Town of Renfrew Official Plan Review
What is the Official Plan?
The Town of Renfrew Official Plan is the primary policy document that guides growth and development within the Town. It contains the goals, objectives and policies that direct future growth, along with policies related to the management of natural heritage features and natural hazard features. The Town’s current Official Plan was last reviewed in 2018 and another review is now required in accordance with the Planning Act.
Why does the Town need an Official Plan?
An Official Plan:
- Informs the public on what the province, county and municipality's general land use planning policies are;
- Makes sure that growth is coordinated and meets the community's needs and aspirations for future development;
- Helps all members of the community understand how land within the Town may be used now and in the future;
- Provides policies to ensure that housing needs are met using a variety of housing types and techologies;
- Helps decide where roads, parks, trails, and other services will be located;
- Provides policies that guide the development of appropriate infrastructure to support growth;
- Lays out the planned land uses throughout the Town, typically using a detailed map schedule;
- Identifies development constraints and natural heritage features throughout the Town;
- Provides a framework for establishing planning implementation tools, such as zoning by-laws that set local regulations and standards, such as size of lots, yards, or development setbacks from water or floodplains;
- Provides policies for evaluating and mitigating land use conflicts while meeting local, regional, and provincial interests;
- Shows Council's commitment to the sustainable future of the community; and
- Must be consistent with and conform to provincial upper tier (County) planning policy and associated regulations.
Why is the Official Plan Being Reviewed?
The purpose of the Official Plan Review is to update the policies to reflect changes to Provincial planning legislation since the 2018 review, including recent updates to the Provincial Policy Statement, the County of Renfrew Official Plan, as well as to consider recent changes to the Planning Act. The review also provides Council, the community, and public bodies/agencies an opportunity to provide comment on and shape the Official Plan.
The Planning Act requires that municipalities update their Official Plan at least 10 years after first approval and then every five years after that. As the Town continues to develop and change, it is important to examine the effectiveness of the Official Plan to ensure its collective vision is being realized, and to improve and enhance our policies to help the Town achieve its strategic goals and objectives.
How Do I Get Involved?
Opportunities for public input on the Official Plan Review and Update will be provided during the review process. The Planning Act requires that Council hold a Special Meeting, open to the public to discuss possible revisions to the Official Plan. The special meeting will be held on August 29th at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall.
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Important Dates
Special Council Meeting
The Town of Renfrew has initiated a review of its Official Plan and will hold a Special Public Meeting under Section 26(3)(b) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, to introduce the project to the public, discuss possible revisions that may be required and provide the pubic with an opportunity to submit written comments.
You are invited to participate in this special public meeting for the Official Plan Review and learn more about this important project and how you can participate in the review and update of the Town’s Official Plan.
The purpose of the special meeting of Council is to begin the public consultation of possible changes that may be required to the Official Plan. It is intended to provide an initial opportunity for the public to offer comments regarding any issue or matter that should be considered during the Official Plan Review process and to provide input to areas of the current Official Plan that should be changed or addressed differently in the Updated Official Plan. Please note that there will be ongoing opportunities to participate in this process.
Deadline for Written Comments from Public
Public Consultation Open House
A public open house, as required under Section 17(16) of the Planning Act, will be held at the Town of Renfrew Council Chambers on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This will be a drop in session with no formal presentation. Information related to the Draft Official Plan will be available for review and discussion. The open house will be hosted by the Town’s consultant, JP2G Consultants Inc.
Public Meeting - Draft Official Plan
A statutory public meeting will be held during the regular meeting of Council on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 to provide an opportunity for interested persons to make representations with respect to the Draft Official Plan.