Site Plan and Site Plan Amendments

Site Plan Control

Richmond Hill's By-law 76-23, as amended, establishes all of the City of Richmond Hill as a Site Plan Control Area. Pursuant to Section 41 of the Planning Act, Site Plan Control applies to specific areas and/or types of development that are required to be reviewed through the City's Site Plan or Site Plan Amendment application process. In accordance with the Planning Act, development includes:

• Constructing, erecting or placing one or more buildings or structures on land, subject to additional exclusions for residential development proposals;
• Additions or alterations to a building or structure that significantly increases the size or usability of it;
• Establishing a commercial parking lot; and,
• All new construction and/or additions/modifications to industrial, commercial, institutional, mixed-use and multi-residential developments.

Most recently the Province has introduced Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 and subsequently Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 which now changes the scope of the City’s Site Plan Control, including but not limited to the following:

• removal of Site Plan Control for residential development proposals up to 10 units, except for land lease communities and where the development is in proximity to a shoreline or a railway line; and,
• removal of a municipality’s power to regulate exterior design with the exception of specific matters as outlined within the legislation.

In accordance with the above-noted legislative changes, the City’s Site Plan Control By-law 76-23 has been updated.

Application Process

NEW: The City has implemented the Collaborative Application Process (CAP) (Staff Report SRPI.23.059), which is a 3 phase development application review and approval process.

Pursuant to Planning Act requirements, a Pre-Submission Meeting with Planning staff is still required and constitutes Phase 1 of the City’s CAP process. The second phase comprises a Pre-Application Submission, which entails the submission of plans, studies and reports to support the applicant’s development proposal as outlined in the Pre-Submission Letter. The third and final phase of the CAP process involves the submission of a complete Planning Act application in accordance with the development proposal that has been reviewed through Phase 2. All requirements pursuant to the Planning Act are implemented through Phase 3.

Following completion of Phases 2 of the CAP process, you can submit your application online. To submit a hard copy, fill out the Site Plan or Site Plan Amendment Application Form (PDF). Please note that online applications are subject to a convenience fee of 2.6% at checkout. 

Site Plan or Site Plan Amendment Application Form [Online submission]

Please note that all applications, including CAP submissions are subject to the Tariff of Fees by-law.

Email the Planning Division or call 905-771-8910, if you have any questions about your application. You can also visit the Planning and Building Services department 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