Site plan control is used by the Municipality of Lakeshore to ensure the construction of safe, functional and well-designed developments. It ensures development meets the requirements of legislation, including the Official Plan, Zoning By-law and Ontario Building Code.
Site plan control allows the Municipality to review development proposals for various items, including:
- The location of buildings on the site
- Safe ingress and egress for pedestrians and vehicles
- Servicing
- Storm water management
- Sufficient landscaping and parking
- Compatibility with nearby properties
- Quality design and appearance
Every area of Lakeshore is under site plan control. Site plan control applies to every type of development except where development consists of: single detached dwellings, duplexes or semi-detached dwellings, farm operations, farm buildings and/or the residence of the farm operator. That being said, site plan control can still apply to these developments where specifically required by the Official Plan, such as in cases where development is proposed on hazard land.
Process
Applicants must request and attend a pre-consultation meeting before submitting a site plan application. During this meeting, the applicant is informed of all development application(s) and supporting materials that need to be submitted. Concerns or issues with the proposal are identified through a brief review with municipal staff, and the applicant receives recommendations for fulfilling requirements of the site plan approval process.
The applicant will submit the application forms, fees, plans and studies (if required) to the Municipality of Lakeshore's Community Planning Division. For development, design and drawing requirements please refer to our Development Manual.
The application is reviewed by Community Planning for completeness and is then circulated to all pertinent internal departments and external agencies (i.e. County of Essex, Conservation Authority etc.) for review and comment. Applicants are required to submit any requested revisions following this process.
Staff will present their Report and Recommendations concerning the site plan application to Council and a decision will be made to support, refuse, defer or modify the application. Approvals may be done at the staff level for some minor site plans.
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