Tolek Makarewicz

The appellant appealed the Town of Georgina's comprehensive zoning by-law update, which rezoned their vacant property to Environmental Protection (EP) and Agricultural Protection (AP).

At the hearing, the unrepresented appellant expressed concerns that the zoning would prevent future development.

After the Town's planner explained that the zoning merely reflected the Official Plan and that any future development would require a rezoning application and an Environmental Impact Study, the appellant took no position and led no evidence.

The Tribunal accepted the Town's uncontroverted expert planning evidence that the by-law conforms to the Official Plan and provincial policies, and dismissed the appeal.

The appellants appealed the approval of the Keswick Secondary Plan (Official Plan Amendment 147), arguing that its Urban Area boundary did not conform to the mapping in the Greenbelt Plan and the York Region Official Plan, which appeared to include the subject lands.

The Tribunal dismissed the appeal, finding that while the maps were not congruent, the higher-tier plans explicitly direct that precise settlement boundaries are to be determined by local official plans.

The Tribunal concluded that the Keswick Secondary Plan correctly interpreted the boundary policies and was not in conflict with the higher-tier planning instruments.