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2026 Community Design Guidelines
Public Meeting Scheduled
A Public Meeting regarding this project has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in a hybrid format (in-person AND virtual/online).
View Notice of Public MeetingThe Town of The Blue Mountains has engaged SGL Planning and Design Inc. to update the Town's Community Design Guidelines to align with new key policy documents, including the Draft Official Plan and the Comprehensive Zoning By-law. The updated Guidelines will build on the 2012 Community Design Guidelines and provide direction for high-quality development that supports sustainable, well-designed communities while respecting the Town’s natural, cultural and rural character. The updated Guidelines will include a Community Design Checklist to support the preparation and review of development applications and will apply primarily within the Town’s Settlement Areas, where residential, commercial, and recreational uses are concentrated.
The Community Design Guidelines update was initiated in 2023, alongside the Town’s Official Plan Review. During this process, the Guidelines were paused to ensure alignment with the emerging policy direction. With the Official Plan now adopted and these policy directions confirmed, the Town is proceeding with the preparation and finalization of the updated Draft Community Design Guidelines.
As part of the Community Design Guidelines update, SGL Planning and Design Inc. has prepared two Draft Volumes for review:
Volume 1: Community Design Guidelines
Purpose: To be referenced as applicable for design guidelines and expectations.
View Volume 1: Community Design Guidelines
Volume 2: Community Design Vision and Structure
Purpose: To confirm that development responds appropriately to vision and context.
About Community Design Guidelines
Community Design Guidelines are a tool to provide direction for achieving community design objectives and policies of the Town's Official Plan. They guide the design of buildings, sites, and public spaces to help create attractive, functional and sustainable communities that enhance quality of life in the Town of The Blue Mountains.
The Guidelines complement the Official Plan and Comprehensive Zoning By-law by outlining clear design expectations for development in both public and private spaces. They address matters such as building form, site layout and landscape and open space design, and are intended to support both applicants in preparing development proposals and the Town in reviewing development applications.
The Community Design Guidelines are not regulatory or policy documents. They are applied flexibly to allow for design creativity while ensuring development aligns with the Town’s overall vision. The Guidelines are used alongside other Town policies, by-laws and standards, including the Official Plan, Comprehensive Zoning By-law and Engineering Standards.
Get Involved
The Draft Community Design Guidelines are now available. Public engagement opportunities have been scheduled to provide residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to review the Guidelines and share feedback before they are finalized and brought forward for Council consideration and adoption, anticipated in Q4 2026.
Community Engagement Session
An in-person Community Engagement Session was held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall.
The session will begin with a formal presentation, followed by a question-and-answer period and an opportunity for informal discussion with members of the project team. The session is open to the public and no pre-registration is required. For those unable to attend, the presentation and question-and-answer portions will be recorded and posted to the Town’s website fol lowing the session.
View Notice of Community Engagement Session
Watch Community Engagement Session Recording
Public Meeting
A Public Meeting regarding this project has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in a hybrid format (in-person AND virtual/online).
Stay tuned or subscribe for updates and future opportunities to get involved.
Work Plan
A summary of key project milestones achieved to date, along with anticipated next steps, is provided below.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Project Kick-Off | Completed in Q1 2023. |
| Background Review and Analysis | Completed in Q1 2023. |
| Draft Community Design Guidelines | Completed in Q1 2026. |
| Public Engagement and Feeback | Scheduled for Q2 2026. |
| Final Community Design Guidelines and Draft Checklist | Anticipated in Q3 2026. |
| Council Approval and Adoption | Anticipated in Q4 2026. |