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Muskoka Official Plan
Official Plans are municipal documents that define a community’s vision for the future and establish goals and objectives to manage and direct physical change and the effects on the social, economic and natural environment of future growth and change based on this vision. In particular, an Official Plan should promote the long term sustainability of a community by establishing settlement patterns and land use policies that maintain a balance between natural, economic and social environments and ensure that land use and municipal investment in infrastructure is coordinated.
The Muskoka Official Plan was originally approved in 1991 and has been updated through a number of official plan amendments. It is a strategic upper tier document that addresses issues of a broad nature. It emphasizes the need for a balance between growth and the protection of the natural environment and establishes a framework for more detailed planning at the Area Municipal level.
The Muskoka Official Plan consists of goals, objectives and policies that guide the type and location of land uses in Muskoka. The policies in the Plan coordinate and set the stage for more detailed planning by the area municipalities, while also providing a framework to coordinate planning with adjacent municipalities. These efforts provide certainty as to the form of development and ensure the long-term protection of the environment in Muskoka. This balanced approach will ensure that Muskoka remains an attractive place to live and work.
For an electronic version of the Plan, click here. A copy of the Muskoka Official Plan can also be obtained from the Planning and Economic Development Department for a cost of $36.00, which includes a set of schedules for one of the six Area Municipalities.
