Land Development

These plans are deposited in the local Land Registry Office and are graphical representations of descriptions of land, as well as representations of divisions of land under the Planning Act RSO, 1990 Ch.P.13. A reference plan is necessary for a severance. Each Land Registry Office (LRO) has a unique number, and the number of the reference plan includes the number of the LRO in which it is deposited. Reference plans show the surveyed boundary and dimensions as well as any physical or documentary evidence that could affect the title to the property. This may include the location of fences, hedges, retaining walls, overhead wires, etc. in relation to the boundaries and any easements or rights-of-way that are evident or that are registered on title. Buildings or other improvements on the property are generally not shown unless they were used to position the boundary or they encroach on the property.

A Site Plan is a drawing, or set of drawings, that illustrate the physical arrangement of existing property improvements such as buildings, driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, fences, municipal services, etc., as well as any proposed improvements. Site Plan approval must normally be completed before the issuance of a building permit. A Site Plan is a requirement for development under Section 41 of the Planning Act.

Shows the existing physical features of a project. These plans are used by Engineers, planners and architects to assist with the detailed design of a proposed project. Elevations, contours, and the physical details noted above, on and below ground.

Upon registration in the Land Registry Office, and after appropriate approvals have been obtained, these plans subdivide property into two or more new parcels, units, or lots and set out the boundaries of these new lots for the first time. The approval process is governed by Section 51 of the Planning Act RSO 1990 Ch. P.13 and includes consideration of where streets, parks and dwellings will be located. A registered plan of subdivision shows: the surveyed boundaries, numbering and dimensions of lots, the location, width and names of streets, and the sites of future schools and parks. These plans do not show specific building locations.