Benefits of an Official Plan

An official plan:

• Lets the public know what the municipality's general land use planning policies are.
• Makes sure that growth is coordinated and meets the community’s needs.
• Helps members of the community understand how their land may be used now and in the future.
• Helps decide where roads, watermains, sewers, dumps, parks and other services will be built.
• Provides a framework for establishing municipal zoning by-laws to set local regulations and standards, like the size of lots and height of buildings.
• Provides a way to evaluate and settle conflicting land uses while meeting local, regional and provincial interests.
• Shows Council's commitment to the future growth of the community.