Notice of Public Hearing / Public Meeting - November 4th, 2025

Description of the Proposal:

Severance Consent Application B22/2025, proposes to create one (1) new parcel, being approximately 2.02 hectares (5.0 acres) of vacant land for residential building purposes.

The retained portion, being approximately 94.36 hectares (233.16 acres) contains an existing barn and shed.

Zoning By-law Amendment Application C12/2025 has been submitted concurrently with this application.

Description of the Proposal:

Subsequent to Severance Consent Application B22/2025, the purpose and effect of the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment is to recognize the creation of one (1) new parcel, being approximately 2.02 hectares (5.0 acres) of vacant land for residential building purposes.  The current zoning of the subject lands is the Rural (RU) Zone, Agricultural (A) Zone, Environmental Protection (EP) Zone and Environmentally Sensitive (ES).

The proposed zoning for the severed portion of Severance Consent Application B22/2025 will be the Rural Residential (RR) Zone.  The zoning for the retained portion, being approximately 94.36 hectares (233.16 acres) with an existing barn and shed, will remain the Rural (RU), Agricultural (A), Environmental Protection (EP) and Environmentally Sensitive (ES) Zones.  All Environmental Protection (EP) and Environmentally Sensitive (ES) Zoning will remain in place.

Plan of Subdivision SB01/2025, Notice of Public Hearing (JP Galle/Highland Builds Ltd.)

Description of the Proposal:

The applicant is proposing a low-density residential development located on 7.87 hectares/19.45 acres along Banta Road in the Village of Warkworth. The proposed development will consist of 9 newly created lots for residential building purposes and are currently proposing 9 single-detached dwellings with unit sizes between 100 to 200 square metres (~1,000 to ~2,100 square feet). The lots will be partially serviced by municipal water but will use individual septic systems for sewage disposal. The newly created lots will be accessed from the existing Banta Road.

An original proposal for the site involved higher densities and mix of unit types and tenures. Due to limitations with servicing the site, a less dense form of development is now being proposed for this site. The applicant is adapting previous completed studies to reflect the reduction and impact of the proposed development. The satisfactory completion of these studies will be listed as requirements for draft approval of the Plan of Subdivision.

A Zoning By-law Amendment to Rezone the property from the Community Facility (CF) and the Environmentally Sensitive (ES) Zones to the Low-density Residential (R1) Zone has been submitted alongside this Plan of Subdivision Application.

Description of the Proposal:

The purpose and effect of the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment is to apply for an exception zone for the draft approved Plan of Subdivision SB01/2025.

The applicant is proposing a rezoning from the current zoning identified as Community Facility (CF-1) and Environmentally Sensitive (ES) to Low-density Residential (R1). The proposed rezoning will allow the parcel to be subdivided into nine residential lots.

Lot 1 as identified in the proposed Concept Plan will be Low-density Residential (R1) Zoning Exception TH-105-93 Zone. This exception reflects the reduced road frontage (9.0m), which is a result of the lot’s unique shape designed to accommodate an entrance, driveway, and servicing.

Plan of Subdivision Application SB01/2025 has been submitted concurrently with this application.

Description of the Proposal:

Official Plan Amendment No. 13 proposes to allow the limited creation of farm parcels in the Prime Agricultural Designation under specific conditions, and where they will be preserved for agricultural purposes. Historically, the minimum size for most farm parcels has been 40 hectare/100 acres, stemming from the original surveys and Crown Land grants conducted by British and Canadian settlers from the late 1700s and onwards.

Within the Greenbelt Plan (2017) and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (2017), the minimum farm size is stated to be 16 hectares/40 acres for specialty crop areas, and 40 hectares/100 acres for newly created standard farm parcels. Outside of these Provincial Plans, municipalities are generally in charge of establishing lot sizes for farm parcels in Prime Agricultural Areas, following the policies of the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024. The 2024 PPS states that newly created lots with Prime Agricultural Areas must be of an appropriate size for the type of proposed agricultural uses common in the area, but that lot creation is discouraged.

The purpose of the amendment is to add policies to provide direction for limited lot creation within the Prime Agricultural Designation. In general, lot creation will still be discouraged within the Prime Agricultural Designation. Surplus Farm Dwellings were previously under the Rural Policy Area of the Official Plan, despite only applying in Prime Agricultural Areas, and has been moved to the correct section. For farms that have historically consolidated multiple original farm parcels and are greater in size than 80 hectares/200 acres, these parcels will be permitted to form back into two separate 100 acres farms.

The amendment also adds a new section for the limited lot creation of farm parcels less than 40 hectares/100 acres in size, with the requirement that the primary use of both parcels remains for agricultural purposes. Where it can be displayed that a smaller farm operation will remain a viable farm operation, such as by a change in the type of farming operation, lot creation may be supported. Additionally, in cases where the creation of a new lot less than 40 hectares/100 acres would aid in succession planning for an existing farm operation, lot creation may also be supported.

A draft copy of the Official Plan Amendment is available on the Municipality of Trent Hills website. A full list of the proposed amendments, the basis of the amendment, and the applicable policies are contained within the text of Official Plan Amendment #13.