Apply for a preliminary zoning review

A preliminary zoning review (PZR or review) analyzes your plans (site plan, floor plans and elevations) to check if they comply with the City’s Zoning By-law. A PZR helps:

• You find out if you need to apply for a minor variance
• When you’re preparing materials for a building permit application

It’s optional and only for eligible scopes of work.

Eligibility

The following projects can be reviewed:

• Attached additional residential unit (ARU)
• Detached ARU
• Detached dwelling
• Fourplex
• Semidetached dwelling
• Street townhouse
• Residential accessory structures
• Residential additions to the above housing types
• Other projects that don’t need a site plan approval or a building permit, such as driveway widening or landscaping

For all other projects, we’ll provide zoning comments through the appropriate approval process.

Review process

During a PZR, we work with you in cycles that are about 20 business days long. The number of cycles needed to complete the review depends on the complexity and quality of your application materials.

If your project is compliant

We’ll give you a stamped set of reviewed plans. You don’t need to apply for a minor variance. Your application is closed.

If your project is non-compliant

We’ll provide you with a set of stamped plans and a project status report that outlines what is non-compliant. You must include the complete set of plans without changing them if you apply for a minor variance. Your application is closed.

Changes after review

We don’t re-open or revise closed applications.

If you make changes after the application closes, the PZR plans and report we provided are invalid.

If you’re applying for a minor variance, you must find all required variances resulting from your changes and include them.

You can also request a new preliminary zoning review. You’ll have to put in a new application, pay the fee again and start over.

How to apply

Submit your application with all the required information online through the ePlans portal using the “Zoning Application” request type.

In the “proposed business operation” field, enter “Preliminary Zoning Review – [describe your scope of work]”.

For more information, check ePlans help and support.

Requirements

You’ll need to upload the following plans and a cover letter as part of your request.

You must record all dimensions (length, width, and height or depth) in metric units.

Site plan

The site plan must include:

• Address
• Property lines (provide measured dimensions)
• Outline of existing building(s) and other structures, all labelled
• Outline of proposed work shown hatched and labelled
• Overall dimensions of existing and proposed structures
• Setbacks from property lines to proposed addition
• Site statistics
• Grading and average grade calculation (when required)

Floor plans

• Interior and exterior dimensions
• Existing and proposed work labelled or otherwise identified
• All rooms labelled indicating the use

Elevations

• Dimension of eave overhang
• Location of openings (windows and doors)
• Height dimensions (from average or established grade)

Cover letter

• Outlining the project scope and proposed use in detail

We may request more plans or information such as roof or cross-sections through the review process.

Fees

The application will cost $604.51. You can pay this fee within ePlans.

We will collect a $50 fee when you apply online. Once you’ve provided all the required information, we’ll collect the balance ($554.51) and start the review.

Contact us

If you need more information, call 311 (905-615-4311 outside city limits).