Ontario Construction News staff writer
A previously postponed virtual open house on Kingston’s new long-term planning framework was held Monday, giving residents another opportunity to review updates and provide feedback on how the city is expected to grow over the next 25 years.
Focusing on the second draft of the new Official Plan, the project team answered questions about how public input gathered to date has been incorporated into the revised document. Changes reflect feedback received from the community and technical review. The draft continues to refine the policy framework that will guide how the community grows and develops to 2051, including policies related to housing, infrastructure, mobility, climate resilience, and the protection of natural areas.
Updated mapping, and a feedback and response Summary outlining how comments on the First Draft have been considered are available for review. Additional supporting materials have also been posted online, including a tracked changes version of the Official Plan, which highlights revisions made between the First and Second Drafts, along with additional background information prepared as part of the project.
“This is a working draft, and community feedback is a critical part of strengthening it,” said Laura Flaherty, Project Manager, Planning Services. “We appreciate the time residents spent reviewing the First Draft and we look forward to hearing where we still need to refine policies as we start working on a third draft.”
Kingston is projected to grow to as many as 220,000 people by 2051 based on 2023 projections that were reviewed and confirmed in early 2026.
Land needs assessment studies prepared by Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. have shown that the city does not have sufficient land within the existing urban boundary to accommodate the projected population and employment growth.
As a result, the second draft includes a proposed expanded urban boundary to align with the land needs assessment, as part of long-term planning to ensure sufficient land is available to accommodate projected growth to 2051, as required by the Provincial policy.
Noting that urban boundary decisions are significant and that residents will have important views on where growth should occur and how it should be phased, draft policies associated with the urban boundary expansion applications are included in the revised draft. Policies are designed to give council the ability to invest in infrastructure for expansion areas only when it makes sense and it gives the community a direct opportunity to comment on both the geography and the rules that would guide decision-making.
Also, the draft Natural Heritage Study details how natural features and systems should be identified, mapped, protected and enhanced over the long term. However, the draft NHS options have not yet been considered in the context of the Official Plan’s broader growth priorities and guiding principles.
The OP sets out the city’s long-term land-use policies, guiding development decisions related to housing, infrastructure, transportation, employment areas and community services. Officials say the updated plan is intended to support “a livable, equitable and economically sustainable city” as Kingston continues to grow.
In addition to the rescheduled open house, the public comment period on the second draft has been extended to May 3 for feedback, an extension from the original April 21 deadline.
More information, including background documents and comment submission tools, is available through the city’s public engagement site at GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca.
