Land Use Law — Planning Approvals, Zoning & Development in Ontario
From early site due diligence to final registration, we guide landowners, builders, and businesses through Ontario’s planning framework. Our team helps you align projects with official plans and zoning by-laws, structure applications under the Planning Act, coordinate with planners and engineers, and prepare for council, Committee of Adjustment, and staff meetings. Whether you’re intensifying an infill property, redeveloping a commercial site, or changing use, we focus on clear strategy, realistic timelines, and conditions you can live with—serving Windsor–Essex and, virtually, clients across Ontario.
Typical matters include official plan and zoning by-law amendments, minor variances, consents/severances, site plan control and development agreements (servicing, easements, securities), draft plan of subdivision/condominium approvals, and related road/utility conveyances. We also handle OLT appeals and settlements, by-law compliance and enforcement issues, and negotiation of conditions and community benefits. If you’re evaluating a property, responding to a notice, or planning an application, we can assess options, risks, and next steps to keep your project moving.
Land Use Law Team
- Amanda Camlis — Partner (Practice Lead)
- Andrea Simonits — Associate
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Land Use Law Services
Land Use Law
Planning Approvals – Official Plan Amendments, Zoning By-law Changes, and Minor Variances — We prepare and advance Planning Act applications across Ontario—OPAs, zoning by-law amendments, and minor variances. Strategy, evidence, and timing for Council or Committee of Adjustment, with coordinated planners/engineers, pre-consultation, conditions, and appeal risk.
Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) Hearings – Appeals of Planning Decisions, Variances, and Conditions — Full-scope OLT advocacy on appeals of refusals, non-decisions, conditions, variances, and consents. We manage case strategy, expert evidence, mediation, and settlements, from filing to hearing. Focused on policy conformity, PPS 2024 consistency, and practical outcomes.
Subdivision and Consent Applications – Severances, Lot Creation, and Draft Plan Approvals — We structure lot creation under the Planning Act—draft plan approvals, conditions, and consents/severances. Due diligence, frontage/servicing, road and utility conveyances, phasing, and securities. We coordinate with surveyors and engineers and negotiate workable conditions.
Site Plan Control – Design, Servicing, and Compliance Approvals for Development Projects — End-to-end site plan approvals for commercial, industrial, residential, and mixed-use projects. We negotiate design, access, parking, landscaping, lighting, servicing, easements, and securities; secure agreements and clear conditions; and align drawings with building permit timelines.
Development Agreements – Subdivision, Servicing, Easement, and Cost-Sharing Negotiations — Drafting and negotiating subdivision, site plan, servicing, easement, encroachment, tieback, crane-swing, cost-sharing and front-ending agreements. We manage conditions, securities, timing, and risk allocation to keep registrations and construction moving on workable terms.
Parkland Dedication and Development Charges – Compliance, Appeals, and Cost Recovery — We advise on parkland dedication (cash-in-lieu/encumbered land), development charges, and community benefits charges (CBCs). Strategy, calculation reviews, credits, front-ending, and appeals. We negotiate fair outcomes and cost recovery aligned with growth management.
Expropriation and Compensation – Hearings of Necessity, Business Losses, and Disturbance Damages — Representing owners and businesses through expropriation: hearings of necessity, compensation for market value, injurious affection, disturbance, and business losses. We retain valuation experts, quantify damages, negotiate with authorities, and litigate where required to secure fair awards.
Heritage and Cultural Designation Matters – Disputes, Easements, and Conservation Review Board — Advising on heritage listings and designations, alterations, and demolition permits. We negotiate heritage easement agreements, mitigation, and adaptive reuse; appear before councils, Conservation Review Board, and OLT; and balance cultural protection with viable development outcomes.
Municipal By-law and Zoning Enforcement – Defence, Compliance, and Offence Prosecutions — Defence and compliance strategies for zoning, by-law, and property standards enforcement. We respond to orders, negotiate compliance schedules, seek variances or amendments where appropriate, and defend provincial offences prosecutions to minimize penalties and project disruption.
Community Improvement Plans and Incentives – Municipal Tools for Redevelopment and Renewal — Structure and secure Community Improvement Plans and local incentives to enable redevelopment and renewal. We align program criteria, agreements, tax increment grants, and timelines; coordinate with planning staff and councils; and integrate CIP tools with broader approvals and financing.
Environmental and Servicing Issues – Approvals, Constraints, and Sensitive Area Development — Identify and address environmental and servicing constraints affecting approvals—records of site condition, MECP processes, stormwater and capacity, source water, species at risk, and buffers. We coordinate experts, secure approvals, and sequence conditions for buildability.
Property Tax and Municipal Levy Appeals – Assessment, Allocation, and Development Cost Challenges — Appeals and negotiations on assessment, allocation, and municipal levies for development properties. We pursue ARB and court remedies, resolve classification and equity issues, manage tax apportionment, and challenge development-related charges impacting feasibility and cash flow.
