The Committee of Adjustment (C. of A.) consists of five Council appointed citizens to consider minor variances to the Township's zoning by-law and fence by-law, to consider extensions, enlargements or variations to existing legal non-conforming uses, and to grant consents/severances.

A variance is a minor change to the Zoning By-law for a specific property. The C. of A. may approve the variance if it is satisfied that the variance maintains the general intent of the Official Plan and the Zoning By-law, if the proposed development will be appropriate and if the variance is minor.

The Planning Act also gives the C. of A. additional powers regarding the enlargement and expansion and variations to existing legal non-conforming uses.

The approval of a minor variance rests with the Committee of Adjustment. The Committee currently consists of the five (5) appointed citizen members.

Consent of the C. of A. is required to:

• divide/sever property for the purpose of selling it
• validate title
• lease land for a period over 21 years
• establish a right of way
• create an easement, or
• adjust a lot line.

The Planning Act stipulates that consent must be granted before a parcel of land can be divided to create an additional lot(s). This process is referred to as land severance. Controlling the division of land through "severance" gives the Township a mechanism for ensuring that the creation of lots is consistent with the planning policies of the Province, Region and the Township.