Site Plan Control

What is Site Plan Control?

Site plan control is a form of development control provided to municipalities by Ontario's Planning Act. No one can undertake any development which is subject to site plan control unless the City has reviewed and approved certain plans. Once the plans are approved, a site plan agreement is generally executed. This agreement contractually binds the owner to develop and maintain a site in accordance with the approved plans and the terms of the agreement.

Building permits are not generally issued until site plan control requirements are addressed.

What is the purpose of Site Plan Control?

The Site Plan Control process allows City staff to review and approve the following:

• Building siting and site design,
• Building massing,
• The relationship of the proposal to surrounding land uses,
• Driveways, curbing and traffic direction signs,
• Loading and parking facilities,
• Emergency vehicle routes,
• All pedestrian accesses, such as walkways and ramps, and their proposed surfacing,
• Landscaping for the site and for the protection of adjoining lands,
• Refuse and other waste material storage and collection areas,
• Grading and servicing, and
• Need for City and Regional road widenings.
• Exterior design of buildings, including character, scale, and appearance.
• Sustainable design elements within the adjoining right-of-way such as trees, landscaping, paving, street furniture, ramps, access ability, waste and recycling containers and bicycle parking facilities.

Site Plan Control ensures that City, Regional and other agency standards and requirements are met.

Who is affected?

Site Plan Control applies to all lands in the City except the following types of development in accordance with By-law No. 137-89:

• A residential building with two or fewer units, including any accessory buildings or structures, located outside of the Oak Ridges Moraine,
• Farm buildings and structures, located outside of the Oak Ridges Moraine,
• A flood or erosion control structure,
• Mineral aggregate extraction, including wayside pits and quarries,
• Any temporary building or structure as defined in any zoning by-law, and
• Buildings or structures on lands owned or leased by the City of Oshawa, Region of Durham, Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the Oshawa Public Utilities Commission or any other Public Utility Corporation, Ontario Hydro, the Oshawa Harbour Commission and the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority for uses by, or on behalf of, the aforementioned levels of governments or bodies. 

Site Plan Control applies to development not exempted by By-law No. 137-89 regardless of whether the proposed use complies with Zoning By-law No. 60-94.

Contact:

For information on how to apply for site plan control, click here