Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) are areas surrounding a transit station and are vital for promoting Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Ontario.

MTSAs are typically located within approximately 500-800 metres (10 minute walk) of higher-order transit options like bus rapid transit, rail, or subway stations.

These areas are intended to be developed as mixed-use, transit-supportive communities that provide access to local amenities, jobs and housing, meeting the daily needs of residents and the surrounding community.

These areas are to be planned for specific minimum density targets for residents and jobs per hectare (depending on the type of transit available) as set by the Province.

What are "Protected" Major Transit Station Areas?

Protected MTSAs are MTSAs where land use permissions and minimum or maximum height and density policies are "protected" under the Planning Act. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing approves which MTSAs can be categorized as a PMTSA and are therefore not subject to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal. This gives residents and businesses certainty about the types of uses, heights, and densities that will be permitted.

Lower-tier municipalities, like Richmond Hill, must update their Official Plans to include policies that identify:

• the minimum number of combined residents and jobs per hectare that are planned to be in the area;
• the authorized uses of land in the MTSA and of buildings or structures on lands in the area; and
• the minimum densities with respect to buildings and structures on lands in the area.

Municipalities may also include policies that specify minimum and maximum building heights and maximum densities within the PMTSA. Once approved, there is no right of appeal with respect to these policies.

 Richmond Hill's city structure includes two key corridors in the region serviced by higher-order transit: Yonge Street and Highway 7. These corridors are planned to support:

• A mix of housing;
• Businesses and public spaces;
• Improve walkability and transit access; and
• Maintain appropriate building heights and densities based on context.

Regional Mixed-Use Corridor (RMUC) is a land use designation under the City's Official Plan. The RMUC accommodates intensification and high-density mixed-use along the Yonge Street and Highway 7 corridors. Height and density permissions along these corridors vary and are designed to complement the existing neighbourhood context.

An Official Plan is a policy document that applies to all properties within the municipal boundary. It guides how land is used, and how and where growth and development will take place in our city.

The current Richmond Hill Official Plan provides:

• A vision for the future of the city
• An approach for where and how development will occur
• Direction for municipal servicing to meet the needs of our growing city
• Protection of natural areas and ecosystems
• Implementation tools

The Province requires that an Official Plan update be completed 10 years after the preparation of a new comprehensive Official Plan. This ensures that the updated plan implements any changes to provincial policies, conforms with policies in the York Region Official Plan, responds to current urban issues and conditions, and considers new opportunities for shaping the City.

Richmond Hill’s current Official Plan was adopted by Council in July 2010 in order to guide development to 2031. This review will provide a clear vision for planning and development in Richmond Hill over the long term.

In addition to Planning Act requirements, the update of the Official Plan will look to better support long-term sustainable city building, respond to climate change, and create a better balance of jobs and residents in the City.

The Official Plan update process is occurring concurrently with York Region's Municipal Comprehensive Review. As such, the update will also ensure that policies and mapping conform with those of the Regional Official Plan.

There are several City initiatives that will occur at the same time as the Official Plan update. These initiatives will develop tools that will be used to implement the policies of the Official Plan. There are also studies underway which will inform the Official Plan Update. Throughout this process, the existing approved Official Plan is in effect and guides decision making for the City.

The following is a list of City-led projects:

• Affordable Housing Strategy
• Community Benefits Charge Strategy
• Community Energy and Emissions Plan
  
• Comprehensive Zoning By-law
• Environment Strategy
• Investment Attraction Strategy
• Parks, Recreation and Culture Plans
• Richmond Hill Centre Secondary Plan
• Socio Economic Study
• Transportation Master Plan Update
• Urban Forest Management Plan
• Urban Master Environmental Services Plan
• Yonge and Bernard Key Development Area Secondary Plan

The following four OPAs have received final approval, and are currently in effect:

• OPA 18.2 – Leslie Street Institutional Area (approved December 25, 2020)
• OPA 18.3 – Vision and City Structure (approved September 9, 2022)
• OPA 18.4 – Neighbourhoods (approved September 9, 2022)
• OPA 18.7 – Newkirk Local Centre (approved March 26, 2024)

The following OPAs have been appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal:

• OPA 18.5 – Yonge and Carrville/16th Avenue KDA
• OPA 18.6 – Village Local Centre
• OPA 18.8 – Oak Ridges Local Centre

For information on the status of these OPAs, please view the Case Status on the Ontario Land Tribunal's website.

Two proposed amendments to the Official Plan related to uses in Employment Lands were initiated by the City. These amendments aimed to coordinate with the work being undertaken by York Region with respect to their Municipal Comprehensive Review, to respond to Council direction, and to respond to site-specific concerns.

