At their meeting on September 23rd, Council approved the Early Review of Rezoning Applications Involving a Major OCP Amendment adding that staff review the policy in one years’ time. The policy implements an early review process for new rezoning applications involving a major OCP amendment, limited to those OCP amendments that increase the permitted land use prescribed in the OCP or change the location of lands designated for parks purposes. 

Based on staff review and analysis, there is value in obtaining early input from Council where a major OCP amendment would be required as part of a rezoning application. Staff recommend that new rezoning applications, received after Council's approval of this report, and that include a major OCP amendment be forwarded to Planning Committee and Council for early informal review.  

Examples include, but are not limited to requests to amend the OCP to:  

• change land use designation from industrial to commercial or residential use;  
• change the form of development from townhouses to apartments; or  
• change the location of lands designated as Park (e.g., move lands designated as park from one location on a subject site to another). 

Additional information can be found in the  full report by city staff.