Public Meetings and Notices

Zoning By-law Update Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Zoning By-law?

A Zoning By-law implements the Official Plan policies, goals and objectives by regulating the use of land within a community. It provides a legal way to manage land use and future growth and helps to prevent land use conflicts.

A Zoning By-law regulates, among other things:

1. how land may be used;
2. where buildings and other structures can be located;
3. the types of buildings that are permitted and how they may be used; and
4. lot sizes and dimensions, parking requirements, building heights, and setbacks from the road/street.

Why is the Township’s Zoning By-law being updated?

The existing Township of Greater Madawaska Zoning By-law (GMZBL) is 20 years old. There have been a number of changes to land use planning in the Province and County since then. The update will provide an opportunity to adjust and amend the current zoning provisions and regulations to reflect current planning requirements.

Furthermore, the Township is required under Ontario’s Planning Act to update their Zoning By-law within three (3) years of updating a municipal Official Plan. In this case, the County of Renfrew Official Plan (which acts as the local Official Plan for the Township of Greater Madawaska) was updated in 2020.

What has been changed from the current Zoning By-law?

The proposed changes to the Zoning By-law range from minor tweaks to existing text, to overhauls of general provisions, to the introduction of new definitions.

While the changes are quite numerous, some significant changes include:

Modifications to Definitions – Definitions are the backbone of a Zoning By-law. They provide clarity of terms that are frequently used in the document such as “lot”, “yard”, or “accessory”. They also provide a clear understanding of what certain uses encompass, such as “retail establishment”. The definitions in the new GMZBL have been tweaked and modified in order to provide greater clarity for the reader.

Modifications to the General Provisions – The General Provisions of a Zoning By-law are rules and regulations that apply to the entirety of the municipality, or certain groups of zones. The new GMZBL includes new regulations and provisions for Licensed Cannabis Facilities, Short Term Accommodations, setbacks, Additional Dwelling Units, and separation distances. Other existing General Provisions have been slightly modified or streamlined.

Modifications to the Mapping – All Zoning By-laws are accompanied by Schedules, which are maps that divide the municipality into zone districts. There is a set of lot regulations and provisions associated with each zone. Development within that particular zone must comply with the lot regulations. The GMZBL Schedules have been modified in order to comply with the over-arching designations in the County of Renfrew Official Plan. The Schedules also include all of the site-specific exception zones that have been approved by Council in the time since the last Zoning By-law consolidation.

What does this mean for me?

Not much will change for most landowners. There has been little change to how land is developed for single detached dwellings and accessory structures (such as swimming pools and garages). Those landowners that are thinking of developing new non-residential uses such as licenced cannabis facilities and short term rental accommodation should consult the new provisions to see how they might be impacted in the future.

Most of the zoning across the Township will not be changed as result of this Update. However, there are some places where the Mineral Extraction Reserve (EMR) Zone and the Environmental Protection (EP) Zone has been expanded, which has implications for development of those sites. It is recommended that you refer to the new Schedules or consult with staff to determine if the expanded protective zoning impacts your property.

What is the Extractive Industrial Reserve (EMR) Zone and the Environmental Protection (EP) Zone?

The EMR Zone is intended to protect areas of known aggregate deposits (e.g. gravel, sand, and other natural resources from the earth) from development that may preclude the materials in those deposits from being safely removed. Mineral extraction may result in negative impacts related to noise, dust and vibration if sensitive land uses, such as residential dwellings, are located too close to the operation. The EMR Zone protects those areas for potential extraction from incompatible land uses such as houses, schools, and parks.  

The EMR Zone in the new Zoning By-law follows the Mineral Aggregate designation provided for in the County of Renfrew Official Plan. Since the Province of Ontario requires municipalities to identify and protect aggregate reserves, the new Zoning By-law schedules must be consistent with the mapping provided in the County OP.

The EP Zone identifies natural heritage features such as wetlands and watercourses and provides protection from development within, or in close proximity to those features. The EP Zone within the new Zoning By-law schedules is reflective of the mapping of those features provided by the County and Province.

Who approves the new Zoning By-law?

Council for the Township of Greater Madawaska.

Why was I not personally notified of the Update?

Notification for Township-wide Zoning By-law updates are not required to be sent to all landowners within the Township. Staff and the consultants do their best to advertise and promote events and meetings related to the Update. This includes posting notices on the Township website, advertising in the local newspaper, and posting notices on message boards at local community centres and facilities.

Can I be notified in the future?

Yes. Please email development@greatermadawaska.com or krandall@ecovueconsulting.com and asked to be placed on the email notification list.

Can I make comments on the Draft Zoning By-law?

Yes. Comments can be provided via email, mail, or phone to the contact listed below.

When does the comment period end?

Comments can be received and considered up to and including the day when a final decision by Council is made.

What are the next steps?

The consultant and Township staff are currently reviewing comments received from the public, Council, and various agencies. Once that review has taken place, a proposed final draft version will be prepared with the goal of presenting it to Council in late July or early August. Depending on the number of changes made to the draft GMZBL, a second public meeting will likely be required when the final draft GMZBL is presented to Council.

Questions or comments can be directed to:

Kent Randall, B.E.S., MCIP, RPP

Principal Planner

EcoVue Consulting Services Inc.

311 George Street North, Suite 200

Peterborough, ON K9J 3H3

krandall@ecovueconsulting.com

705-876-8340