Envision St. John's Municipal Plan and Development Regulations

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Consultation has concluded

Envision St. John’s, prepared as a result of a comprehensive review, will replace the current St. John’s Municipal Plan (2003) and Development Regulations (1994). Envision was developed from an extensive consultation process and the comments of many interested citizens, community groups, property owners and businesses, with the direction of Council and the professional input of City staff.

During the review process, residents told us they want:

  • a place where we enjoy a future of continued economic prosperity and diversity
  • a home where citizens have a strong sense of identity embodied in their understanding and appreciation for their cultural, natural and built heritage,
  • a city of active, healthy citizens, living in affordable, accessible, complete neighbourhoods, and
  • a capital that attracts and welcomes investment, residents and visitors from the region, the province and the world.

The draft Envision Municipal Plan was tabled in Council in July 2014 for public review and a series of engagement events followed to share the draft and seek input. The draft Municipal Plan was updated and adopted-in-principle in July 2017 and was recently edited to ensure that all standards proposed in the new draft Development Regulations are enabled by the draft Plan. The documents and maps have been updated to April 2021 and have received a provincial release. They will be brought to Council for consideration of adoption.

Following public review of the draft Municipal Plan in 2014, City staff have been using it to write the draft development regulations. This document reflects a wide range of public interests and includes such items as revised land-use zones and lot sizes, new affordable housing forms, off-street parking, buffers between different land uses, public open space, floodplains, building heights, built heritage, agricultural lands, and more.

Take a look at the new 2021 Envision documents in the document library. Previous versions can be found in the working documents section.

Envision St. John’s, prepared as a result of a comprehensive review, will replace the current St. John’s Municipal Plan (2003) and Development Regulations (1994). Envision was developed from an extensive consultation process and the comments of many interested citizens, community groups, property owners and businesses, with the direction of Council and the professional input of City staff.

During the review process, residents told us they want:

  • a place where we enjoy a future of continued economic prosperity and diversity
  • a home where citizens have a strong sense of identity embodied in their understanding and appreciation for their cultural, natural and built heritage,
  • a city of active, healthy citizens, living in affordable, accessible, complete neighbourhoods, and
  • a capital that attracts and welcomes investment, residents and visitors from the region, the province and the world.

The draft Envision Municipal Plan was tabled in Council in July 2014 for public review and a series of engagement events followed to share the draft and seek input. The draft Municipal Plan was updated and adopted-in-principle in July 2017 and was recently edited to ensure that all standards proposed in the new draft Development Regulations are enabled by the draft Plan. The documents and maps have been updated to April 2021 and have received a provincial release. They will be brought to Council for consideration of adoption.

Following public review of the draft Municipal Plan in 2014, City staff have been using it to write the draft development regulations. This document reflects a wide range of public interests and includes such items as revised land-use zones and lot sizes, new affordable housing forms, off-street parking, buffers between different land uses, public open space, floodplains, building heights, built heritage, agricultural lands, and more.

Take a look at the new 2021 Envision documents in the document library. Previous versions can be found in the working documents section.

Consultation has concluded

  • Envision receives final approval from Council

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    Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations were given final approval by Council today, Sept. 7 and are now being forwarded to the Provincial Government. Once registered by the Province and gazetted, Envision St. John’s will come into legal effect.

    The Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan is Council’s policy document for present and future land use and development and Development Regulations set out standards which implement Council’s land-use policies. These documents are enabled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Urban and Rural Planning Act, 2000.

    Council recently adopted Envision St. John’s and referred it to a final public hearing process, culminating years of teamwork and effort.

    Envision St. John’s reflects the directions of Council, the comments of the public and the efforts of City staff. The input of many interested citizens, community groups, property owners and businesses helped to shape the plan and we are very pleased to take this final step today.

    Under the Urban and Rural Planning Act, a municipal plan is adopted for a 10-year planning period, with a regular review every five (5) years. The current St. John’s Municipal Plan, 2003, and St. John’s Development Regulations, 1994, have been amended many times and remain in effect until the new Envision Plan and Regulations have been approved by Council, registered by the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, and published in the Newfoundland and Labrador Gazette.

