Land use planning helps each community to set development goals while keeping social, economic and environmental factors in mind. You may be surprised to learn that everything we do locally must be consistent with provincial policy. That means, if the province permits a land use, such as secondary dwelling units, we are mandated to allow those uses at the municipal level. What we can regulate municipally are things like: size, number of bedrooms, parking spaces, which areas in our Town can support the use, etc. Want to learn more about Land Use Planning? Check out the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for their Citizens Guide to Land Use Planning, and Finding the Right Fit: Age Friendly Community Planning.

The Official Plan (text) is a statement of goals, objectives and policies intended to guide future land use, physical development, and growth within the Town of Kingsville. The policies of the Plan are designed to promote the public interest in the future development of the Town, reduce uncertainty relating to future development, and to provide a basis for the Zoning By-law and other land use control. The Official Plan is reviewed every five years.

Our Zoning By-Law (text)implements the objectives and policies of our Town's official plan andprovides a legal and precise way of managing land use and future development. In addition to the official plan, our zoning by-law protects the community from conflicting and possibly incompatible land uses. Zoning Maps

The Official Plan is a high-level document that brings the Town’s general land use planning policies together in a single plan, whereas the Zoning By-Law is much more specific. The Zoning By-Law is what regulates what you can build, where you can build, how high you can build, etc.

You can check our online mapping tool for general information purposes, but because this information is continuously being updated, any questions that require official confirmation will require a Property Information Report (PIR) request.

To find out what you can do on your property, the first step is to determine your zoning. If you're looking to build a secondary dwelling unit, create a new lot, put an addition on your house, construct a commercial business, or operate a business in your home, you should contact our Planning Department to consult with one of our staff members.

When it comes to land use planning, compatibility is critical. Certain land uses don't combine well with other land uses (for example a propane depot next to a residential area.) We look at impact to neighbours, traffic intensity, noise, dust, light, safety concerns and other factors when considering land-use applications.

You can add up to two Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) to any Single Detached, Semi-detached, and Townhouse Dwelling, or you can add one ADU in the main building (a basement apartment for example), and one in an accessory building in the rear yard (a backyard cottage or carriage house). 

ADUs are also permitted in the Agriculture (A1) zone on properties with municipal water service, and subject to other requirements.

See Section 4.35.1 of the Zoning Bylaw for applicable ADU regulations, and Section 4.2 for regulations for accessory buildings. A Building Permit is required for all dwellings. Apply for a building permit online. 

If you have any questions about recent changes to provincial planning law or if your zoning allows an Additional Dwelling Unit on your property, please contact planning@kingsville.ca