New Zoning By-law Project

Revised Draft Zoning By-law now available for review

A second draft of the new City of Brantford Zoning By-law (June 2024) is now available for review:

The City of Brantford Draft New Zoning By-law (June 2024)
Draft Schedules
Interactive web map
- Mapping will be updated in the coming weeks to delineate the site-specific information contained in the text of the June draft.

A comment matrix summarizing comments received on the first draft of the new Zoning By-law (November 2023) is also now available:

Comment Matrix - City of Brantford Draft New Zoning By-law (November 2023)

Various changes, revisions and edits have been made in response to public and stakeholder input on the first draft, including the addition of more site-specific provisions. A summary of feedback and changes made to the November 2023 Draft is noted below and in the June 19 2024 report to the Zoning By-law Task Force.

**Summary of Comments Submitted on the first Draft New Zoning By-law (November 2023)**
Submitted Comments Type	Summary of Comment / Request
Definitions & Permitted Uses	Adding definitions and terminology (examples: Tri-plex, Duplex, Hospice). Revising definitions to align with new city by-laws (examples: Landscape Open Space, Aviary, Designated Heritage Property). Reviewing permitted uses within each of the 22 zone categories, ensuring conformity with the City of Brantford Official Plan
Select Zone Previsions (Setbacks, Height, Parking etc.)	Reviewing requests for reductions in setbacks and parking requirements. Reviewing requests to decrease and increase different zone height minimums and maximums.
Addition of Site Specifics (not included in the first draft)	Comments requesting site specific zoning under the current By-law 160-90 be carried forward to allow for uses and provisions supported under previous planning approvals.
Formatting, Errors, and Graphics	Edits to terminology to ensure consistency throughout the Draft Zoning By-law. Grammatical errors and edits. Graphic changes and modifications.
Schedules and Interactive Mapping	Refinements to zone mapping and property boundary lines. Removal of redundant mapping references contained in other master plan documents (Official Plan Schedules and Appendices).
Ground Truthing	Review of aerial imagery, site visits, and public feedback to better reflect current site conditions and appropriate zone categorization of properties.
Official Plan Conformity – Identifying Required Official Plan Amendments	Identified required amendments to the Official Plan to ensure proposed zoning aligns with updated Provincial planning policy, best practices and recent development trends in the City of Brantford.

Next Steps and Schedule

The second draft of the new Zoning By-law (June 2024) will be available for public review over July and August. A statutory public meeting will be held at a Special Committee of the Whole – Planning and Administration in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act in September 2024. Following the statutory public meeting, the Project team will make any final revisions to the Draft Zoning By-law as necessary before presenting the final version of the new comprehensive Zoning By-law for approval at the September 24, 2024 Council meeting.

Public Information Sessions

Intensification Corridor Zone Open House Monday, April 22, 2024
- Intensification Corridor Zone Open House Boards
New Zoning By-law Project Public Information Centre Monday January 29, 2024
- Proposed Zoning By-law (Nov.2023) Presentation

What is a Zoning By-law?

A Zoning By-law contains specific requirements for the development and use of parcels of land including:

Permitted uses and building types;
Building height;
Where buildings and structures can be located on a lot; for example, the front, side and rear yard setbacks;
Lot standards such minimum lot area and frontage (width at the street); and
Parking standards.

A Zoning By-law implements the direction of the Official Plan, which is required to be consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement and conform to Provincial policies. Provincial land use documents, such as the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, outline the ground rules and direction for land use and Official Plans provide more details for land uses within municipalities such as the City of Brantford. A Zoning By-law implements the direction the Official Plan and provides specific details for an individual property. Ontario’s land use planning framework structure is illustrated in Figure 1 below.