Tag: Planning Act

This Week at Council: Permits and Designations Downtown

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In the first regularly scheduled council meeting of the year 2026, downtown was the centre of attention. Again. In this planning meeting council got its first look at the Community Planning Permit System for the core, and they took their last look at the plan and guidelines for the Heritage Conservation District downtown. Along with that, there was a slight diversion to the south end and a major downtown project was approved. Here’s the recap! Continue reading “This Week at Council: Permits and Designations Downtown” →

RECAP: City Council Meeting for January 20, 2026

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Back for the first official meeting of council for the year, and there’s lots of planning to do! You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along during the meeting on Blue Sky or recap the complete thread after the meeting below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “RECAP: City Council Meeting for January 20, 2026” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the January 20, 2026 Meeting?

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The first official council meeting of 2026 is a planning meeting, and most of it is focused on downtown! Back for final approval is the plan for running the core as a heritage district, and since we’re talking about the past, we will also talk about the area’s future with a new plan to streamline development. But that’s not all, there will be a decision about a major downtown development project, and even some decisions about a south end project. Here’s the preview… Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the January 20, 2026 Meeting?” →

This Week at Council: Big Nights for Big Projects

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It was a packed night, or make that a couple of nights, at Guelph City Council. Two nights, two big planning projects, one in the south end and one in the east end. Both have been hotly anticipated (dreaded?), at least one for many, many years, and while one is still at least theoretical, the other is now moving on to the next phase of development. For all the details, let’s get right into this week’s recap of council business… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Big Nights for Big Projects” →

RECAP: City Council Meeting for September 9, 2025

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Plans are made, and plans are made to be approved. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along during the meeting on Blue Sky or recap the complete thread after the meeting below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “RECAP: City Council Meeting for September 9, 2025” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the September 9, 2025 Meeting?

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The first planning meeting of the fall has an application for more units than have been approved all year so far, but will council be interested in chasing them given the cost? That will be one of the questions councillors will tackle in this meeting as they hold a statutory meeting on this massive new project. In terms of small moves, look out for an update to everyone’s favourite planning bylaw, and something that will be discussed in closed… Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the September 9, 2025 Meeting?” →

This Week at Council: The Four Unit Problem

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This month’s planning meeting of city council was all about four, and despite what you’ve heard it’s actually the loneliness number. That was the impression you might have gotten watching what happened when staff deliver their draft report about allowing fourplexes and four units as-of-right in Guelph. It looks like this policy might have an uphill climb, but staff have until June to make a case, in the meantime, here’s the recap…. Continue reading “This Week at Council: The Four Unit Problem” →

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for April 9, 2024

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Gentle density is the name of the game at this month’s planning meeting. You can click here for the amended agendas from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for April 9, 2024” →

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the April 9 Meeting?

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For all those watching housing regulations in the city, and fans of discussions around city-wide changes to zoning, this planning meeting of city council is for you! Since last year, City of Guelph staff have been diligently exploring the question about whether we should allow four units as-of-right in the city. That question will get an answer, and speaking of answers, an new proposal will get its day in front of the horseshoe! Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the April 9 Meeting?” →

This Week at Council: Planning, Tribunal and Encampments Form the Trifecta

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There are busy weeks at council, and then there’s spending nearly half of a 28-hour period in the council chambers. That was the time frame this week at 1 Carden Street, and in that period there was a planning meeting, a meeting where council sat as tribunal on a matter of misapplied Development Charges, and, the big one, a marathon meeting about a Public Spaces Use bylaw. To see how it all turned out, consult this week’s recap below… Continue reading “This Week at Council: Planning, Tribunal and Encampments Form the Trifecta” →