Skip to content

Planning Our Future

Purpose and Objective

The purpose of this survey is to collect feedback on key topics to inform the ongoing review of the Town’s Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines. The results of the community survey will influence changes to the new Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines.

As part of the ReZone & ReDesign project, we are inviting you to share feedback and help shape the development of the Draft Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines! The purpose of this Community Survey is to gather input on key ideas, priorities, and directions on the documents. We encourage you to register on the project webpage to stay informed about project milestones and to hear about opportunities for future engagement opportunities!

This survey could take up to 20 minutes to complete, depending on your level of interest in the topics presented.
Survey and Discussion Questions

The following first set of questions below is aimed at understanding your interest in the ReZone & ReDesign project.
1.How old are you? (select one)(Required.)
2.How long have you lived or worked in Stouffville? (select one)(Required.)
3.Check all the answers that apply to you:
4.What is your main interest in the Zoning By-law review and Urban Design Guidelines Review? Select any that apply to you.
The new Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines will address a wide variety of topics, ranging from permitted types of housing, permitted businesses, the design of neighbourhoods and buildings, to specific regulations for parking and driveways, for example. The following questions are intended to seek input on a wide range of land use and urban design topics. If you are not sure, or do not have an opinion, please leave the field blank.
5.What characteristic and design choices make for neighbourhoods, urban areas and places you enjoy visiting or taking a walk through? Please share examples of places you like and do not like.
6.The Zoning By-law is an opportunity to set out permitted uses and associated development standards within the Town’s agricultural and rural areas. Within the Town’s rural and agricultural areas, what changes or priorities should the new Zoning By-law address to better support rural character and better support the vitality of farms in the Town?
7.The Zoning By-law can help support protection of sensitive natural features by zoning these areas for conservation uses and limiting other forms of development in these areas. What changes to the Zoning By-law are needed to better support protection and enhancement of the natural environment?
8.The Zoning By-law can also support the protection of people and property from natural hazards, such as floodplains. What changes to the Zoning By-law are needed to help support this objective?
9.Where should the Town locate low-rise apartments (up to 4 storeys)? Please suggest locations, lot characteristics and streets.
10.The Town’s new Official Plan sets out criteria and locations for developing mid-rise buildings (i.e., up to 9 storeys) and high-rise buildings (over 10 storeys) within certain parts of Stouffville. How should these buildings be designed to fit in Stouffville? Please share any thoughts you have about taller buildings.
11.In general are there any uses, businesses or types of buildings you would like to see in Town? Please specify general areas of desired changes.
12.Where should small neighbourhood supportive businesses (i.e., cafes, corner stores, hair salon, tutoring, small offices, etc.) be located? Are there any residential or locational characteristics or other criteria that should be considered?
The Zoning By-law will provide regulations surrounding transportation, particularly minimum parking spaces for new development, standards for parking lots and parking spaces, as well as potential regulations for bicycle parking. To help inform the Town’s work on the project, the following questions are specifically related to parking and mobility.
13.How do you move around the Town currently ? (Select the most suitable answer)
14.Are there areas in the Town where more parking spaces are needed to support parking needs? (please specify)
15.Are there areas of the Town where the Town should have reduced parking space requirements to encourage walking, cycling, and other modes of transportation? (Please specify)
16.The Zoning By-law can set out requirements for driveways in residential neighbourhoods, such as maximum width, to help maintain greenspace while providing enough parking space is available. Do you think regulations for driveways should be maintained, made stricter, or should they be more flexible? What should the Town be aware of when updating driveway requirements?
A specific component of the Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines review project is the review of the Town’s Employment Areas (business and industrial parks) to implement provincial direction. This includes recent changes to the Provincial Planning Statement which more narrowly define Employment Areas as lands intended for manufacturing, warehousing, and similar industrial uses. The Town’s Employment Areas and associated Official Plan policies will need to be updated. The Project Team is seeking specific input on this component of the project.
17.Do you have any interest in the Employment Areas Review that the Town is undertaking? If so, tell us why you are interested:
18.What types of businesses do you think should be allowed in the Town’s business and industrial parks to support their function, vibrancy, and economic success?
19.What uses should not be allowed in the Town’s Employment Areas and should be directed to other areas of the Town, such as the Downtown?
20.Do you have any other concerns or input you would like to share about the Employment Areas review?
The Zoning By-law and Urban Design Guidelines will be used by many different audiences, including residents, Town staff, developers/landowners/architects, and a wide range of experienced professionals. The following questions are aimed at gathering any other input you may have on these documents to inform the project.
21.If you have experience using the Zoning By-law, do you think it is easy to use, or can it be improved? (Please specify your thoughts and any suggestions for improvement)
22.If you have experience using or reading any of the Town’s Urban Design Guidelines, are they easy to use, and clear, or could they be improved? (Please specify your thoughts and any suggestions)
23.Are there any other zoning or urban design issues that you want the team to be aware of?
24.If you could pick only one, what single zoning or urban design issue or opportunity would you consider to be most important priority to be addressed in this project? (Examples: The zoning by-law should be made easier to use; The Urban design guidelines need clear guidance on taller buildings; Outdoor storage needs to be better regulated; Need more forms of housing to be permitted in the neighbourhoods, etc.)
25.Do you have any additional comments, concerns, or ideas you want to share with the Project Team?
6 / 1
600%