Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Norfolk County faces challenges with under-utilized rural lands that are unfarmed or unsuitable for agriculture. Current restrictions on agricultural-zoned properties prevent owners from creating housing opportunities on these lots. While spot zoning has been explored, provincial appeals highlight the need for a more systematic, predictable approach that considers surrounding farms, livestock, and typical agricultural concerns. 

Where we’re at

Rural Designation – Severances 

Norfolk County has a number of large rural properties that are unfarmed, under-utilized, or unsuitable for agriculture. Current provincial agricultural zoning restrictions prevent these property owners from severing lots for housing, limiting opportunities for rural housing development and placing additional pressure on local communities. 

Previous efforts to address this through spot zoning were recommended locally but appealed by the Province, highlighting the need for a more systematic, transparent process. A structured approach would allow the County to evaluate potential properties while considering: 

• Proximity to active farms

• Presence of livestock or other farm operations

• Typical agricultural land-use concerns 

Our ask

Norfolk County is requesting provincial support to: 

• Develop a Predictable Review Framework
  Establish clear criteria and a systematic process for evaluating rural properties that may be suitable for residential severances, replacing ad hoc spot zoning approaches.

• Enable Limited Rural Severances
  Allow severances on unfarmed or under-utilized properties where impacts on surrounding agricultural operations would be minimal, ensuring that farmland protection is maintained. 

Where we're at

Four units as-of-right

As a single-tier rural municipality with both urban and agricultural areas, Norfolk County supports the federal government’s objectives to accelerate the construction of critical environmental infrastructure and increase housing supply. Our Council is currently considering the submission of a funding application through the Direct Delivery Stream of CHIF for the Port Dover Northwest Booster Station, a project that directly enables 449 new housing units in our growing lakeside community. This initiative would significantly improve water pressure and fire flow capacity in the area and aligns with CHIF’s objectives. 

However, we are concerned regarding the requirement that municipalities with populations over 30,000 must commit to implementing four units as-of-right zoning to remain eligible for funding. While this approach may be appropriate for larger, urban areas, for Norfolk this presents significant infrastructure, and community planning challenges. 

Unlike large urban municipalities, Norfolk’s Planning Department does not currently have the staff capacity, or a zoning review of this scale scheduled in its work plan until 2028. Accelerating this work to meet the Spring 2025 guideline would displace other critical planning work. 

Our ask

We respectfully urge your office to consider offering greater flexibility in applying this criterion, particularly for rural municipalities. Norfolk County is committed to supporting housing development and has demonstrated this through our participation in the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and other initiatives. However, we feel this is not a one-size-fits-all zoning solution.