Community Planning Permit System: Participate in protecting our lakes and shorelines, and simplifying the planning approvals process

Public information sessions: Community Planning Permit System

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the public information sessions on this initiative. The project team hosted four hybrid public information sessions between August 14th and September 10th, 2025. A recorded presentation will be posted on this webpage shortly. If you have any questions or would like to provide additional feedback, please contact us using the contact information below.

Next Step: We are now in the process of putting together a report that will outline what we heard at the public information sessions and how public feedback will be incorporated into the text of the CPPS by-law.

If you haven't already, please consider completing the State of the Waterfront Survey below.

If you are a resident or frequent visitor of any of the four townships in Frontenac County, we need your input on the implementation of a new planning application approvals process.

The survey closes on September 25, 2025

The new system, called the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), has two major advantages for residents:

We need your guidance and input on the development of CPPS policies to be amended to County and Township Official Plans and for the creation of a CPPS by-law template each township council may use in establishing the rules under which CPPS operates. We need to better understand how you want to see waterfront development in Frontenac occur in the future and which factors you consider most important in managing new development along waterfronts and shorelines.

Please take a few minutes to review this page, plan to attend a local in-person consultation event when they're announced, and subscribe to EngageFrontenac.ca for updates. This project will help shape the future of land development here in Frontenac and your input is critically important.

Background:

In 2023, Frontenac County planning staff received the support of all four Townships to proceed with a CPPS implementation project for waterfront areas across the region. Click here to see an example video of the initial presentation to Township councils.

The CPPS allows zoning by-law amendments, minor variances, and detailed site plan applications to be processed as one application instead of two or three separate processes under the Ontario Planning Act.

It also allows for the regulation of tree and vegetation removal and replanting, as well as regulating other site alteration, which is normally done under separate by-laws under the Ontario Municipal Act.

This system provides:

  • An approvals system to create certainty and transparency for the community, landowners, and developers;
  • More timely approvals for applications that meet certain standards and guidelines;
  • Outcomes that can more closely align with the community vision based on the Official Plan; and,
  • A tool that provides approvals that lead to better environmental protection.

To implement a CPPS, each municipality must adopt an Official Plan Amendment for the CPPS area and pass a Community Planning Permit (CPP) By-Law.

In 2023, County planning staff obtained a commitment from the four Townships to share costs and hire a consulting firm to create a CPP By-Law template that can be delivered to each of the four municipalities and then tailored to their specific needs. All four Township councils passed resolutions to allocate funding and a planning consulting firm, Planscape Inc., was retained to create the template and guide the CPPS implementation process to fruition.

Public information sessions: Community Planning Permit System

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the public information sessions on this initiative. The project team hosted four hybrid public information sessions between August 14th and September 10th, 2025. A recorded presentation will be posted on this webpage shortly. If you have any questions or would like to provide additional feedback, please contact us using the contact information below.

Next Step: We are now in the process of putting together a report that will outline what we heard at the public information sessions and how public feedback will be incorporated into the text of the CPPS by-law.

If you haven't already, please consider completing the State of the Waterfront Survey below.

If you are a resident or frequent visitor of any of the four townships in Frontenac County, we need your input on the implementation of a new planning application approvals process.

The survey closes on September 25, 2025

The new system, called the Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), has two major advantages for residents:

We need your guidance and input on the development of CPPS policies to be amended to County and Township Official Plans and for the creation of a CPPS by-law template each township council may use in establishing the rules under which CPPS operates. We need to better understand how you want to see waterfront development in Frontenac occur in the future and which factors you consider most important in managing new development along waterfronts and shorelines.

Please take a few minutes to review this page, plan to attend a local in-person consultation event when they're announced, and subscribe to EngageFrontenac.ca for updates. This project will help shape the future of land development here in Frontenac and your input is critically important.

Background:

In 2023, Frontenac County planning staff received the support of all four Townships to proceed with a CPPS implementation project for waterfront areas across the region. Click here to see an example video of the initial presentation to Township councils.

The CPPS allows zoning by-law amendments, minor variances, and detailed site plan applications to be processed as one application instead of two or three separate processes under the Ontario Planning Act.

It also allows for the regulation of tree and vegetation removal and replanting, as well as regulating other site alteration, which is normally done under separate by-laws under the Ontario Municipal Act.

This system provides:

  • An approvals system to create certainty and transparency for the community, landowners, and developers;
  • More timely approvals for applications that meet certain standards and guidelines;
  • Outcomes that can more closely align with the community vision based on the Official Plan; and,
  • A tool that provides approvals that lead to better environmental protection.

To implement a CPPS, each municipality must adopt an Official Plan Amendment for the CPPS area and pass a Community Planning Permit (CPP) By-Law.

In 2023, County planning staff obtained a commitment from the four Townships to share costs and hire a consulting firm to create a CPP By-Law template that can be delivered to each of the four municipalities and then tailored to their specific needs. All four Township councils passed resolutions to allocate funding and a planning consulting firm, Planscape Inc., was retained to create the template and guide the CPPS implementation process to fruition.

