Official Plan Review

February 14, 2025

Notice of Open House and Public Meeting Concerning a Proposed Amendment to the Official Plan of the Town of Bracebridge

Official Plan Amendment No. 18 - Comprehensive Official Plan Review

The Town of Bracebridge is in the process of preparing an update to the Official Plan to guide the future of the Town. The result of the Official Plan update has been the preparation of an Official Plan Amendment to make several changes to the Official Plan for the Town. In accordance with the statutory requirements of the Planning Act, below is a Notice of Open House and Notice of Public Meeting.

Notice of Open House

An Open House required under Section 17(16) of the Planning Act is to be held to review the draft policies and mapping and to obtain feedback from members of the public. The Open House will start with a brief presentation providing an overview of the changes to the Official Plan followed by a question and answer period. Participants will then be invited to discuss issues with staff and the consultants. There will be two Open House sessions as follows, with the same information being presented at both sessions:

Tuesday March 18, 2025
Session 1 - 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or Session 2 – 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Muskoka Leon’s Auditorium
at the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre
56 Salmon Avenue, Bracebridge

Questions or comments on the Official Plan Review process can be submitted to the Planning Services Branch via email.

The draft Official Plan changes are available on Engage Bracebridge. Members of the public are encouraged to subscribe to the website to be kept informed of updates.

Notice of a Public Meeting

Take Notice that the Planning and Development Committee will hold a hybrid public meeting on April 2, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.

This meeting will be held in a Hybrid format in accordance with Section 238 of the Municipal Act, and the Town’s Procedure By-law, which provide for Electronic Participation.

Members of the public wishing to comment are strongly encouraged to make a written submission any time prior to the hearing by emailing planning@bracebridge.ca. Members of the public wishing to make oral submissions to the Committee may do so by attending the Council Chambers at 1000 Taylor Court or Electronically through Zoom. A link to the Zoom meeting and instructions on how to participate will be made available to the public on March 27, 2025 via the Town's Document Centre or by going to the Town's Council and Committee Calendar.

THE PUBLIC MEETING is to consider a proposed amendment to the Official Plan of the Town of Bracebridge, pursuant to the provisions of Section 17 and 21 of the Planning Act.

AN EXPLANATION of the Purpose and Effect of the proposed amendment accompanies this notice. No key map is provided as the proposed OPA applies to all lands within the Town of Bracebridge.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION relating to the proposed amendment is available as at https://engagebracebridge.ca/officialplan or can be requested by contacting the Planning Services Branch of the Planning and Development Department at 705-645-6319, Ext. 3525 or planning@bracebridge.ca.

ANY PERSON OR AGENCY may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed amendment. `

AGENCY COMMENTS: Agencies (i.e. District of Muskoka, Utilities, Provincial Ministries, and Town Departments) wishing to make a written submission should do so no later than March 14, 2025.

If a person or public body would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Town of Bracebridge Council to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Town of Bracebridge before the amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the Town of Bracebridge before the amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Town of Bracebridge on the proposed amendment, you must make a written request to the Planning and Development Department, Town of Bracebridge, 1000 Taylor Court, Bracebridge, ON, P1L 1R6.

Take notice that an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal in respect to all or part of this amendment may be made by filing a notice of appeal with the Town Clerk either via the Ontario Land Tribunal e-file service (first-time users will need to register for a My Ontario Account) by selecting Bracebridge (Town of) as the Approval Authority or by mail to the Planning and Development Department, Town of Bracebridge, 1000 Taylor Court, Bracebridge, ON, P1L 1R6 no later than 4:00 p.m. on the twentieth day after the Notice of Decision has been issued. The filing of an appeal after 4:00 p.m., in person or electronically, will be deemed to have been received the next business day. The appeal fee of $1,100 can be paid online through e-file or by certified cheque/money order to the Minister of Finance, Province of Ontario. If you wish to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) or request a fee reduction for an appeal, forms are available from the OLT website. If the e-file portal is down, you can submit your appeal to planning@bracebridge.ca.

DATED at the Town of Bracebridge this 14th day of February, 2025.

Lori McDonald, Director of Corporate Services/Clerk, 1000 Taylor Court, Bracebridge, ON P1L 1R6.

EXPLANATION OF THE PURPOSE AND EFFECT OF THE PROPOSED OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT:
The Town of Bracebridge Official Plan is the principal policy document used by the Municipality to express its goals and objectives for the community, identify significant natural features and guide its physical development and redevelopment. It provides a general policy direction and a land use planning framework to guide the physical, social, economic and environmental management and growth of the Town.

The Official Plan must be reviewed every 10 years to ensure the plan has regards to matters of provincial interest, implements changes to the Planning Act, is consistent with the Provincial Planning Statement, conforms to the District of Muskoka Official Plan, The review also allows Council to consider how the Town has developed over the past 10 years and to implement changes for future development.

A copy of the draft policy and mapping changes are available at Engage Bracebridge.