The Committee of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial body with authority delegated to it by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Council, under the provisions of the Ontario Planning Act, to hold public hearings to make decisions on applications for:
- Minor variances and alterations in legal non-conforming use
- Consents: severances, boundary adjustments, easements, leases, (partial discharge), mortgage or charge
- Fence variances
- Sign variances
- Appeals of property standard orders
Prior to the submission of all applications to the Committee of Adjustment, applicants must have a pre-consultation meeting with Staff. Meetings are held virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Consent Applications Pre-consultation Meetings:
- Meetings will be held in the afternoon on the first and third Thursday of every month.
- When you are ready for a pre-consultation meeting, submit a proposal sketch and page 1 of the Pre-Consultation Form. Please advise our Staff, and we'll make arrangements to include you on the requested agenda.
- Your request should be received at least fifteen business days in advance of the scheduled meeting date.
- Upon receipt of the above materials, you will receive confirmation of meeting dates and times by email.
Minor Variance, Fence Variance, Sign Variance & Legal Non-Conforming Use Pre-Consultation Meetings:
- Meetings will be held on Tuesday afternoons
- Meetings will be scheduled once pre-consultation material is received. Page 1 of the Pre-Consultation form must be submitted along with a site plan drawing of your proposal. The drawing should show the lot lines and road, and all existing buildings and structures on-site with setback measurements in metric.
- Your request should be received at least ten business days in advance of the scheduled meeting date.
- Upon receipt of the above materials, you will receive confirmation of meeting dates and times by email
- Please refer to the following document if you are not familiar with filing a Minor Variance application: Minor Variance Guide and Application Requirements
Post Pre-Consultation Meeting, the following application forms and instructions apply. Please download all files for completeness.
- Consent Application Form
- Surplus Farm Dwelling Information Form (PDF)
- Minor Variance, Legal Non-Conforming Use, Fence Variance & Sign Variance Form
Committee of Adjustment hearings are scheduled for the third Thursday of each month. The Town reserves the right to limit the number of applications on a hearing agenda to ensure fair consideration of each application. The hearing date for your application will be confirmed once the Secretary-Treasurer is satisfied that all necessary documentation has been submitted to support the application. The schedule is intended as a guideline only. Once an application has been deemed complete, the hearing date will be scheduled.
Hearing dates, applications, supporting documents and notices can be found on on this page in the Committee of Adjustment Directory.
Recordings of Committee of Adjustment Hearings can be viewed online here.
- The Committee of Adjustment Public Hearing Procedure (PDF)
- Committee of Adjustment Infographic
- 2025 Planning Fees
- Sign, Property Standards, and Fence User Fees & Service Charges (PDF)
- Fence Variance Appeal Procedure (PDF)
- Property Standards Order Appeal Form
- Citizen's Guide to Land Use Planning
- Committee of Adjustment Terms of Reference and By-law
- Tree Protection Declaration
- Minor Variance Guide and Application Requirements