Frequently Asked Questions

Planning Act requires that municipalities update their Official Plans every 5 years and complete a full revision every 10 years. The Town's current Official Plan was approved by York Region in 2008; therefore, it is due for a full review.

Communities evolve and it is important that the Town plans for growth and change in a way that is strategic, thoughtful, and appropriate. Therefore, an up-to-date, forward-thinking Official Plan is needed to guide future growth by setting policies that considers the insights of local residents and businesses about the issues that matter most to them today and tomorrow. Members of the community play a critical role in identifying long-term values that are most important to them in the face of growth and change.  

The updated Official Plan will need to strike a balance between managing growth and protecting/preserving what is important to Newmarket. As a community, we need to look at how to provide different options for transportation, how to respect existing neighbourhoods and natural areas as we grow, and other issues that are critically important to our quality of life.

The Town’s existing Official Plan will continue to be used to guide and direct growth until the updated Official Plan is in force.

Your feedback, opinions, and thoughts matter to us. They will be recorded and considered by the Project Team as we develop policies on various subject matters (ie. housing, natural heritage, employment etc.) for the updated Official Plan. While the updated Official Plan must conform to Provincial plans and policies, and the new York Region Official Plan, the Town still has the ability to tailor the Official Plan to the meet the needs and future demands of local residents, businesses, and stakeholders, within the Provincial and Regional policy contexts. 

The Town is committed to reporting back on what was heard from the community on a regular basis. Feedback summaries will be released after each phase of the Official Plan Review, and these summaries will explain how the feedback influenced the work completed to-date. The summaries will be available publicly on this page.

The Town has retained WSP, as the prime consultant on the Project. SHS Consulting, Watson and Associates and Helene Iardas Consulting have also been retained to provide services related to housing, economic and employment, and place-making and urban design.

Town Council will be engaged throughout all stages of the Project. Town Council will be informed of public engagement events and provide feedback on key policy subject matters. Town Council’s adoption of the updated Official Plan will be required prior to submitting the updated Official Plan to York Regional Council for approval.

If you have any additional questions, please use the Q & A section located at the bottom of this project page. We will respond to you as soon as possible.