The amendments proposed were:

• OPA 18.1 - Automotive uses in employment lands (city file D01-20005)
  • Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.1
  • OPA 18.1 Prescribed Information
• OPA 18.2 - Conversion of Employment Area to permit new and/or expansion of existing institutional, office, and small-scale retail uses (city file D01-20006)
  • Draft Official Plan Amendment 18.2
  • OPA 18.2 Prescribed Information

OPA 18.2 was adopted by Council on September 23, 2020, and was approved by York Region and came into effect on December 25, 2020. The changes proposed as part of OPA 18.1 (automotive uses) will be considered as part of the overall Official Plan Update, and are no longer proceeding ahead of the overall Official Plan Update.

Meetings and Engagement Events

• Virtual Open House - June 22, 2020
  • View the recording of the June 22, 2020 Virtual Open House
  • June 22, 2020 Virtual Open House presentation slides
• Special Council Public Meeting - June 29, 2020
• View the recording of the June 29, 2020 Special Council Public Meeting
• The Staff Report and its attachments

• Council Meeting - September 23, 2020
• The Staff Report and its attachments

Meetings and Engagement Events

• Official Plan Update Committee meeting - November 24, 2020
  
  • View the recording of the November 24, 2020 OPUC meeting
  • November 24, 2020 OPUC Meeting presentation slides (note: 10MB file size)
• Official Plan Update Committee meeting - January 19, 2021
  • View the recording of the January 19, 2021 OPUC meeting
  • January 19, 2021 OPUC Meeting presentation slides
• City Plan 2041 Virtual Open House - February 18, 2021
  • View the recording of the February 18, 2021 Virtual Open House
  • February 18, 2021 Virtual Open House presentation slides

What We Heard

Following the engagement that the City has conducted to the end of March 2021, LURA Consulting has prepared a "What We Heard" report. This report provides a summary of consultation the City has undertaken and the responses that have been received so far. This input will inform Phase 2 of the Official Plan Update process.

View the "What We Heard" Phase 1 Summary Report

This phase of the OP Update process focuses on gathering feedback on key policy directions related to: height and density of buildings, intensification of development in transit supported areas, opportunities to increase employment and economic prosperity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, technical matters, and implementation tools. At the conclusion of this phase, Council endorsed a Key Directions report, which was informed by several engagement events and a report, prepared by urbanist David Dixon, called “Planning for Change.” 

Key Directions Report

The Key Directions Report provides a framework for the updating of the Official Plan, to ensure that the proposed Vision and Urban Structure for the City Plan can be achieved. The framework is informed by Provincial policy, emerging Regional policy resulting from the Municipal Comprehensive Review process that York Region is presently undertaking, other City initiated studies that are in-process or completed, and the City Plan consultation that has taken place to date. Accordingly, the Report provides the foundation for preparing future amendments to the City’s Official Plan during Phase 3 of this update process. 

• Key Directions Report - November 2021 (note: 11MB file size)
• Council meeting - February 9, 2022 (see Items 11, 13.3, 13.4 and 13.8) 

Meetings and Engagement Events

• Business Community Workshop - April 27, 2021
• Area-specific Workshops
  • Bathurst Street and Highway 7 Centre Workshop - May 4, 2021
  • Yonge Street and 16th Avenue/Carrville Road Centre Workshop - May 6, 2021
  • Village and Richmond Hill GO Station Centres Workshop - May 11, 2021
  • Bayview and Highway 7 Centre Workshop - May 13, 2021
  • Oak Ridges Centre Workshop - May 18, 2021
  • East Beaver Creek Centre Workshop - May 20, 2021
• Official Plan Update Committee - September 21, 2021
• Key Directions Virtual Open House - October 14, 2021
  • View the recording of the October 14, 2021 Key Directions Open House
  • October 14, 2021 Key Directions Open House presentation slides
• Council Meeting - December 8, 2021 (see items 13.6 and 13.7)

What We Heard

Following the engagement that the City conducted as part of Phase 2 of the Official Plan Update process, LURA Consulting has prepared three "What We Heard" reports. The first two reports provide a summary of the consultation the City has undertaken to the end of May 2021 with the business community and on six Centres in Richmond Hill respectively. The third report summarizes the comments and feedback that were received by the City in the fall of 2021 as part of the Phase 2 consultations on the emerging Key Directions.

• Phase 2: What We Heard - Business Community Summary Report - July 2021
• Phase 2: What We Heard - Centre-Specific Workshops Engagement Summary Report - July 2021
• Phase 2: What We Heard - Key Directions Engagement Summary Report - November 2021

Planning for Change

City Plan 2041's visionary urbanist David Dixon and Stantec's Urban Places have prepared a report titled "Planning for Change", which will serve as a "playbook" to guide the Official Plan Update and its implementation. The "playbook" intends to inform the Official Plan Update, provide guidance to Council and Planning Staff to successfully implement the Official Plan, and adds additional perspective in terms of a path to take for planning complete communities.

• Planning for Change report - July 2021 (note: 11MB file size)

During this phase, the City will gather feedback from residents and community groups as they proceed to draft and finalize several Official Plan Amendments (OPAs). These OPAs will be divided into three batches. Each part will include public engagement, to share our research, discuss possible changes to the Official Plan, receive feedback and share what we have heard, prior to recommending adoption of changes to the Official Plan.