Cambridge council to consider policy on MZOs next week

Cambridge council will consider a policy to require all Minister Zoning Order requests to be submitted with a planning justification report.

In May, council asked city staff to draft policies for council to follow when considering whether or not to endorse an MZO.

The move came at the heels of a decision to endorse a controversial warehouse project on Old Mill Road in Blair that launched months of protest from Blair residents because they were not consulted prior to council’s endorsement of the project.

The policy will be considered by council at a meeting next Tuesday.

In addition to a planning justification report, the policy will also allow council to request additional information from the developer including consultation or further review as a condition of their support, according to a staff report.

MZOs are a controversial planning tool that allows the minister of municipal affairs and housing to have final say on how a piece of land will be used. They override the regular planning process, which can take between six months and two years because it includes public notice, circulation to agencies for review, and a public meeting, the staff report said.

Municipalities can endorse a developer’s MZO request, but the final decision to rezone land is made by the province and it doesn’t involve public consultation or allow for public appeals.

The Old Mill Road warehouse project in Blair was the second MZO request to come to Cambridge council. The first was for a massive residential redevelopment at Hespeler and Pinebush roads, where the SmartCentres shopping complex is currently located.

In both cases, the request was presented to council and council endorsed the request before sending it to the province for final approval. The SmartCentres MZO request was approved by the province last year and the Old Mill Road request was approved by the province last month.

“Although MZOs have received some criticism from members of the community they can be an appropriate and valuable tool. MZOs can be used to promote city initiatives such as affordable housing, strategic projects and economic benefits,” the staff report said.

According to the staff report, council may approve an MZO request that comes before them for support based on the information provided in the planning justification report or council may request that any or all of the following requirements be complied before it will consider the request: Consult with the public, circulate the proposal to relevant agencies for review, complete a transportation impact study and heritage impact assessment if appropriate.