Pose a question

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  • The current North Frontenac By Laws on waterfront are not enforced today - clear cutting, multiple oversized docks, sand being dumped into the lake, wetlands mowed, shoreline walls - in a streamline process why is this being positioned as “protecting shorelines?” The converse is more likely to the case. How exactly does the new proposed system protect shorelines with increased density, outbuildings, docks lakefront infrastructure?

    Improve asked about 1 month ago

    Thank you for this question. Enforcement is an important part of the land use planning process. One major issue associated with a zoning by-law is that it does not do a good job of managing site alteration or vegetation clearance on its own. Zoning by-law are best used to manage the construction and location of structures rather than site and vegetation alteration. Managing site and vegetation alteration requires a different set of by-laws.

    The key benefit of the Community Planning Permit System is that it is able to manage both structures and any site and vegetation alteration under one process. The CPPS will require property owners to obtain a permit for any development that goes beyond what is permitted within the zoning by-law today. There are no ‘permit’ requirements for the zoning by-law on its own. It is this permitting requirement that makes site alteration and vegetation clearance along the waterfront easier to enforce.

  • Without neighbours being notified of potential significant changes - how are they going to be able to weigh in on the impacts? Even cities have not abandoned this key step. Why is North Frontenac when the number of applications is small compared to larger centers?

    Improve asked about 1 month ago

    Thank you for your question. Notifications will still be provided to neighbours and County planning staff are recommending for all applications to be posted on the Township website.

     The Community Planning Permit System provides for various classes of development permits that are based on the type and scale of development that is proposed. Any developments that propose significant deviations from the standards are still subject to public meetings (either with the Committee of Adjustment or Council). These public meetings will be advertised in the same way that minor variance and applications for zoning by-law amendments are advertised today. This includes a mail out to property owners.

  • Does North Frontenac have a good working relationship with the Mississippi Valley Conservation organization?

    PHOA-1 asked 4 months ago

    Yes. County of Frontenac planning staff, through and on behalf of the Township of North Frontenac, have useful and constructive relationships with conservation authorities in the region, including and especially those that overlap the County like the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority. 

  • Question from Kaswakamak Lake: What processes are in place to review and identify non-compliance docks and structures? Many properties with multiple new docks , clear cutting to the water and edge, sheds at water’s edge. Other municipalities are on the lake monitoring/ taking pictures. What monitoring does NF complete? What steps are taken for non compliance?

    MB asked about 1 year ago

    The Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) is primarily a development review process; designed to evaluate proposed developments to ensure they meet local planning regulations and policies. It is not intended to be an enforcement tool per se. Each municipality is responsible for handling enforcement individually, which means they each have their own methods for monitoring and addressing non-compliance issues. For properties with potential non-compliance issues, such as multiple new docks or alterations to natural landscapes, the specific monitoring and enforcement actions would be determined by the policies and procedures of the individual municipality. My suggestion is to contact the Township of North Frontenac for more information on their enforcement practices by emailing info@northfrontenac.ca. Additional contact details for the Township of North Frontenac are here: Contact Us - Township of North Frontenac.”

  • There are numerous examples now on Kashwakamak Lake where properties have been redeveloped where the existing small seasonal cottage has been removed and replaced by a large four season structure and in many cases the new cottages sit right beside the lake and the entire shoreline has been destroyed. I believe in the new process this needs to be addressed by only granting approval for rebuilds if the new building is set back and if the lot does not allow it then they can't rebuild. Of course this new process is meaningless unless meaningful enforcement is in place. Looking at the lake and what is going on currently, it is clear, little to no enforcement occurs.

    Kashsouthshore asked about 1 year ago

    Thank you for your comments. We will add your contribution to the consultation material for the County and Township of North Frontenac.

  • There is some discussion regarding floating boathouses. I believe the conversation should be expanded to all boathouses. My view is that that they should not be allowed under any circumstances and that no one should be grandfathered with an old one such that they can modify or change it. Floating boathouses are clearly an example of people skirting existing bylaws. This needs to be fixed immediately as they impact others enjoyment of the water and they do impact the shoreline.

    Kashsouthshore asked about 1 year ago

    Thank you for your comments, Kash. We will add your contribution to the consultation material for the County and Township of North Frontenac. (Each township council will deliberate on CPPS matters separately). 

  • When do we see the approvals system?

    P. C. asked about 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question. 

    A draft of the approval workflow is expected to be available prior to the in-person consultation meetings taking place between October and December 2024. 

    Please note that the purpose of this project is to create a template of the Community Planning Permit System document that can be used by each Township. The document and specifics of the approvals process will then be tailored by each Township at a later date. 

    A general workflow is illustrated on the Engage Frontenac Webpage under the Streamlined CPPS Approval Process heading. 

  • Where is the indigenous consultation for the water impact and Fisheries and Oceans 🇨🇦? Not just the land use when on the water.

    Judy asked over 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question, Judy. Consultation with representatives from various technical, governmental, and Indigenous groups is part of the by-law template development work. The initial steps are underway and results will be included as the project progresses.

Page last updated: 11 Sep 2025, 07:35 AM