Shape Lincoln 2051 Official Plan Review

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Thank you to everyone who took the Shape Lincoln 2051 Official Plan Review survey.

Get Involved

The Town of Lincoln continues community consultation with Phase 2 of the Official Plan Review- Refining the Plan.

The Town reviewed all of the feedback received to date, including the results of the community survey. Town Staff presented an update of the draft Official Plan policies at another Public Information Centre (PIC) on June 13, 2024. View the presentation


We Need Your Input!

1. Review Draft #2 of the Official Plan document, Mapping & Additional Information to the right of the page under "Project Phase 2".

2. Provide written comments by emailing planningpublicmeetings@lincoln.ca or send a letter to the Planning & Development Department.

  • Any written correspondence will be shared with staff, published on the Town's website and will form part of the public record

About the Official Plan Review Project

The Town of Lincoln is undertaking a review our Official Plan (OP). This plan will guide the growth and development for the Town to 2051 and will ultimately conform with the recently adopted Niagara Region Official Plan and updates to Provincial policies, while remaining aligned with the Town's Council Priorities.

The Provincial Planning Act (Section 26) requires that the Town’s Official Plan be reviewed every ten years after the approval of a new Official Plan and every five years after a comprehensive review. This is done to reflect changes in our communities, the vision for the Region, and to ensure that the Official Plan remains aligned with Provincial policies.

The Town’s current Official Plan was approved in November 2016 and since then, the Province has made significant updates to the Planning Act, amendments to the Clean Water Act, and released a new Growth Plan, Provincial Policy Statement, Greenbelt Plan, and Niagara Escarpment Plan.

In addition, the Niagara Official Plan (NOP) was recently approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing with modifications in November 2022. The NOP is a long-range, land use policy document that provides direction for the growth and development of all of Niagara Region with a planning horizon to 2051. The official plans of all lower tier municipalities, including Lincoln, are required to be brought into conformity with the NOP.

Lincoln’s Official Plan Review is not intended to be a rewrite of the Town’s Official Plan, but rather a targeted update to only those sections and policies that require changes to address provincial policies and significant locally-identified issues, reflective of community goals and objectives. The overall organization and structure of the Official Plan will remain the same.

The Town’s Official Plan

The community’s vision for growth and development is implemented through an Official Plan which is a land use planning document for the entire municipality. The Official Plan addresses issues such as housing, the natural environment, heritage preservation, employment needs, agriculture, commercial services, tourism, parkland/recreation, servicing and transportation.

The Official Plan is a legally binding (statutory) document that guides Council decisions related to land use, development, infrastructure, and services, and informs all other land use plans and regulations the Town may prepare.

The Official Plan addresses issues such as:

  • Where agricultural, residential, institutional, recreational, commercial and industrial uses can be located
  • What areas must be protected
  • What services such as watermain, sewers and roads will be needed
  • When and in what order parts of the community will grow
  • What policies, regulations and rules apply

Municipalities review their Official Plans on a regular basis to ensure they remain up-to-date, reflect current provincial policy, and represent the long term vision of the municipality.

To view the current Official Plan (2016), please visit the Lincoln Official Plan page.

What changes are being proposed as part of the Official Plan Review Project?

The Official Plan Review is being undertaken with the following considerations:

  • To ensure it aligns with current Council and community priorities
  • To ensure it aligns with required updates arising from changes to provincial policies, plans, and other legislative shifts in Ontario’s planning landscape
  • To ensure it conforms to Niagara Region’s Official Plan, recently approved in November 2022
  • To inform updates that will be required to Town by-laws and policies as part of the implementation of the new Official Plan (i.e. zoning by-law, site plan control by-law, etc.).

Updated Official Plan draft policies are available for community feedback.

Lincoln’s Official Plan policies which are under review are categorized as follows:

  • Official Plan Community Vision, Goals and Objectives
  • Settlement Area Strategy
  • Rural Area Policies:
    1. Specialty Agricultural and Prime Agricultural Areas, Rural Settlement, Mineral Aggregate Resource Area, Niagara Escarpment Plan Area
  • Urban Area Policies:
    1. Residential, Mixed Use, Central Business District, General Commercial, Employment, Parks and Open Space
  • Environmental and Water Management Resource Policies:
    1. Natural Environment Area, Natural Heritage System, Creeks and Streams, Natural Hazards, Valleylands, Water Resource Management, Energy Conservation and Climate Change
  • Economic Strategy
  • Transportation
  • Municipal Servicing
  • Community Design Guidelines
  • Administration (Planning Applications and Procedures)

