Rental Housing Project Grey Road 19

The Town has received a request for support on a proposed Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) for lands municipally known as 796060 Grey Road 19, legally described as RCP 950 Part Lot 63, RP 16R2789 Part 1. The subject lands are approximately 9.95 hectares in size and are located on Grey Road 19 in proximity to the Blue Mountain Resort Village. The proposal seeks to permit a purpose-built rental housing community intended to help address the need for rental and workforce housing for the Village and the broader community. 

The proposed Minister’s Zoning Order would establish site-specific zoning permissions for apartment dwellings on the developable portion of the lands, with associated accessory uses and limited resident-serving commercial uses. 

The requested permissions include a maximum gross density of 65 dwelling units per hectare, with the current concept plan illustrating approximately 612 rental apartment units, and building heights of up to six (6) storeys using a stepped-height approach that places lower buildings closer to Grey Road 19 and taller buildings further into the site. 

Wetland, hazard, and open-space portions of the property are proposed to be protected through appropriate zoning, and detailed matters such as building placement, landscaping, grading, servicing, parking, pedestrian circulation, and urban design would be addressed through future Site Plan Control and other required approvals.

What is a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO)?

A Minister’s Zoning Order, commonly referred to as an MZO, is a zoning order made by the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing under Section 47 of the Planning Act. An MZO can regulate the use of land, buildings, and structures and may establish zoning permissions directly, without the need for a municipal Official Plan Amendment and/or Zoning By-law Amendment. In this case, the requested MZO would establish the principle of land use, maximum density, maximum height, and related zoning standards for the subject lands. It has been submitted that the MZO is being requested to enable the timely delivery of purpose-built rental housing while still requiring subsequent technical review through processes such as Site Plan Approval and any required agency permits. 

Application Process

The proposed MZO request is being considered as an alternative to the conventional planning approvals process, which would otherwise involve completion of a Secondary Plan, followed by applications for Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan Approval. The subject lands are located within a Future Secondary Plan Area and that there is currently no approved Secondary Plan for the lands. If supported by Council and ultimately a decision made by the Ontario Minister, the MZO would establish the zoning framework for the property.  

An information report summarizing the proposal, information received, and next steps will be presented at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting.  Following that, a Public Meeting to receive community feedback will be advertised and scheduled.  Next, a recommendation report will be provided to Council for their consideration in order to receive a Council resolution on the project.  More information can be found below on this webpage with additional information coming forward in the upcoming Planning Staff Report.