Council adopts the City’s first Comprehensive Zoning By-law

RICHMOND HILL – On September 24, Richmond Hill Council adopted the City’s first Comprehensive Zoning By-law (CZBL), marking a significant milestone towards supporting the growth of our community. This by-law will address the needs of both residents and businesses in the City, making a positive impact on many aspects of residents’ lives, from housing needs to environmental protection.

The CZBL puts Richmond Hill’s Official Plan into action. It implements and regulates how land is used, including where buildings can go, how tall they can be, how much parking is required, and what activities are allowed on each property.

Ontario’s Planning Act requires municipalities to pass a new zoning by-law within three years of an official plan update. Richmond Hill’s Official Plan (OP) Update has been underway for several years, while City staff worked on developing the CZBL, including hosting over 13 in-person and virtual engagement sessions and Council Public Meetings to gather and implement feedback. It consolidates over 40 zoning by-laws that date back to the 1960s and modernizes development standards to keep up with Richmond Hill’s ever-changing growth.

In addition to enhancing the development approval process to expedite construction and build more homes faster, the CZBL will also protect environmentally sensitive lands, attract new businesses and jobs, and serve the needs of our community for many years to come. Learn more about the City’s plans to build a vibrant community that we call home.

Quick Facts

• Over 100 residential zones have been simplified into 12 zones across the city.
• The CZBL is designed to be clear, user-friendly, easy for everyone to understand and fully accessible online in an interactive format.
• It modernizes development standards for growth centres, neighbourhoods, green spaces and corridors to better align land use and public transit.
• It advances zoning for the Richmond Hill Centre, in accordance with the Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan, to promote growth in the City’s highest intensification area.
• It protects environmental lands, such as the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt.
• It unlocks Housing Accelerator Fund support, as the passing of the CZBL fulfills three out of the City’s nine commitments to help remove barriers and speed up the process to allow more homes to be built faster.

Additional Resource 

• By-law 93-25: Comprehensive Zoning By-law