Some key highlights of the proposed changes are summarized according as follows:

Managing Growth in Lincoln

  • Inclusion of updated population and employment growth forecasts for Lincoln to 2051, as allocated by the Niagara Official Plan (NOP, 2022)
  • Planning for population growth through intensification to satisfy Growth Plan policies. This includes the introduction of a Strategic Growth Area (described further below) and an updated intensification target for the Town.
  • Promoting housing affordability through housing policies that enable a mix and range of housing types. This includes residential intensification through Additional Residential Units (i.e. permission of 2nd and 3rd residential units, subject to policies and conditions) in accordance with new Planning Act legislation.
  • Introduction of a new Protected Major Transit Station Area (PMTSA) designation within the Beamsville GO Secondary Plan area. The Beamsville GO PMTSA is a Strategic Growth Area as defined by the Growth Plan and NOP. The Town is required to delineate the boundaries for this area, prescribe an overall minimum density target, and demonstrate that the area is planned for the established minimum target for residents and jobs.
  • Conformity exercise for the Prudhommes area, specifically revising the layout of the low-rise residential and employment blocks in accordance with the concept plan (link to concept plan) and approved Zoning By-law Amendment in 2022 (insert link to Prudhommes page)

Economic Prosperity in Lincoln

  • Updated Employment land policies that introduce stronger protections for employment uses. This includes job density requirements and a new Employment Area Overlay designation in accordance with NOP mapping and employment policies, whereby conversions to non-employment uses are strictly not permitted except during a Niagara Region municipal comprehensive review.
  • Updated Economic Strategy goals and objectives to facilitate a strong, diverse and resilient economy in Lincoln. Recognition of Niagara Benchlands as a destination brand to support and diversify the local tourism economy.

Sustainability in Lincoln

  • Introduction of climate change goals and objectives as an integral component of the Town’s vision for growth and development to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The Town is committed to protecting its economy, ecosystems, and community from climate change as we plan within a Climate Crisis, as declared by Council in March 2021.
  • Updated environmental, urban forest, and green energy infrastructure policies.
  • Updated Natural Environment mapping in accordance with NOP.
  • Clarification of uses permitted within the Specialty Agricultural and Prime Agricultural Designations.

Planning Application Procedures

  • Updated public engagement strategy and complete application policies, in recognition of the importance of early public consultation and upfront coordination with applicants and to meet accelerated planning timelines, as legislated by the Province.
Thank you to everyone who took the Shape Lincoln 2051 Official Plan Review survey.

Get Involved

The Town of Lincoln continues community consultation with Phase 2 of the Official Plan Review- Refining the Plan.

The Town reviewed all of the feedback received to date, including the results of the community survey. Town Staff presented an update of the draft Official Plan policies at another Public Information Centre (PIC) on June 13, 2024. View the presentation


We Need Your Input!

1. Review Draft #2 of the Official Plan document, Mapping & Additional Information to the right of the page under "Project Phase 2".

2. Provide written comments by emailing planningpublicmeetings@lincoln.ca or send a letter to the Planning & Development Department.

  • Any written correspondence will be shared with staff, published on the Town's website and will form part of the public record

About the Official Plan Review Project

The Town of Lincoln is undertaking a review our Official Plan (OP). This plan will guide the growth and development for the Town to 2051 and will ultimately conform with the recently adopted Niagara Region Official Plan and updates to Provincial policies, while remaining aligned with the Town's Council Priorities.

The Provincial Planning Act (Section 26) requires that the Town’s Official Plan be reviewed every ten years after the approval of a new Official Plan and every five years after a comprehensive review. This is done to reflect changes in our communities, the vision for the Region, and to ensure that the Official Plan remains aligned with Provincial policies.

The Town’s current Official Plan was approved in November 2016 and since then, the Province has made significant updates to the Planning Act, amendments to the Clean Water Act, and released a new Growth Plan, Provincial Policy Statement, Greenbelt Plan, and Niagara Escarpment Plan.

In addition, the Niagara Official Plan (NOP) was recently approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing with modifications in November 2022. The NOP is a long-range, land use policy document that provides direction for the growth and development of all of Niagara Region with a planning horizon to 2051. The official plans of all lower tier municipalities, including Lincoln, are required to be brought into conformity with the NOP.

