Official Plan Update
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.
Current Status
The City Plan team is currently working on the last amendment, which will focus on Provincial conformity, Employment, Housekeeping, and MTSA/Corridors. Please subscribe to "receive email updates" below for future engagement opportunities in the coming months!
Submit Your Comments
Should you wish to make an oral or written submission for Council’s consideration, please see the Notice of Open House and Public Meeting for details on how to register. Written submissions should be submitted to clerks@richmondhill.ca.
Official Plan Amendments
| Approved Official Plan Amendments |
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The following four OPAs have received final approval, and are currently in effect: |
| Official Plan Amendments under Appeal |
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The following OPAs have been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal:
For information on the status of these OPAs, please view the Case Status on the Ontario Land Tribunal's website. |
Let's Plan Our Future Together!
Watch this video to learn more about how the Official Plan Update impacts the future of your city and why you should get involved.
The Official Plan Update Project
| What is an Official Plan? |
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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:
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| Why the Official Plan is being updated |
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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 over the long term. 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 |
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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:
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| Staff Reports |
Project Phases
| Preliminary Official Plan Amendments | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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 18.2 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
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| 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 over the long term. This phase also focuses on gathering feedback on the urban structure of the City.
Meetings and Engagement Events
What We HeardFollowing 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. |
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| Phase 2 – Key Directions Report | ||||||||||||||||||||
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This phase of the OP Update process focuses on gathering 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. At the conclusion of this phase, Council endorsed a Key Directions report, which was informed by several engagement events and a report, prepared by urbanist David Dixon, called “Planning for Change.” Key Directions ReportThe Key Directions Report provides a framework for the updating of the Official Plan, to ensure that the proposed Vision and Urban Structure for the City Plan 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 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.
Meetings and Engagement Events
What We HeardFollowing 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.
Planning for ChangeCity 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.
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| Phase 3 – Policy Development and Official Plan Amendments | ||||||||||||||||||||
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During this phase, the City will gather feedback from residents and community groups as they proceed to draft and finalize several Official Plan Amendments (OPAs). These OPAs will be divided into three batches. Each part will include public engagement, to share our research, discuss possible changes to the Official Plan, receive feedback and share what we have heard, prior to recommending adoption of changes to the Official Plan.
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Additional ways to participate
- Attend future consultation events
- Provide your input through future online surveys
- Subscribe to this page for email updates (see below)
- If you have any questions for Planning staff or require any additional information please email OPUpdate@richmondhill.ca or call us at 905-771-8910