    Regarding the Heritage By-Law, a notice of motion tabled at today's meeting will send the Heritage By-Law for final approval on September 13, 2021. Envision continues the City’s policies on heritage and its ongoing protection and future use. Many of the standards and regulations in the St. John’s Development Regulations are being transferred to the new St. John’s Heritage By-Law, and feedback gathered through recent public engagement has been incorporated in the document.


  • Public Meeting - Battery Neighbourhood

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    Application
    Residents and property owners in the Battery neighbourhood are invited to a public meeting to talk about the planning and heritage policies and regulations proposed for the neighbourhood.

    Description
    The Battery is part of Heritage Area 3, which covers much of the old city. Under a new Heritage By-Law, we propose a Heritage Area 4 just for the Battery, to better reflect the way the Battery has houses on small lots, often simple in style, and in a prominent position along the flanks of Signal Hill overlooking the harbour. As well, the new Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations, 2021 propose maximum lot area and height limits in the zoning, but also recognize the legal problems involved with trying to protect private views rather than public views.

    Our meeting is to discuss these matters and is aimed at residents and property owners. We hope to have a good discussion.

    Time & Date
    Registration required.

    Virtual Session 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 27, 2021. To register, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5R35KCM

    Comments
    Provide your comments to the Office of the City Clerk including your name and address to cityclerk@stjohns.ca or P.O. Box 908, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5M2.

    Comments received become a matter of public record and are included in the Council agenda for the date a decision on the application will be made. Any identifying information (including your name) will be removed prior to your comment being released publicly. If you are writing on behalf of a group, organization, business, etc. and wish to remain anonymous, you must indicate as such with your submission.

  • Revised Envision Municipal Plan and Development Regulations 2021

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    On Monday, May 3, City Council reviewed and adopted amendments to Envision St. John’s, the City’s municipal plan.

    The plan and attached development regulations will now be referred to a Commissioner’s hearing, to be scheduled for June, before final approval, registration and gazetting, at which point they will come into effect.

    Envision St. John’s is Council’s policy document for present and future land use and development. The Envision St. John’s Development Regulations set out development standards which implement Council’s land-use policies.

    The development of the new plan started with the first draft published for public review in 2014, edited in 2017, updated to 2019 for adoption-in-principle, and is now in a finished form after review and release by the Provincial Government in February of this year; the draft Envision Development Regulations followed a similar timeline.

    The Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations reflect the directions of Council, the comments of the public and the efforts of City staff. The input of many interested citizens, community groups, property owners and businesses has helped shape the results.

    Check the document library for all of the latest versions.

  • Envision Development Regulations Adopted in Principle

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    After a period of extensive writing and review, the Envision St. John’s Development Regulations are complete and were presented at Council on March 4, 2019 for adoption-in-principle. With the formal adoption-in-principle, the draft Municipal Plan and Development Regulations documents will be sent to Municipal Affairs for provincial review and release.

    Guided by this and previous Councils, the City has devoted considerable effort to preparing these documents. The draft Envision Municipal Plan was published for public review in 2014, edited in 2017, and updated to the present date with some changes to ensure that all standards proposed in the draft Development Regulations are enabled by the draft Municipal Plan.

    The public can continue to comment on the draft regulations until they are enacted, sometime in the near future.

    It’s policies on heritage and its ongoing protection and future use. Many of the standards and regulations in the current St. John’s Development Regulations will be transferred to a new St. John’s Heritage By-Law, currently in development, which will made available for public review and comment before final approval.

  • Public Information Session

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    Envision St. John’s, Council’s policy document and regulations for planning and land use over the next 10 years will shape the future of St. John’s. Council has voted to approve-in-principle the Envision St. John’s Municipal Plan and Development Regulations.

    A public information session will take place on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at 7 p.m., H.G.R. Mews Centre, 40 Mundy Pond Road, Multipurpose Room. This meeting is open to all.

    During the session the public can review the new Envision Development Regulations and there will be a quick overview of the Envision Municipal Plan. Anyone planning to attend who wishes to register in advance can do so by email: planning@stjohns.ca or by phone: 709-576-8220. The session will be chaired by an independent facilitator.

    Envision deals with existing and new neighbourhoods; building heights (especially downtown); new types of residential development; new zones; areas along transit routes where larger buildings may work; ensuring that parks and open spaces are central to neighbourhoods; and other matters. Please note policies regarding the City’s built heritage remain in the Envision Municipal Plan. A new Heritage By-Law will soon be brought to Council and the public for consideration.