The Township of South Stormont is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the existing Zoning By-law 2011-100. The intent of this exercise is to review the current zoning provisions and propose changes to the by-law to better align with Council’s strategic priorities, the needs of the community, and updates to planning legislation.

The Township is looking to create a new by-law that:

  •  Addresses Council’s strategic plan priorities
  • Implements the policies of the SDG Official Plan and Provincial Policy Statement
  • Reflects the needs of the South Stormont Community
  • Is user-friendly and easy to use for project planning.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a zoning by-law?

The Township’s Comprehensive Zoning By-law No. 2011-100 regulates the use of land in the municipality. The zoning by-law dictates what type of developments are permitted on a property, building setbacks, development standards, requirements for landscaping and buffering, regulations for accessory buildings, and much more.

 

A zoning by-law sets out the rules for how we develop and use land. The by-law tells us:

  • What a property can be used for (e.g., commercial or residential)
  • Minimum lot sizes
  • Where buildings can be placed (distance between edge of property and building)
  • How tall, what size, and how many buildings can be built (including rules for accessory structures like sheds and gazebos)
  • How many parking spaces are needed, and where the parking spaces can be located
What are some of the different types of zoning for land?

Here are some of the common zones within the Township of South Stormont:

  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Agricultural
  • Institutional

  • Open Space (includes parks)
What types of properties will the Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review look at?

The zoning by-law review will look at all properties within South Stormont to determine if the current zones and regulations are appropriate. This includes residential, commercial, and industrial land uses, and more in South Stormont. 
When was the existing by-law established?

Zoning By-law 2011-100 came into effect on December 14 2011. This was a consolidation of the previous zoning regulation documents for the former Township of Cornwall and the former Township of Osnabruck. The by-law has been updated periodically through “housekeeping” amendments to address specific provisions, technical corrections, and mapping updates on an as-needed basis. 

Comprehensive Zoning By-law Review - Background

In 2022, The United Counites of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry received $122,000 modernization fund grant for a comprehensive Zoning By-law review for all Townships. An RFP was prepared following discussions with Township staff. A planning firm was retained to undertake a review of the nine existing zoning by-laws in effect, for the six constituent municipalities that make up the United Counties.

Township staff have been working closely with the consultant to prepare a draft zoning by-law for review. Following preliminary discussions, the consultant prepared a list of recommendations for updates to the by-law to ensure consistency with the SDG Counties Official Plan, Provincial Policy Statement, and current best practices in planning.

The recommendations report can be found at the following link: Municipal Zoning Review: Background/Third Party Reviewers Report

The most current consolidation of the zoning by-law (December 2023) can be found at the following link: Comprehensive Zoning By-law - December 2023 Consolidation

Get Involved!

As the Township works through the comprehensive zoning by-law review, it will look at all areas within the Township. Community engagement is important for this review.

The Township has created a page on our public engagement platform, Speak Up South Stormont, to gather community input on the general zoning by-law update and share realtime updates throughout the process. What do you want to see in the new zoning by-law? Let us know at Speak Up South Stormont or by email at info@southstormont.ca

Speak Up South Stormont Zoning By-law Review

Stay Informed!

Are you interested in receiving notice on the new-zoning by-law? Public consultations will begin in the Winter/Spring of 2024.

By signing up, you will receive notifications for upcoming public consultation meetings. 

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