Government considering 'making it possible to suspend certain municipal planning decision timelines during the state of emergency'

News 100 blueBy Pepper Parr

April 14th, 2020

BURLINGTON, ON

 

Queens PArk bannerA breath of fresh air ?  Included in the debate in the Legislature today was a decision “making it possible to suspend certain municipal planning decision timelines during the state of emergency, and change the Development Charges Act to ensure municipalities can continue to count on a vital source of revenue that helps pay for local growth-related infrastructure, such as roads, water and sewers as well as fire and police services.”

The announcement was made in the Legislature – we now have to wait for the specifics that will be released by the Minister of Municipalities and Housing.

Many will wait to see what reference is made, if any, on the processes and procedures that apply to Local Planing Act Tribunal.

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1 comment to Government considering ‘making it possible to suspend certain municipal planning decision timelines during the state of emergency’

  • Jeremy Skinner

    I am assuming that this news article is referring to:
    Bill 189, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support and Protection Act, 2020
    which went through all three readings and received Royal Ascent on the same day of April 14, 2020.

    https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/current

    SCHEDULE 1 Development Charges Act, 1997

    A new section 9.2 of the Development Charges Act, 1997 provides that development charge by-laws that expired on or after March 17, 2020 and before the day the section comes into force are deemed to not have expired and shall remain in force until the earlier of the day the by-law is repealed and the specified date. The section also provides that development charge by-laws that expire on or after the day the section comes into force and before the specified date shall remain in force until the earlier of the day the by-law is repealed and the specified date. The specified date is defined as the date that is six months after the termination or disallowance of the emergency declared under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act on March 17, 2020.

    SCHEDULE 4: Planning Act

    The Planning Act is amended to authorize the Minister to make regulations in connection with an emergency declared under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. The regulations may, among other things, govern the application of periods of time described in the Act and the regulations and in section 114 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and provide that an order made under subsection 7.1 (2) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act does not apply, and in certain cases is deemed to have never applied, with respect to the Act or the regulations or section 114 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006. The regulations may, if they so provide, apply on a retroactive basis.

    My Opinion:

    During the time of the COVID-19 Emergency, these changes essentially stops the “development application clock (120 days)” and post-pones the date for receipt of charges related to development applications until after the Emergency has been expired..