Subdivisions and Condos

No problem!  If you know the file number, or the location of the application (address or lot and concession), contact the Planning department by calling 705-743-0380 or emailing planning@ptbocounty.ca to inquire.

Information about more recent applications can also be found online by using our Active Planning Applications Dashboard or by looking through our online Planning Notices.  Many of the Notices have the draft plans, supporting studies and sketches attached for public review. 

Absolutely.  When people hear that a condominium is proposed, they most often think of a standard condominium that looks like a high-rise apartment building.  In the County of Peterborough, however, the most common type of condominium application we see is called a vacant land condominium.  Once these types of condos are built, they look identical to a plan of subdivision with individual lots (refered to as 'units') each having a house built on it.

At this point in time, even if a standard (apartment building-style) condominium is proposed, chances are that the building will not be a high-rise.  The County only has four municipally serviced settlement areas, and the infrastructure and emergency services needed to support this size of building in these areas are not currently available.

To learn more about condominium development, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has provided the following:

• Subdivision and Condominium Guide
• Citizens Guide to Subdivisions

The cost of these development applications can vary. In addition to the application fee, other costs may include supporting studies, peer review agreement and deposit, public agency review, surveying, legal agreements, related applications for Official Plan Amendment and/or Zoning By-Law Amendment, and other supporting materials.

The Planning Act gives us 180 days to process and make a decision on applications for plans of subdivision and condominium. However, we often find that this is not enough time, especially where the plan is on private services (well and septic) and peer review is involved. Other factors that can affect the length of time in process include the complexity of the proposal, the number of public agencies involved, the number of studies that need to be peer reviewed, and timing of Council meetings.

Peer review is the independent assessment of a study by another expert in the same field. It is used to validate the research and methods that were used in the preparation of the study. Peer review also ensures that the recommendations are acceptable and appropriate, and serves as a form of quality assurance before a decision is made on the application.

In most cases, the Planning department does not have the expertise on staff to review supporting studies. For example, the County does not employ a hydrogeologist to review hydrogeological studies. In these situations, the Planning department uses an external expert to review the study to ensure it meets any applicable regulations, and that appropriate testing or modelling is completed. The job of our peer reviewer is to look out for the interests of the public and the County.

The applicant pays for peer review costs through our Peer Review and Planning Reimbursement Agreement.