Zoning and Official Plan

Official Plan

The Official Plan (OP) provides general guidance for growth and development in the Town until the year 2031. The OP implements provincial-level guidance, and is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement.

The OP provides direction for  land use, and municipal services and facilities. The policies in the OP are considered necessary to promote orderly growth and compatibility among land uses.  The current Official Plan was adopted by Council in 2009 following extensive public consultation.

The Official Plan

The OP also implements the policies in Niagara Region’s Official Plan. The OP provides more detail, specific to the Town’s characteristics, including land use designations and policies.

The OP is dynamic and can be amended as the Town's needs change. The most recent consolidation of the OP was in September 2023.

Changes to the OP are most commonly through the Official Plan Amendment (OPA) process made by private property owners. An OPA can be proposed to facilitate developments that do not conform to the OP.

Official Plan Review

Grimsby is currently reviewing the Town Official Plan. Please visit https://www.letstalkgrimsby.ca/officialplan to learn more and have your say!

Zoning By-law

Zoning By-law 14-45, as amended, controls the use of land throughout the Town.

The Official Plan sets out the Town's general policies for future land use. The Zoning By-law puts the Official Plan into effect and provides for its day-to-day administration. It contains specific requirements that are legally enforceable.

The Zoning By-Law

It states exactly:

  • How land may be used;
  • Where buildings and other structures can be located;
  • The types of buildings that are permitted and how they may be used; and
  • The lot sizes and dimensions, parking requirements, building heights and setbacks from the street.

The Zoning By-law is dynamic and can be amended as the Town's needs change. Should a development be proposed, a Minor Variance or Zoning By-law Amendment may be required, depending on the scale of the development,  to ensure the future development is compliant with the By-law.

The most recent consolidation of Zoning By-law 14-45, as amended, was in September 2023.

How to Find the Zoning of a Property
The Zoning By-law includes schedules. Schedules are maps used to show where particular zoning regulations apply.

To use the schedules to find the zoning of a particular property, follow these steps:

  1. Find the location of the property you are looking for on Schedule 1 of the Zoning By-law. Areas of Town are assigned a number from 2 to 17 on Schedule 1. Take note of the number assigned to the area the property is within.
  2. Find the schedules labelled with the number shown on Schedule 1. There will be two schedules associated with each number:
    • Schedules with the letter "A" in their name show zone boundaries. Each zone has specific regulations assigned to it which can be found in the text of the Zoning By-law.
    • Schedules with the letter "B" in their name show site specific exceptions. Site specific exceptions are additional zoning regulations which apply to the specific property or properties labelled with them. These additional zoning regulations are stated in tables within the text of the Zoning By-law.

Please note that the Zoning By-law is meant to be read in its entirety, and there may be additional regulations elsewhere in the By-law that apply to development on a property. Contact the Planning Department at planning@grimsby.ca to obtain the most accurate and up-to-date zoning information for a property. 

Making a Planning Application

For more information on how to make a planning application (Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, Site Plan, Draft Plan of Subdivision/Condominium), including information on requesting a Pre-Consultation Meeting, please visit the Planning Applications page.

Information on minor variance and consent applications can be obtained by visiting the minor variance and lot creation pages. 

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