County of Brant Council Minutes — May 12, 2026

Agenda

1. Approval of Agenda
2. County of Brant Council Minutes of April 14, 2026
3. ZBA10-26-BK – RPT-0177-26 – Downtown Paris Zoning – Public Engagement and Recommended Direction
4. ZBA4-26-AV – 191 Pinehurst Road
5. ZBA9-26-LG – 428-452 West River Road
6. RPT-0152-26 – Omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA3-B-25) – Home-Based Industry and Business Policies
7. RPT-0153-26 – Omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA3-C-25) – Cultural Heritage Policies
8. RPT-0154-26 – Omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA3-D-25) – Agricultural System Policies
9. ZBA2-26-RF – 8 Orth Drive, New Durham
10. ZBA43-PS4-22-DN – 88 Dundas Street and Part of Lots 15, 16 and 17, Concession 1, Part of the Curtis Grant in the Augustus Jones Tract
11. Agricultural Advisory Committee Report – April 27, 2026
12. RPT-0191-26 – CPPS Public Engagement Summary and Draft By-law Release
13. Other Business – City of Brantford Committee of the Whole Meeting, Tutela Heights Road
14. By-laws

Votes at a Glance

#	Motion	Result	Tally
1	RPT-0177-26 Downtown Paris Zoning – receive as info and direct staff to return with zoning recommendation	Passed	10–0
2	ZBA4-26-AV 191 Pinehurst Road – commercial rezoning application received as info, referred to staff	Passed	unanimous
3	ZBA9-26-LG 428-452 West River Road – agricultural rezoning for Additional Residential Unit, received as info	Passed	10–1
4	Motion to table RPT-0152-26 Home-Based Industry and Business Policies OPA	Failed	5–6
5	RPT-0152-26 – Approve OPA adding Home-Based Industry and Business policies (OPA3-B-25)	Passed	6–5
6	RPT-0153-26 – Approve OPA adding Cultural Heritage policies (OPA3-C-25)	Passed	unanimous
7	Amendment to RPT-0154-26: keep surplus farm dwelling severance policy unchanged in existing Official Plan	Failed	4–6
8	RPT-0154-26 – Table Agricultural System Policies OPA (OPA3-D-25)	Passed	unanimous
9	ZBA2-26-RF 8 Orth Drive – approve rezoning to RH-31 for increased accessory structure coverage and height	Passed	10–1
10	Waive section 84 of Procedural By-law to allow meeting to proceed past 10:00 p.m.	Passed	9–2
11	ZBA43-PS4-22-DN 88 Dundas Street – approve draft plan of subdivision and industrial rezoning for TCA	Failed	5–6
12	Defer PS4-22-DN and ZBA43-22-DN (88 Dundas Street TCA) and refer to staff for further review	Passed	6–5
13	Approve Agricultural Advisory Committee Report and Minutes of April 27, 2026 including recommendations	Passed	unanimous
14	RPT-0191-26 CPPS – receive for info and direct staff to bring forward second draft Community Planning Permit By-law	Passed	10–1

---

Full Minutes

3. Approval of Agenda

Council approved the agenda for the May 12, 2026 meeting, with a brief discussion about the size and nature of the items. Councillor Haley noted an addition under Other Business, and the amended agenda was approved unanimously.

6.1. County of Brant Council Minutes of April 14, 2026

Council approved the minutes from the previous regular Council meeting held on April 14, 2026. The motion carried unanimously with all 11 members in favour.

9.1. ZBA10-26-BK – RPT-0177-26 – Downtown Paris Zoning – Public Engagement and Recommended Direction

The County's Manager of Policy Planning presented a zoning study aimed at advancing the Downtown Paris Master Plan, outlining proposed rezoning locations and conceptual examples of building height and scale, including a potential mixed-use development and parking structure. Council discussed building heights, parking capacity, and number of dwellings, then directed staff to return with a formal zoning recommendation incorporating community and stakeholder feedback. No members of the public spoke at this hearing.

9.2. ZBA4-26-AV – 191 Pinehurst Road

A planning application was presented proposing to rezone a vacant property at 191 Pinehurst Road from Agricultural to General Commercial to allow two multi-tenant commercial buildings with retail, office, and service uses. The only zoning relief requested was a reduced rear yard setback of 4.0 metres instead of the standard 7.5 metres. Council received the application for information and referred all comments to staff for review.

