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Official Plan Update

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Home/...Reports, Publications and PlansOfficial PlanOfficial Plan Update

More in this Section...

The City of Richmond Hill is updating the current Official Plan to guide land use and development. This update will continue to help transform our suburban communities into a more vibrant, complete community that serves the needs of all residents, businesses and visitors in Richmond Hill.

Latest Update (June 2022): Proposed Amendments

The City of Richmond Hill staff will bring forward for consideration the two Official Plan Amendments related to the Official Plan Update at the upcoming Special Council Public Meeting on June 27, 2022. For more information, please click the links below to view the two staff reports that will be presented at this meeting.

  • SRPI.22.075 – Request for Approval – Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 18.3 Vision and City Structure - City File D01-22003 - (Proposed By-law 81-22) (Item 3.1)
  • SRPI.22.076 – Request for Approval – Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 18.4 Neighbourhoods - City File D01-22003 - (Proposed By-law 82-22) (Item 3.2)

On May 18, 2022, a Council Public Meeting was held to receive comments on proposed amendments to the Official Plan. The recording of this meeting can be viewed here. Copies of the staff reports are also provided in the staff report section of this webpage.

On April 26, 2022, City of Richmond Hill staff presented Official Plan Amendment (OPA) 18.3 – Vision and City Structure and OPA 18.4 – Neighbourhoods at a virtual Open House. At this meeting, staff explained how the proposed changes to the Official Plan relate to matters such as the City’s 2041 planning vision and the overall city structure for where and how to accommodate growth and development. Staff also explained how these amendments propose changes to the Official Plan relating to matters such as: building “15-minute communities”, providing affordable market housing, responding to climate change and prioritizing active transportation.

  • View the recording of the April 26, 2022 Open House 
  • View the April 26, 2022 Open House presentation slides

These proposed amendments implement several key directions identified in the Council endorsed City Plan 2041 Key Directions Report. Additionally, OPA 18.3 and 18.4 are the first of multiple OPAs scheduled in Phase 3 – Policy Development of the Official Plan Update to take place throughout 2022 and 2023.

Drafts of the Amendments, Prescribed Material and Informative Videos

OPA 18.3 – Vision and City Structure (city file D01-22002)
  • Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.3
  • OPA 18.3 Prescribed Information
  • OPA 18.3 Overview of Draft Amendment Video
OPA 18.4 - Neighbourhoods (city file D01-22003)
  • Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.4
  • OPA 18.4 Prescribed Information
  • OPA 18.4 Overview of Draft Amendment Video

Tell us your favourite places in Richmond Hill

We’ve heard from the community that Richmond Hill residents are foodies, nature lovers and passionate about arts and culture. Tell us your favourite places in the city by dropping a pin or more on the 'My Favourite Places' interactive map.

Your comments will help shape our communities and inform our future direction as we continue the Official Plan update process.

Please note: The application will work best using Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari browsers.

My Favourite Places App

The Official Plan Update project

What is an Official Plan?

An Official Plan is a policy document that applies to all properties within the municipal boundary. It guides how land is used, and how and where growth and development will take place in our city.

The current Richmond Hill Official Plan provides:

  • A vision for the future of the city
  • An approach for where and how development will occur
  • Direction for municipal servicing to meet the needs of our growing city
  • Protection of natural areas and ecosystems
  • Implementation tools
Why the Official Plan is being updated

The Province requires that an Official Plan update be completed 10 years after the preparation of a new comprehensive Official Plan. This ensures that the updated plan implements any changes to provincial policies, conforms with policies in the York Region Official Plan, responds to current urban issues and conditions, and considers new opportunities for shaping the City.

Richmond Hill’s current Official Plan was adopted by Council in July 2010 in order to guide development to 2031. This review will provide a clear vision for planning and development in Richmond Hill to 2041.

In addition to Planning Act requirements, the update of the Official Plan will look to better support long-term sustainable city building, respond to climate change, and create a better balance of jobs and residents in the City.

The Official Plan update process is occurring concurrently with York Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review. As such, the update will also ensure that policies and mapping conform with those of the Regional Official Plan.

Other City initiatives related to the Official Plan Update

There are several City initiatives that will occur at the same time as the Official Plan update. These initiatives will develop tools that will be used to implement the policies of the Official Plan. There are also studies underway which will inform the Official Plan Update. Throughout this process, the existing approved Official Plan is in effect and guides decision making for the City.

