Notice of Adoption of a Community Improvement Plan

Take Notice that the Council of Norfolk County passed By-law 2025-30 on April 23, 2025, under Section 17(22) and Section 28 of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.P.13.

By-law No. 2025-30 repeals By-laws 2007-102, 2007-103, 8-OP-2015, 8-OP-2006, 5-OP-2002, and 2025-10, designates a Community Improvement Project Area, and adopts an updated Community Improvement Plan for Norfolk County. 

PURPOSE AND EFFECT OF THE COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Under Section 28 of The Planning Act, municipalities may adopt a Community Improvement Project Area and Community Improvement Plan for the purposes of upgrading, rehabilitating, redeveloping, reconstructing, or otherwise improving lands and buildings within a municipality. 

Norfolk County’s current Community Improvement Plan was adopted in 2015, to replace the previous Community Improvement Plan. With By-law 2025-30, Council adopted an updated Community Improvement Plan and Community Improvement Project Area. The updated Community Improvement Plan includes updated objectives, administrative process, and financial incentives for property owners. 

The Community Improvement Project Area and Community Improvement Plan apply to lands within the entire municipality of Norfolk County. View the Community Improvement Plan and Community Improvement Project Area. 

WRITTEN & ORAL SUBMISSIONS

The public was consulted throughout the project to update the Community Improvement Plan. Comments received informed updates to the administrative processes, incentives, and eligibility criteria for the Community Improvement Plan. No further oral submissions were received at the public meeting.

WHEN THE DECISION IS FINAL

The Community Improvement Plan is exempt from approval by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The decision of Norfolk County is final if a Notice of Appeal is not received on or before the last date of appeal noted below. 

APPEALS

To make an appeal, a copy of an appeal form is available from the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) website at olt.gov.on.ca. An appeal may be filed using the OLT e-file service olt.gov.on.ca/e-file-service (first-time users will need to register for a My Ontario Account) by selecting Norfolk County as the Approval Authority. Alternatively, you may submit an appeal to the Clerk in person or by registered mail/courier addressed to the Clerk’s Office at the Norfolk County Administration Building, 50 Colborne Street, South, Simcoe, Ontario, N3Y 4H3.  Appeals may be made no later than May 20, 2025 at 4:30 pm. An appeal will be processed once all fees are received. 

Only the applicant, the Minister, or an owner of land affected by the planning application, a specified person or a public body who made written or oral submissions to Norfolk County Council prior to Council’s decision may appeal a decision of Norfolk County to the Ontario Land Tribunal. No person or public body shall be added as a party to the hearing of the appeal unless, before the plan was adopted, the person or public body made oral submissions at a public meeting or written submissions to Norfolk County Council or, in the opinion of the Ontario Land Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body as a party. 

The Notice of Appeal must:

1. set out the reasons for the appeal and the specific part of the proposed amendment to which the appeal applies;
2. be accompanied by the fee prescribed under the Ontario Land Tribunal Act in the amount of $1,100.00 per application, payable to the Minister of Finance. Payment can be made directly to the OLT if using the e-file service to file an appeal or by certified cheque or money order if filing with the City Clerk. (An appellant may request a reduction of the filing fee to $400.00. The request for a reduction of the filing fee must be made at the time of filing the appeal. For more information and a copy of the OLT Fee Schedule go to olt.gov.on.ca/appeals-process/fee-chart).

MORE INFORMATION

For a copy of the Community Improvement Plan, the amendment, or more information please contact the Clerk’s Office at 50 Colborne Street, South, Simcoe, Ontario, N3Y 4H3, or by emailing clerks@norfolkcounty.ca, or by phone at 226-NORFOLK, ext. 6269.

See also the Norfolk Economic Development website for more information at www.norfolkbusiness.ca. 

Dated this 30th day of April, 2025.