9.3. ZBA9-26-LG – 428-452 West River Road

A zoning amendment application was presented for properties at 428 and 452 West River Road, proposing to allow an existing historic stone farmhouse to be used as a separate Additional Residential Unit on agricultural land. The Agricultural Advisory Committee raised concerns about the distance to a neighbouring livestock operation, and a member of the public asked about potential property tax impacts. Council received the application for information and referred comments to staff, with Mayor Bailey casting the only opposing vote.

10.1. RPT-0152-26 – Omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA3-B-25) – Home-Based Industry and Business Policies

Council considered an amendment to the County's Official Plan that would formally recognize and regulate home-based businesses and home-based industries — uses not currently addressed in the plan. After a member of the public raised concerns about agricultural land uses, Council debated regulatory tools and enforcement. A motion to defer the item was defeated 5 to 6, and the original motion to approve the new policies narrowly carried 6 to 5, with Mayor Bailey and four councillors voting against.

10.2. RPT-0153-26 – Omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA3-C-25) – Cultural Heritage Policies

Council considered an amendment to the Official Plan that updates and clarifies the County's cultural heritage policies, making them easier to understand and apply for property owners, applicants, and reviewing authorities. No members of the public spoke, and the amendment was approved unanimously by all 11 councillors.

10.3. RPT-0154-26 – Omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA3-D-25) – Agricultural System Policies

Council considered an amendment to strengthen agricultural land protection policies, including tighter limits on lot creation, non-farm uses, and practices that contribute to farmland fragmentation. A motion to amend the proposal to keep existing surplus farm dwelling severance rules unchanged was defeated 4 to 6, and a subsequent motion to defer the entire item was approved unanimously, sending it back to staff for further review.

10.4. ZBA2-26-RF – 8 Orth Drive, New Durham

Council approved a zoning amendment for a residential property at 8 Orth Drive in New Durham, allowing a larger accessory structure (such as a garage or workshop) than the standard zoning rules permit — up to 491 square metres of lot coverage at up to 7 metres in height. The application was found to be appropriate given the large rural lot and compatible with surrounding land uses, and was approved 10 to 1.

10.5. ZBA43-PS4-22-DN – 88 Dundas Street and Part of Lots 15, 16 and 17, Concession 1, Part of the Curtis Grant in the Augustus Jones Tract

Council considered an application by Telephone City Aggregates to create an industrial subdivision at 88 Dundas Street in Paris, involving a draft plan of subdivision and rezoning to allow employment, commercial, and related uses accessed from Sharp Road. Two members of the public raised concerns about truck traffic, industrial land adjacent to residential areas, and impacts on Paris's natural scenery. A motion to approve the applications was defeated 5 to 6, and a subsequent motion to defer and refer the applications back to staff for further review carried 6 to 5.

11.1. Agricultural Advisory Committee Report – April 27, 2026

Council approved the minutes and recommendations from the Agricultural Advisory Committee's April 27, 2026 meeting. The committee formally opposed two planning applications: the rezoning at 428-452 West River Road due to distance concerns with a neighbouring farm, and an application at 492 East River Road due to concerns about existing residential lots, lack of infrastructure, and conformity with the County's Official Plan. Both sets of comments were referred to staff for inclusion in their reports.

12.1. RPT-0191-26 – CPPS Public Engagement Summary and Draft By-law Release

Council received a summary of public engagement on the County's proposed Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), a new planning tool that would replace individual zoning amendment applications for certain types of development. Council directed staff to prepare a second draft of the CPPS by-law and related Official Plan policies, to be presented at a special public meeting as required by provincial planning legislation. The motion carried 10 to 1.

15. Other Business – City of Brantford Committee of the Whole Meeting, Tutela Heights Road

Councillor Haley informed Council that the Settlement Area Expansion of Tutela Heights Road was being considered at the City of Brantford's Committee of the Whole meeting on the same evening, May 12, 2026. No vote was taken on this informational item.

17. By-laws

Council gave three readings to four by-laws, formally adopting the decisions made earlier in the meeting. These included by-laws to amend the Official Plan regarding home-based businesses and cultural heritage policies, to amend the zoning for 8 Orth Drive, and to confirm the proceedings of the meeting. All four by-laws passed unanimously on all three readings.

This post was automatically generated by BrantVotes from the official County of Brant council minutes. Always refer to the official minutes for authoritative records.