Even though they were published more than a few years ago, two interconnected studies into the site plan assessment approval process and how it impacts development and potentially increases development costs are still relevant, says the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA).

In 2013 the OAA released an analysis of the site plan approval process by the planning consulting firms Bousfields Inc. and Altus Group. A follow up OAA Site Plan Delay Analysis report, authored by Altus Group, was released in 2018. Requested by the OAA’s own members and the provincial government, its purpose was to update the economic data in the previous 2013 report.

“Our members wanted to quantify both direct and indirect costs of site plan applications. Direct costs include the application fees paid to municipalities while indirect costs include time, taxes paid on vacant land by the developer, carrying costs of loans, and exposure to construction costs and labour inflation,” says association president Settimo Vilardi. 

The issues, concerns and findings outlined in the studies are having an impact, says Vilardi, when asked about how the provincial, municipal, and development industry response has been.

The OAA’s call for streamlining site plan applications and exempting certain developments was also picked up in Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act. Under that legislation, development applications for projects with 10 or fewer dwelling units have been exempted.

Citing two projects with 12 units apiece in Windsor where he is based, Vilardi believes there is a case to be made for increasing the exemption limit. Allowing homes to be built faster is something the association is supportive of, as long as projects meet the requirements of the Ontario Building Code and the process complies with the Architects Act, he says

Continuing to advocate for housing affordability through various submissions to the government is and will be a key OAA objective, says Vilardi.