Committee of Adjustment

The Committee of Adjustment is a Quasi-Judicial hearing board comprised of members of the public. Under the authority of the Planning Act, any municipal council that has passed a Zoning By-law, under Section 34 of the Act, may establish a Committee of Adjustment as Owen Sound has done. The Owen Sound Committee of Adjustment consists of a chair and four other members. These are paid positions in which each Committee member is appointed by City Council, running with the term of Council.

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Planning Act, the Committee considers and rules on applications for minor variance, and applications for consent as well as hearings related to the Property Standards By-law, Court of Revision (Local Improvements), Line Fences Act, and appeals to Dog Muzzling Orders.

In assessing the merits of a Minor Variance or Consent application, the Committee of Adjustment considers documentation provided in the application, recommendations provided in a report from Planning staff, comments received from other municipal departments and agencies through circulation, and comments received from members of the general public.  Section 45(1) of the Act provides that the Committee may grant a variance from the provisions of the Zoning By-law, in respect of the land, building or structure or the use thereof, where, in its opinion, the application passes the following tests:

• The application is considered to be minor in nature.
• The application meets the general intent and purpose of the Zoning By-law.
• The application meets the general intent and purpose of the Official Plan.
• The application is considered to be desirable for the appropriate development or use of the property.

Applying to the Committee of Adjustment
Applications are submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Committee, who is responsible for circulation of the application and all other administrative duties in keeping with the requirements of the Ontario Planning Act, 1990.
Information about the application process can be found in the Committee of Adjustment Application Guide.  To access this guide and the application forms, please see the “Committee of Adjustment” section of Applications & Documents.

Committee Meetings
The Committee holds regular meetings usually on the third Tuesday of every month at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  For a schedule of specific meeting dates, please consult the Committee of Adjustment Application Guide.  

Committee decisions and meeting minutes are available by contacting the Committee of Adjustment Secretary-Treasurer.

Appeal a Decision
Appeals to a Committee of Adjustment decision must be filed within the appeal period to the Ontario Municipal Board.

For More Information:
Please direct inquiries related to the Committee of Adjustment to:
Committee of Adjustment Secretary-Treasurer
Owen Sound City Hall
808 2nd Avenue East
Owen Sound, ON   N4K 2H4
Phone:  519-376-1440 ext. 1263
Fax:  519-371-0511
Email
For more information on relevant provincial policy and legislation, please see External Resources.

• Commitee Minutes