That the Economic and Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:
Whereas, the City has launched Imagine Oshawa: the Oshawa Official Plan Review (the “Official Plan Review”), which is a City-wide initiative to guide how Oshawa grows and develops in the years ahead; and,
Whereas, a key component of the Official Plan Review is a Growth Management Study, which will determine how much available serviced land will be required to accommodate Oshawa’s future population, including both residents and jobs, as well as consider settlement area boundary expansions, employment area conversions, allocating appropriate density targets across the City and implementing development phasing policies; and,
Whereas the City has retained Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. and WSP Canada (henceforth known as the “Consultant Team”) to undertake the Growth Management Study component of the Official Plan Review; and,
Whereas, the Consultant Team has prepared the following three technical reports as part of the Growth Management Study: a draft Land Needs Assessment, a draft Employment Lands Strategy, and a draft Intensification Strategy; and,
Whereas, a Public Information Centre was held on November 25, 2025 at Oshawa City Hall to present the findings of the three technical reports previously noted and to seek public input and comments; and,
Whereas, the Consultant Team is currently working on the next phase of the Growth Management Study, which is the preparation of a Growth Phasing and Urban Expansion Options Report, which integrates the results of the aforementioned technical documents; and,
Whereas, an unguided approach to land build-out could result in scattered, non-sequential greenfield development, the premature extension of trunk infrastructure, and an imbalanced pattern of residential and employment growth, necessitating the preparation of a phasing plan to align growth with servicing capacity, capital planning and a coherent urban structure; and,
Whereas, the Consultant Team has prepared a memo (see Attachment 1) that provides a preliminary framework for the phasing strategy component of the Growth Management Strategy; and,
Whereas, throughout the consultation period of the Growth Management Study to date, City staff have heard feedback from stakeholders and the public expressing interest in the forthcoming Growth Phasing and Urban Expansion Options Report, with some requesting an opportunity to review and comment on the City’s phasing plan; and,
Whereas, in response to said request to review and comment on the City’s phasing plan, the Consultant Team has prepared the attached memo to provide high-level information on the Growth Phasing and Urban Expansion Options Report, including an evaluation criteria matrix and the introduction of an initial methodology for organizing development into pre-2041 and post-2041 phases within the 2056 planning horizon, to support the stakeholders’ and public’s review in advance of releasing the final Growth Management Study, including the Growth Phasing and Urban Expansion Options Report;
Therefore, be it resolved that pursuant to Report ED-26-06 dated January 12, 2026:
- That staff be authorized to consult with the public and all stakeholders to obtain feedback on the preliminary framework for the phasing strategy component of the Growth Management Study as identified in Attachment 1, to assist with the finalization of the Growth Management Study; and,
- That upon concluding the public consultation process, staff be directed to report back to the Economic and Development Services Committee with the results of the public consultation and the final Growth Management Study.