Development Application Notification Review

Update August 2018: A public engagement summary outlining what we learned through public consultation is now available on the ‘Documents’ tab, and will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage, and Downtown Development along with an administrative report on Tuesday, September 4. If you would like to appear as a delegation, please contact City Clerk's.

The administrative report makes recommendations including updating existing notification methods and adding new notification methods to ensure more members of the public are informed about land development applications and the opportunities to participate in the process. The proposed updated notification methods reflect and recognize the different ways to reach the public to ensure residents are aware of the opportunities to provide input in land development applications that shape the future of their communities.

The table below outlines the recommended changes, and the timeline for implementation.

Engagement

Stakeholders in land development such as residents groups, developers, and community members have expressed an interest in a predictable and consistent process, and this review will make recommendations to work towards that goal.

We have heard from you in response to land development and other processes (such as the Residential Infill Strategy and the OurWinnipeg Review) that the land development application notification process requires improvements.

In May 2018, stakeholders from residents groups and land developers were invited to a workshop to discuss notification for land development applications. This workshop provided an opportunity for different stakeholders with different perspectives to discuss their common values and areas for improvement and provided valuable input for the review.

Thank you to the stakeholders who participated in our workshop and to the over 300 participants who completed the online survey. We are currently analyzing the input we received to prepare recommendations for Council review.

For inquiries, please call 204-986-4243 or email City-Engage@winnipeg.ca.

If you would like to stay updated on City of Winnipeg public engagement events, follow the City on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for the City of Winnipeg public engagement newsletter.

Timeline

Land Development
Land development can take many forms. It could be the conversion of a greenfield or infill land into construction-ready housing, multi-family development, a commercial project, or an industrial building site. Sometimes, developers and builders seek to modify their zoning rights on the land or to change their zoning districts to build their proposed project.

The most common land development applications include:

• Conditional Use: Application for a permit to allow the property owner use of his land in a way not otherwise permitted within the particular zoning district.
• Rezoning: Application to change a zoning designation and regulations on a parcel of land.
• Subdivision: Application to divide a lot, tract, or parcel of land into two or more lots, plots, sites, or other divisions of land for the purpose of creating new titles.
• Variance: Application to request to modify those Zoning By-law standards as applied to a specific property.

Current approach to Public Engagement

• Informal: Developer-led public engagement (usually an open house)
• Formal: Public hearing

The type of informal public engagement carried out for a land development application is up to the discretion of the applicant. An open house allows the developer to inform citizens regarding the details of a project before a public hearing.

Where a developer led public engagement occurred, applicants are asked to provide a summary of the public engagement when submitting a formal application, including:

• Number of people consulted as well as their addresses;
• Copies of all letters and other written communications received;
• If an event is held: a list of attendees, including names, addresses and phone numbers (where provided voluntarily);
• If an event is held: how people were notified of the event (i.e. newspaper advertisement, flyer in mailbox, etc.);
• A letter of response outlining how all the concerns and issues raised by the public were addressed.

Public hearings are a required part of the process for some types of applications. In those cases the applicant is required to pay fees for newspaper advertisements and signs on the site to inform the neighbourhood about the application and the upcoming public hearing.

Learn more about the public hearing process.
Learn more about Subdivisions, Rezonings and the Development Application Process.

Land use policies and development requirements are set out in a number of policy documents such as the City's development plan OurWinnipeg, Complete Communities and Local Area Plans that establish a vision and provide policy direction to guide how our city grows and develops over time. Zoning By-laws are regulatory tools that help implement these policy documents and contain specific provisions to regulate the use of land and dimensional regulations. The City of Winnipeg Charter Act is the provincial legislation that ensures all plans and decisions are aligned with the City's adopted plans, By-laws and policies.

Initiative
On December 5, 2016, the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development (SPC) passed a motion directing the Winnipeg Public Service to do the following:

1. A cross jurisdictional analysis in the view of finding best practices for the public posting and advertisement of development applications, specifically with a view to improving the quality, attractiveness & accessibility of on-site signage, media advertising, including but not limited to such features as visual representations of the proposed development, plain language description, and appropriate City of Winnipeg and Corporate branding.
2. How the Planning, Property and Development Department, in collaboration with the Office of Public Engagement, can expand their required advertising toolkit to include social media, improve website advertisement of development applications and consider mandatory notification of development applications.
3. A review of the public hearing process with respect to all communication once a public hearing has concluded, by all stakeholders, including what role the Integrity Commissioner will have on these matters.
4. If and how any information with respect to public hearings can be made public prior to the 96 hour agenda publication requirement.
5. A way to communicate with Council and the public when a development application has been submitted to the City.

Following the motion, the Public Service has been working on a cross jurisdictional scan to determine how other Canadian municipalities have updated their public notification processes associated with land development applications. Best practices from other jurisdictions include a broad range of notification tools and approaches to reach the public. The goal of these changes is to better inform residents about the public hearing process and how they can get more engaged in participating in a process that helps them shape the future of their communities.

Following the cross-jurisdictional scan, the project will also look more closely at improving the advertising toolkit to include social media, improve website advertisement of development applications and consider mandatory notification of development applications. Prioritization of improving the toolkit will be done through engagement with internal and external stakeholders and the public.

Open all | Close all

• Land Development
• Subdivisions, Rezonings and the Development Application Process
• City of Winnipeg Stakeholders
• Public Hearing Process
• Development Legal Agreements
• Land Development Policies, Guidelines, and Legislation

A Land Development Application is made to the City to change the regulations for how a particular area of land can be used or developed and may include one, or any combination of, a rezoning application, a conditional use application or a variance application. The change is usually initiated by the property owner or a developer.

A Conditional Use is when a property owner is given permission to use land in a way not otherwise permitted within the particular zoning district.

A Variance is a modification of Zoning By-law standards as applied to a specific property.

A Subdivision is the process where a parcel of land is divided into two or more parcels in order to obtain separate legal titles for each parcel.

Rezoning is the process of changing the zone that applies to a specific area of land and requires approval through a City Council Public Hearing. Rezoning is required if you wish to develop your site in a manner that is not allowed by a Zoning By-law.

An Appeal is the review of a decision by a higher decision-making body.