The following is a list of City-led projects:

  • Affordable Housing Strategy
  • Community Energy and Emissions Plan
  • Comprehensive Zoning By-law
  • Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan
  • Socio Economic Study
  • Transportation Master Plan Update
  • Urban Forest Management Plan
  • Urban Master Environmental Services Plan
  • Yonge and Bernard Key Development Area Secondary Plan
Staff Reports
  • SRPRS.19.053 Official Plan Update initiation report (item 13.3 at the November 20, 2019 Council meeting)
  • SRPRS.19.181 Official Plan Update Committee Terms of Reference (item 11.19 at the December 4, 2019 Committee of the Whole meeting)
  • SRPRS.20.003 York Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review (Part 1): Requests for Employment Area Conversions (item 13.9 at the February 26, 2020 Council meeting)
  • SRPRS.20.004 York Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review (Part 2): Major Transit Station Areas, Settlement Area Expansion, and Agricultural System (item 13.10 at the February 26, 2020 Council meeting)
  • SRPRS.20.097 Employment Land Conversions - OPA 18.1 Automotive Uses and OPA 18.2 Leslie Street Institutional Area (item 3.1 at the June 29, 2020 Special Council Public Meeting)
  • SRPRS.20.126 Request for Approval - City-initiated Official Plan Amendment 18.2 Leslie Street Institutional Area (item 13.2 at the September 23, 2020 Council meeting)
  • SRPI.21.055 Request for Comments – York Region Official Plan Update Policy Directions (item 13.8 at the June 23, 2021 Council meeting)
  • SRPI.21.118 Request for Endorsement: Official Plan Update Key Directions (item 13.6 at the December 8, 2021 Council meeting)
    • SRPI.21.118 - Attachment 1: Key Directions Report
    • SRPI.21.118 - Attachment 2: Phase 2 What We Heard Key Directions Engagement Summary Report
  • SRPI.22.012 - Request for Endorsement: Official Plan Update Key Directions Report - Supplementary to SRPI.21.118 (Item 13.4 at the February 9, 2022 Council meeting)
  • SRPI.22.054 - Request for Comments - Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.3 Vision and City Structure – City File D01-22002 (Item 3.1 at the May 18, 2022 Council meeting)
  • SRPI.22.055 - Request for Comments - Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.4 Neighbourhoods – City File D01-22003 (Item 3.2 at the May 18, 2022 Council meeting)

Project Phases

Preliminary Official Plan Amendments

Two proposed amendments to the Official Plan related to uses in Employment Lands were initiated by the City. These amendments aimed to coordinate with the work being undertaken by York Region with respect to their Municipal Comprehensive Review, to respond to Council direction, and to respond to site-specific concerns.

The amendments proposed were:

  • OPA 18.1 - Automotive uses in employment lands (city file D01-20005)
    • Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.1
    • OPA 18.1 Prescribed Information
  • OPA 18.2 - Conversion of Employment Area to permit new and/or expansion of existing institutional, office, and small-scale retail uses (city file D01-20006)
    • Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.2
    • OPA 18.2 Prescribed Information

OPA 18.2 was adopted by Council on September 23, 2020, and was approved by York Region and came into effect on December 25, 2020. The changes proposed as part of OPA 18.1 (automotive uses) will be considered as part of the overall Official Plan Update, and are no longer proceeding ahead of the overall Official Plan Update.

Meetings and Engagement Events

  • Virtual Open House - June 22, 2020
    • View the recording of the June 22, 2020 Virtual Open House
    • June 22, 2020 Virtual Open House presentation slides
  • Special Council Public Meeting - June 29, 2020
    • View the recording of the June 29, 2020 Special Council Public Meeting
    • The Staff Report and its attachments
  • Council Meeting - September 23, 2020
    • The Staff Report and its attachments
Phase 1 – Define Vision and Urban Structure
This phase focuses on the big picture thinking and generating ideas to inform a vision for the City in 2041. This phase also focuses on gathering feedback on the urban structure of the City.

