No Final Decisions as Council Advances Official Plan Review Process
Owen Sound Council advanced its Official Plan review, passing motions but making no final decisions. Key issues return in January.
Owen Sound City Council held a special meeting on December 15 to continue work on its comprehensive Official Plan and Zoning By-law Review. The meeting functioned as a working session, giving councillors the opportunity to provide feedback, raise questions, and pass motions shaping the next draft of both documents. No final approvals were made.
The review is a legislated five-year update to ensure conformity with provincial and county planning policies. It also addresses local development priorities, land use changes, housing policy, and zoning modernization.
Several motions were passed by Council directing staff and consultants to explore changes to parking regulations, housing rules, and employment land protections. These directions will be incorporated into the next draft of the plan, expected to return to Council in January 2026.
Among the topics Council addressed:
Parking Requirements: Council requested that staff explore the possibility of introducing parking maximums and reducing or removing minimum parking requirements under certain conditions, such as proximity to transit or the presence of alternative transportation infrastructure. They also asked for specific options to reduce or eliminate parking requirements for additional residential units (ARUs), particularly in areas near major employers or schools.
Employment Land Protection: Council called for a clearer strategy to protect existing employment lands, particularly those designated as Employment 1 and 2 under the draft plan. Concerns were raised about preventing inappropriate residential or sensitive uses from encroaching on industrial areas.
Downtown Flexibility: Motions were passed asking staff to consider more flexibility in the core commercial zone (C1), including reduced parking requirements for small expansions of existing buildings and accommodations for accessibility upgrades.
Boundary Expansion: Council requested a future report on potential triggers for expanding the city’s boundaries, particularly in the context of industrial land supply and future job growth.
A motion to prohibit new drive-through developments in all zones was defeated after debate. While some councillors supported the idea as a way to improve land use and reduce environmental impact, others expressed concern about business viability, accessibility, and the role of drive-throughs during events like the pandemic.
Two issues were identified by staff as still outstanding and set to be addressed in January:
a review of building height policies
and the role of retail market impact studies in new development applications.
These topics were mentioned but not debated in detail.
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Notably, Council did not directly discuss recent written submissions from community stakeholders, including a letter from the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay advocating for stronger affordable housing tools in the Official Plan.
The letter included a number of detailed policy suggestions, such as recognizing non-market housing, segmenting affordability definitions, and establishing a citizen housing task force.
Although staff mentioned general updates to affordable housing policies, these specific proposals did not come up during the meeting.
Council also briefly acknowledged that the City’s existing requirement for retail market analysis in large commercial rezonings will be revisited in the next draft. The future of that policy remains uncertain.
The updated draft of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law is scheduled to return to Council in January 2026 via the Community Services Committee. A statutory public meeting is expected in the fall, followed by final adoption in early 2026. Final approval of the Official Plan amendment will rest with Grey County.
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