The province recently announced, with little fanfare, that it was
initiating a review of the Ontario Municipal Board
("OMB").
The OMB is an independent adjudicative tribunal that plays a
crucial role in land use planning in the province. It reviews
decisions made under a number of statutes, though the bulk of its
work relates to land use planning decisions made under the Planning
Act. As a result, the OMB has tremendous influence over planning
decision making in the province, including severance of land,
zoning by-laws, and official plans.
Many have identified the need for review and reform. In
particular, although the availability of an independent tribunal is
recognized as an important tool for public input into land use
decision making, the OMB has been criticized by would-be public
participants.
