent or conflicts with the statement, the plan is expected to be updated.

The Official Plan update is also an opportunity to ensure the official plan continues to address local priorities and changing community needs. The Township of Ramara Official Plan was enacted on July 31, 2003. The updating of the document was delayed due to the County of Simcoe Official Plan update, which was approved by the County of Simcoe in 2008; however, it was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. The document was finally approved in 2016, and the Township of Ramara must now bring our Official Plan into conformity with the County's approved plan.

How is it that Transportation in Schedule F consists of a map of Ramara that does not even show the Lake St John Airport? Is that all we have for our transportation plan?

The Transportation Plan schedule does not include the Rama Orillia Regional Airport on Lake St. John, as the airport is privately owned and under Federal jurisdiction.

Please tell me where the latest draft of the new OP is located.

The Draft Official Plan with schedules can be accessed above.

How can I provide feedback on the Draft Official Plan?

The public can provide feedback at the open houses or directly to staff during the comment period. You can also submit comments on directly through our Public Consultation Form. Comments will also be received during the Public Meeting to be scheduled tentatively in late fall of 2023.

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