Official Plan Amendments

What is an Official Plan?

Created with input from the public, the Official Plan sets out policies to guide the future development and growth of the City.

Richmond Hill's Official Plan:

• Establishes Richmond Hill's general land use policies;
• Ensures growth is coordinated and meets the community's needs;
• Helps members of the community to understand how their land can be used;
• Determines where services such as roads, watermains, and parks will go;
• Provides a framework for setting community standards; and,
• Provides a way to evaluate and settle conflicts over land uses.

If a person wants to develop a property differently than Richmond Hill's Official Plan or a related Secondary Plan, an Official Plan Amendment application must be submitted. Amendments to the Official Plan must take into consideration land use policy documents, such as the:

• Provincial Policy Statement;
• Greenbelt Plan;
• Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe;
• Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan; and,
• Region of York Official Plan.

How to Apply for an Amendment

Please note that all applications submitted after January 1, 2023 are subject to Tariff of Fees by-law 83-22. Please contact the Development Planning Division at planning@richmondhill.ca for confirmation of applicable fees.

Under the Planning Act, the City of Richmond Hill has the authority to review and approve Official Plan Amendment applications. The Official Plan Amendment application process is as follows:

1. A Pre-Submission Meeting must be held with Development Planning Staff prior to the submission of a formal application. Following the Pre-Submission meeting, the Development Planning Section issues a Submission Requirements Letter.
2. City receives the submission of a completed Consolidated Development Application Form, including a response to Richmond Hill's Submission Requirements Letter and other supporting plans and information.
3. the City determines if Regional approval is required.
4. Once the application has been deemed complete, the Development Planning Section circulates your application to other City departments and applicable external agencies for review and comment.
5. A statutory Council Public Meeting is held to review the application and receive comments from Council and the public.
6. Following the Council Public Meeting, Development Planning Section prepares a recommendation report for the Committee of the Whole and Council decides to approve, deny or defer the application.
7. If the application is approved, the Development Planning Section prepares an adopting by-law and a draft Official Plan Amendment for Council's consideration (if the application is denied or referred back, an appeal or referral of the application to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) can be made).
8. Council approves the adopting by-law and Official Plan Amendment at a Council Meeting.
9. A Notice of Approval is published in the local newspaper and a 20-day appeal period begins. The Official Plan Amendment is forwarded to York Region for approval, if required.
10. If there are no appeals received during the 20-day appeal period and York Region approves the amendment (if required), the Official Plan Amendment becomes final and binding.

See the Consolidated Development Application Guide for more information.

Email the Planning Division or call 905-771-8910, if you have any questions about your application. You can also visit us in person at the City of Richmond Hill's main Municipal Offices located at:

225 East Beaver Creek Road, 4th Floor
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4