Objectives:

  • Introduce the OP update
  • Receive input on Richmond Hill’s future vision and urban structure

Meetings and Engagement Events

  • Official Plan Update Committee meeting - November 24, 2020
    • View the recording of the November 24, 2020 OPUC meeting
    • November 24, 2020 OPUC Meeting presentation slides (note: 10MB file size)
  • Official Plan Update Committee meeting - January 19, 2021
    • View the recording of the January 19, 2021 OPUC meeting
    • January 19, 2021 OPUC Meeting presentation slides
  • City Plan 2041 Virtual Open House - February 18, 2021
    • View the recording of the February 18, 2021 Virtual Open House
    • February 18, 2021 Virtual Open House presentation slides

What We Heard

Following the engagement that the City has conducted to the end of March 2021, LURA Consulting has prepared a "What We Heard" report. This report provides a summary of consultation the City has undertaken and the responses that have been received so far. This input will inform Phase 2 of the Official Plan Update process.

View the "What We Heard" Phase 1 Summary Report

Phase 2 – Key Directions Report
During this phase, the City will gather feedback on key policy directions related to: height and density of buildings, intensification of development in transit supported areas, opportunities to increase employment and economic prosperity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, technical matters, and implementation tools.

Objectives:

  • Share our research and what we have heard
  • Gather feedback on key policy directions

Meetings and Engagement Events

  • Business Community Workshop - April 27, 2021
  • Area-specific Workshops
    • Bathurst Street and Highway 7 Centre Workshop - May 4, 2021
    • Yonge Street and 16th Avenue/Carrville Road Centre Workshop - May 6, 2021
    • Village and Richmond Hill GO Station Centres Workshop - May 11, 2021
    • Bayview and Highway 7 Centre Workshop - May 13, 2021
    • Oak Ridges Centre Workshop - May 18, 2021
    • East Beaver Creek Centre Workshop - May 20, 2021
  • Official Plan Update Committee - September 23, 2021
  • Key Directions Virtual Open House - October 14, 2021
    • View the recording of the October 14, 2021 Key Directions Open House
    • October 14, 2021 Key Directions Open House presentation slides
  • Council Meeting - December 8, 2021
  • Council Meeting - February 9, 2022

What We Heard

Following the engagement that the City conducted as part of Phase 2 of the Official Plan Update process, LURA Consulting has prepared three "What We Heard" reports. The first two reports provide a summary of the consultation the City has undertaken to the end of May 2021 with the business community and on six Centres in Richmond Hill respectively. The third report summarizes the comments and feedback that were received by the City in the fall of 2021 as part of the Phase 2 consultations on the emerging Key Directions.

  • Phase 2: What We Heard - Business Community Summary Report - July 2021
  • Phase 2: What We Heard - Centre-Specific Workshops Engagement Summary Report - July 2021
  • Phase 2: What We Heard - Key Directions Engagement Summary Report - November 2021

Planning for Change

City Plan 2041's visionary urbanist David Dixon and Stantec's Urban Places have prepared a report titled "Planning for Change", which will serve as a "playbook" to guide the Official Plan Update and its implementation. The "playbook" intends to inform the Official Plan Update, provide guidance to Council and Planning Staff to successfully implement the Official Plan, and adds additional perspective in terms of a path to take for planning complete communities.

  • Planning for Change report - July 2021 (note: 11MB file size)

Key Directions Report

The Key Directions Report provides a framework for the updating of the Official Plan, to ensure that the proposed Vision and Urban Structure for City Plan 2041 can be achieved. The framework is informed by Provincial policy, emerging Regional policy resulting from the Municipal Comprehensive Review process that York Region is presently undertaking, other City initiated studies that are in-process or completed, and the City Plan 2041 consultation that has taken place to date. Accordingly, the Report provides the foundation for preparing future amendments to the City’s Official Plan during Phase 3 of this update process. 

  • Key Directions Report - November 2021 (note: 11MB file size)
  • Council meeting - February 9, 2022 (see Items 13.3 and 13.4) 
Phase 3 – Policy Development and Approval
During this phase, the policies and mapping of the Official Plan will be presented to the community for feedback.

Objectives:

  • Share our research and what we have heard
  • Present proposed amendments to the Official Plan to the community for feedback

Additional ways to participate

  • Attend future consultation events
  • Provide your input through future online surveys
  • Subscribe to this page for email updates (see below)
  • Submit your comments to OPUpdate@richmondhill.ca or call us at 905-771-8910
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