Guide to the Committee of Adjustment

Renovations and new builds are a common feature on the streets of Ward 15. Many of these developments require the approval of the Committee of Adjustment, the citizen member board which holds public hearings on minor variance and consent applications in the City of Toronto.

Over my tenure as a City Councillor, I've worked closely with the Ward 15 community to improve accessibility and transparency for residents participating in the Committee of Adjustment process. Though we have made significant progress on this issue, we have a long way to go. I am continuing to advocate for much-needed improvements to the CoA and would welcome additional community feedback.

Last month, Ward 15 set a new record for Committee of Adjustment applications, with a total of 28 separate applications on the June agenda. You can view all of Ward 15's recent and upcoming Committee of Adjustment applications in map format, available on my website, here.

The City of Toronto's general guide to the Committee of Adjustment, available here, is a great resource for neighbours looking to get involved. As a result of motions I put forward this year in consultation with local ratepayers associations, City Planning now has a webpage with further information about Committee of Adjustment processes and participation, available here.

A useful starting point for anyone interested in development is the Application Information Centre (AIC). The AIC is the database for all areas of development projects in the City, including Committee of Adjustment applications, and is availablehere.

The AIC includes all materials that will be considered by the Committee, including the Zoning Notice, architectural plans, and land surveys. Any additional materials, including letters from the community or reports from City Staff, are uploaded periodically in advance of the scheduled hearing date.

In addition to attending and speaking at the hearing, submitting a letter to the Committee is an effective way to share your thoughts on an application. Should you wish to provide feedback to the Committee, letters or memos can be addressed to the Committee of Adjustment, or, if you'd prefer to use a formal letterhead format, to:

Daniel Antonacci
Manager & Deputy Secretary Treasurer
North York Committee of Adjustment
5100 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2N 5V7

Letters and materials should also be submitted to the Application Technician assigned to the file. The Application Technician's name and contact information can be found on the Application Information Centre Page for the property. Letters can also include visual materials, such as photos of your property, the neighbourhood, drawings or diagrams. In the event you submit a letter to the CoA, please copy councillor_robinson@toronto.ca so I can stay informed. As a general guideline, I would recommend submitting the materials 5 business days in advance of the hearing date.

As the number and scope of Committee of Adjustment applications continue to increase in Ward 15, community engagement in the development review process is becoming more important than ever.