Severance / Minor Variance

Committee of Adjustment Applications

Overview 
The Committee of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial body with authority delegated to it by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Council, under the provisions of the Ontario Planning Act, to hold public hearings to make decisions on applications for:

• Minor variances and alterations in legal non-conforming use
• Consents: severances, boundary adjustments, easements, leases, (partial discharge) mortgage or charge
• Fence variances
• Sign variances
• Appeals of property standard orders

Pre-consultation Meetings
Prior to the submission of all applications to the Committee of Adjustment, applicants must have a pre-consultation meeting with staff.  

Consent Applications Pre-consultation Meetings:

• Meetings will be held in the afternoon on the first and third Thursday of every month. 
• When you are ready for a pre-consultation meeting submit a proposal sketch and page 1 of the Pre-Consultation Form.  Please advise our staff and we'll make arrangements to include you on the requested agenda.
• Your request should be received at least fifteen business days in advance of the scheduled meeting date. 
• Upon receipt of the above materials, you will receive confirmation of meeting dates and times by email.

Minor Variance, Fence Variance, Sign Variance & Legal Non-Conforming Use Pre-Consultation Meetings:

• Meetings will be held in the afternoon on the first, second and fourth Tuesday of every month
• Meetings will be scheduled once pre-consultation material is received. A proposed sketch and page 1 of the Pre-Consultation form is required to be submitted.
• Your request should be received at least one week in advance of the scheduled meeting date. 
• Upon receipt of the above materials, you will receive confirmation of meeting dates and times by email

Application Package for Download

Post Pre-Consultation meeting, the following application forms and instructions apply.  Please download all files for completeness.

Hearing Schedules and Deadlines

Committee of Adjustment hearings are scheduled for the third Thursday of each month. The Town reserves the right to limit the number of applications on a hearing agenda to ensure fair consideration of each application.  The hearing date for your application will be confirmed once the Secretary-Treasurer is satisfied that all necessary documentation has been submitted to support the application.  The schedule is intended as a guideline only. Once an application has been deemed complete, the hearing date will be scheduled.

Hearing Applications, Notices and Decision Notices

Hearing dates, applications, supporting documents and notices can be found on the following page of our web-site: Committee of Adjustment Public Notices.

Recordings of Committee of Adjustment Hearings can be viewed at the following link: https://livestream.com/NOTL

Additional Information

The Committee of Adjustment Public Hearing Procedure
Planning Fee 2021 Chart
Sign, Property Standards, and Fence User Fees & Service Charges
Committee of Adjustment Terms of Reference
Fence Variance Appeal Procedure
Local Planning Appeals Tribunal
Citizens' Guides to Land-Use Planning on Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website

Application Information

For more information please contact:

Natalie Thomson 
Secretary-Treasurer, Committee of Adjustment 
905-468-6466 ext. 312
natalie.thomson@notl.com