Description of Services:

Development Planning Department staff is responsible for the planning and general design of the City through the land use planning process. Land use planning enables the City to establish goals and objectives for growth and development and finds ways to achieve them. This is accomplished keeping in mind important social issues, environmental and economic considerations which provide for healthy communities. Through this process, interests and objectives of individual property owners are balanced with the greater interests and objectives of the City.

The Development Planning Department performs the following functions:

DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
The Development Planning staff provides planning input and information with respect to current land use issues and undertakes the review and processing of a variety of development applications, Official Plan, Zoning, Subdivision, Condominium, Part Lot Control and Site Plans submitted to the municipality. Development Planning staff are available to provide consultative assistance to the public and the development industry on planning-related issues, processing of development applications and the planning legislative process.

The Development Planning Department actively pursues citizen input. Public comment is solicited on all specific applications as well as policy changes to the Official Plan. Citizen input to such change is welcomed as a vital part of the planning process in Vaughan and is essential to good planning.

URBAN DESIGN
Working together in consultation with the Development Planners, the Urban Design Section of the Development Planning Department is responsible for initiating, developing and implementing urban design and streetscape plans, policies and guidelines.

The Urban Designers also provide professional advice on site development applications with respect to site design, built form and landscape and streetscape components within the context of established planning policy, urban design guidelines and standards, and planning studies in progress.

They also participate in the review and formulation of Block Plans, to ensure conformity with approved urban design, streetscape and architectural control objectives of the municipality.

The Urban Designers, together with the Environmental Planning Section of the Development Planning Department, also review environmental enhancement aspects of development applications to ensure appropriate landscape protection and enhancement of environmental features in the municipality, including liasing with environmental and conservation authorities with respect to conservation land management and protection.

ENVIRONMENT
The City of Vaughan is dedicated to the protection of the natural environment, as identified in Vaughan Vision 2007, which recognizes the importance of "Safeguarding our Environment", and through preserving, protecting, and enhancing environmental stewardship through responsible leadership and innovative policies, practices and education.

To this end, the Environmental Planning Section of the Development Planning Department is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the environmental policies of the City's Official Plan through development applications, block plans, and developing new environmental policies for future implementation. The Department implements environmental legislation and policy from the Province of Ontario including the Brownfield Statute Amendment Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, Greenbelt Plan, and Source Water Protection, and works closely with other levels of government and agencies on the development of environmental policy including the Region of York, Province of Ontario, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT
Development Planning Staff provides comments to the Committee of Adjustment on Minor Variance and Consent applications circulated from the Clerk's Department. This involves analysis and evaluation of the applications leading to the preparation of reports to the Committee of Adjustment, which includes recommendations for consideration and action by the Committee. Development Planning Staff attends all Committee of Adjustment meetings to respond to questions from the Committee members regarding Minor Variance and Consent applications, and attends Ontario Municipal Board Hearings on such matters as directed by Council.

GIS MAPPING
The GIS Mapping Section of the Development Planning Department is responsible for co-ordinating, administering and overseeing the development, implementation, maintenance and operation of the Department's Geographic Information System (GIS); Development Tracking Application (DTA) and Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) including the distribution of spatial databases such as official plan, zoning and parcel fabric; municipal addressing; and document management.

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