Gravenhurst kicking off Official Plan review

The Town of Gravenhurst is reviewing its Official Plan.  

The Official Plan is a document outlining how land will be used in the municipality in the years ahead.  

“The Official Plan review is an important exercise, and I encourage all members of our community to pay attention to this process and participate when appropriate,” Mayor Heidi Lorenz said.  

Under the Planning Act, the town is required to review its Official Plan periodically to ensure the document conforms with provincial plans and policy statements.  

The review also serves as an opportunity to ensure the plan reflects the needs of the community.  

The Town of Gravenhurst has dubbed its Official Plan Review ‘Our Gateway to Tomorrow.’  

The town has retained the consulting firm Fotenn to help facilitate the Official Plan review exercise. Fotenn is an award-winning planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm with offices in Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto.  

The Official Plan review will result in a completely new plan that will serve as a dynamic roadmap for the town for the next 30 years.  

“This will be more than just a plan, it will create a shared vision for Gravenhurst, and that is such an important thing to have if we are to successfully build the community we want,” said Melissa Halford, director of development services for the Town of Gravenhurst.  

The plan will encourage economic vitality, support smart and sustainable growth, ensure environmental protection, earmark infrastructure requirements, identify new parks and public spaces, outline transportation opportunities, and promote community identity through building and neighbourhood design.  

The town’s plan will dovetail with the District of Muskoka’s Official Plan and related priorities.   

How to participate 

Council will hold a special meeting regarding the Official Plan review at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. The meeting will take place in the council chambers at the municipal office, 3-5 Pineridge Gate.  

At the upcoming meeting, the public will be able to comment on issues and matters they believe should be considered as part of the Official Plan review. Written and oral submissions are welcome.  

See our related notice to learn how you can participate in the meeting.  

“This is just the start of the process. We will also have other public engagement opportunities later in the summer and early fall – so please watch for those and be sure to contribute,” said Adam Ager, manager of planning services for the Town of Gravenhurst.  

To learn more about the review, check out our project page on Engage Gravenhurst.  

The page includes related documents, key dates, and much more.  

The goal is to have the new Official Plan in place by July 2027.  

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For more information, contact:  

Mike Gennings
Manager of Communications and Engagement
mike.gennings@gravenhurst.ca
705-687-3412, ext. 2239