Committee of Adjustment

What is the Committee of Adjustment?

The Committee of Adjustment (COA) includes seven people appointed by the Council.
The COA functions separately from Council and reviews minor development variance permit applications and consent applications that

  1. Do not impact a policy
  2. Change the intent of a bylaw adopted by Council.

When do you apply to the Committee of Adjustment?

Applications to the Committee of Adjustment include, Minor Variances and Consent.

Minor Variances

You can apply to the Committee of Adjustment for a Minor Variance if you feel that general regulations or bylaws, when applied to your property impose an undue hardship or cannot be satisfied. 

Consent

What is a consent?

The Planning Act requires that a "consent" or "plan of subdivision" must be approved before a parcel of land can be divided to create an additional lot or lots. A consent is also called a severance. Controlling the division of land through severance makes sure that the creation of lots is consistent with the planning policies of the Georgina Official Plan, the Regional Municipality of York Official Plan and Provincial planning documents.

What are the Planning Act Requirements the Committee of Adjustment follows?

The Planning Act Requirements are as follows:

  1. A sign must be posted on the subject property prior to the public meeting. The Secretary-treasurer of the Committee of Adjustment will provide the applicant with the required sign and give the date for the posting of the sign. Additional instructions will provided along with the sign.
  2. A Declaration of the Posting of the Sign must be completed in front of a Commissioner of Oaths. Commissioners are available to assist you at the Town’s offices.
  3. Notices of Hearing are mailed to property owners within 60 metres of the subject property. Notices of Hearing are mailed out 10 days before a public hearing for minor variance applications, and 14 days before a public hearing for consent applications.
  4. Verbal decisions will be provided by the Committee of Adjustment at the public hearing. Written decisions will be forwarded to relevant parties the day after the public hearing.

If a member of the public would like to receive a copy of the Committees Decision, he/she must request a copy of the Decision from the Secretary-Treasurer in writing.

The Committee of Adjustment's Decision does not become final until 20 days from the public hearing for minor variance applications and 20 days from the mailing of the Decisions for consent applications, provided that no appeals have been received.

Appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT)

When filing an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), there is a charge of $400 (a cheque made payable to the Minister of Finance), and there will be an additional Town of Georgina administration fee of $323, (cheque made payable to Town of Georgina) payable at the time of the appeal submission to the Committee of Adjustment.

Contact Us

26557 Civic Centre Rd,

Keswick, ON  L4P 3G1

T: 905-476-4301 / 705-437-2210

F: 905-476-8100

info@georgina.ca

Hours of Operation

Monday to Friday

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.