Services & Accomplishments

Below are the services we provide:

• Official Plan preparation (policy and mapping);
• Zoning By-law preparation (regulation and mapping);
• Secondary Plan preparation;
• Agricultural, rural, mineral aggregate and natural heritage policy reviews;
• Employment, commercial and residential development policy reviews;
• Resort Development Policy reviews;
• Employment, Commercial and Residential Development Policy reviews;
• Development Review for municipalities;
• Planning Justification Studies in support of private applications;
• Peer Review of Applications and OLT appeals;
• Growth Management Studies;
• Intensification Capacity Analyses;
• Intensification Strategies for municipalities or parts of them;
• Highest and best use analyses for expropriation processes;
• Forensic planning involving the determination of what development permissions exist at a point in time;
• Servicing capacity allocation policy frameworks; and,
• Provision of expert opinion evidence.

Below are samples of some of our projects that we are currently working on in 2022:

1. County of Northumberland Municipal Comprehensive Review - Meridian was retained in 2020 to manage the Municipal Comprehensive Review and supervise the work of a number of other consultants with expertise in land economics, natural heritage and agriculture. The product of the work will be a series of Official Plan Amendments in 2022 to implement updated population and employment forecasts, facilitate urban expansions and which establish updated natural heritage and agricultural system policy frameworks.
2. County of Simcoe Municipal Comprehensive Review - Meridian was retained as part of a project team led by Hemson Consulting to provide strategic and land use planning advice to the County. Meridian's role is to prepare the implementing Official Plan Amendments in 2022 that incorporate updated population and employment forecasts, facilitate urban expansions and which establish updated natural heritage and agricultural system policy frameworks.
3. Region of Niagara Natural Heritage Policy Review - Meridian was retained in 2018 as part of the consulting team responsible for updating the Natural Heritage System policy framework for the Region of Niagara. A draft policy framework was finalized in 2021 and it is anticipated that updates will be required in 2022.
4. County of Lennox & Addington Planning Services - Meridian has been retained since 2014 to oversee the planning function in the County. This involves providing strategic advice on a range of issues, providing input to local municipalities on local Official Plan Reviews and updating the County Official Plan in 2022 to ensure that it is consistent with the 2020 PPS. Meridian is also responsible for preparing updated natural heritage system policies as well.
5. Town of Collingwood - Meridian was retained in 2021 to provide advice to the Town on Official Plan Policies, Zoning By-law provisions and a stand-alone servicing capacity allocation policy framework, all of which are designed to provide guidance on the allocation of municipal services. This work will be completed in early 2022.
6. Town of Caledon Planning Services - Meridian has been retained for a number of years on a wide range of matters in this growing municipality. In 2021, Meridian was asked to oversee the review of a number of Development Applications and prepare a framework plan for the planned expansion of Bolton to accommodate an additional 80,000 people and jobs.
7. City of Cambridge Zoning By-law and Planning Services - Meridian was retained in 2013 to complete a new Zoning By-law for the City of Cambridge. It is anticipated that the final version of the By-law will be recommended for Council Adoption in 2022. In 2021, Meridian was asked to review a number of Development Applications for the City.
8. Township of Muskoka Lakes Official Plan - Meridian was retained to prepare an updated Official Plan and it is anticipated that the new Official Plan will be finalized in 2022. The new Official Plan deals with a number of topics, including resort development, shoreline development, recreational carrying capacity and mineral aggregate resources.
9. Region of Halton Planning Services - Meridian has been retained for years to provide advice on a range of matters and in 2022/2023 will be providing strategic and policy advice on agricultural and rural land use policy, the North Aldershot Policy Area, mineral aggregate resource policy and growth management in general. Meridian is also assisting the Region in the review of three quarry applications.
10. Markham Zoning By-law - Meridian was retained in 2015 to prepare a new Comprehensive Zoning By-law for the City of Markham. The project is expected to be completed in 2022. This new By-law will replace 30 free-standing Zoning By-laws.
11. OLT Appeals - Meridian will continue providing advice on a number of appeals that are moving through the process to OLT Hearings in 2022/2023. These include a Hearing in the Town of Pelham on a Cannabis Policy Framework, a Hearing on the Vision Georgetown Secondary Plan that Meridian prepared for Halton Hills, Hearings for Applications that were refused by the Town of Caledon (on behalf of Caledon) and a number of Quarry Applications in Halton Region.