Zoning and Official Plan

Official Plan

The Town of Grimsby Official Plan is a document which is intended to provide general guidance for growth and development in the Town until the year 2031. It was adopted by Council in 2009 following extensive public consultation.

The Official Plan guides all planning decisions in the Town. This means that:

  • Council and municipal officials must follow the Plan;
  • All new services, sewer or watermains, for example, must conform to the Plan; and
  • All by-laws, including zoning and related bylaws, must conform with the Official Plan.

The Town of Grimsby Official Plan implements the policies of the Province of Ontario and of the Niagara Region Official Plan, while providing greater detail in terms of land use designations and policies which reflect specific characteristics of the Town.

The Official Plan is not set forever. The plan can be changed or amended as the community's needs change. For more information about applying for an Official Plan Amendment, please see below.

The Official Plan was last consolidated in August 2018. Please contact the Planning Department at planning@grimsby.ca to obtain the most up-to-date Official Plan information, or to discuss the Official Plan policies.

Zoning By-law

The Town of Grimsby Zoning By-law (By-law 14-45, as amended) is a By-law which controls the use of land throughout the Town. 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 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. Construction or new development that doesn't comply with the Zoning By-law is not allowed, and the Town will refuse to issue a building permit.

Zoning By-law 14-45, as amended, was last consolidated in August 2019. Please contact the Planning Department at planning@grimsby.ca to obtain the most up-to-date zoning information.

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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