Lincoln’s Official Plan Review is not intended to be a rewrite of the Town’s Official Plan, but rather a targeted update to only those sections and policies that require changes to address provincial policies and significant locally-identified issues, reflective of community goals and objectives. The overall organization and structure of the Official Plan will remain the same.

The Town’s Official Plan

The community’s vision for growth and development is implemented through an Official Plan which is a land use planning document for the entire municipality. The Official Plan addresses issues such as housing, the natural environment, heritage preservation, employment needs, agriculture, commercial services, tourism, parkland/recreation, servicing and transportation.

The Official Plan is a legally binding (statutory) document that guides Council decisions related to land use, development, infrastructure, and services, and informs all other land use plans and regulations the Town may prepare.

The Official Plan addresses issues such as:

  • Where agricultural, residential, institutional, recreational, commercial and industrial uses can be located
  • What areas must be protected
  • What services such as watermain, sewers and roads will be needed
  • When and in what order parts of the community will grow
  • What policies, regulations and rules apply

Municipalities review their Official Plans on a regular basis to ensure they remain up-to-date, reflect current provincial policy, and represent the long term vision of the municipality.

To view the current Official Plan (2016), please visit the Lincoln Official Plan page.

What changes are being proposed as part of the Official Plan Review Project?

The Official Plan Review is being undertaken with the following considerations:

  • To ensure it aligns with current Council and community priorities
  • To ensure it aligns with required updates arising from changes to provincial policies, plans, and other legislative shifts in Ontario’s planning landscape
  • To ensure it conforms to Niagara Region’s Official Plan, recently approved in November 2022
  • To inform updates that will be required to Town by-laws and policies as part of the implementation of the new Official Plan (i.e. zoning by-law, site plan control by-law, etc.).

Updated Official Plan draft policies are available for community feedback.

Lincoln’s Official Plan policies which are under review are categorized as follows:

  • Official Plan Community Vision, Goals and Objectives
  • Settlement Area Strategy
  • Rural Area Policies:
    1. Specialty Agricultural and Prime Agricultural Areas, Rural Settlement, Mineral Aggregate Resource Area, Niagara Escarpment Plan Area
  • Urban Area Policies:
    1. Residential, Mixed Use, Central Business District, General Commercial, Employment, Parks and Open Space
  • Environmental and Water Management Resource Policies:
    1. Natural Environment Area, Natural Heritage System, Creeks and Streams, Natural Hazards, Valleylands, Water Resource Management, Energy Conservation and Climate Change
  • Economic Strategy
  • Transportation
  • Municipal Servicing
  • Community Design Guidelines
  • Administration (Planning Applications and Procedures)

Some key highlights of the proposed changes are summarized according as follows:

Managing Growth in Lincoln

  • Inclusion of updated population and employment growth forecasts for Lincoln to 2051, as allocated by the Niagara Official Plan (NOP, 2022)
  • Planning for population growth through intensification to satisfy Growth Plan policies. This includes the introduction of a Strategic Growth Area (described further below) and an updated intensification target for the Town.
  • Promoting housing affordability through housing policies that enable a mix and range of housing types. This includes residential intensification through Additional Residential Units (i.e. permission of 2nd and 3rd residential units, subject to policies and conditions) in accordance with new Planning Act legislation.
  • Introduction of a new Protected Major Transit Station Area (PMTSA) designation within the Beamsville GO Secondary Plan area. The Beamsville GO PMTSA is a Strategic Growth Area as defined by the Growth Plan and NOP. The Town is required to delineate the boundaries for this area, prescribe an overall minimum density target, and demonstrate that the area is planned for the established minimum target for residents and jobs.
  • Conformity exercise for the Prudhommes area, specifically revising the layout of the low-rise residential and employment blocks in accordance with the concept plan (link to concept plan) and approved Zoning By-law Amendment in 2022 (insert link to Prudhommes page)

Economic Prosperity in Lincoln

  • Updated Employment land policies that introduce stronger protections for employment uses. This includes job density requirements and a new Employment Area Overlay designation in accordance with NOP mapping and employment policies, whereby conversions to non-employment uses are strictly not permitted except during a Niagara Region municipal comprehensive review.
  • Updated Economic Strategy goals and objectives to facilitate a strong, diverse and resilient economy in Lincoln. Recognition of Niagara Benchlands as a destination brand to support and diversify the local tourism economy.

Sustainability in Lincoln

  • Introduction of climate change goals and objectives as an integral component of the Town’s vision for growth and development to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The Town is committed to protecting its economy, ecosystems, and community from climate change as we plan within a Climate Crisis, as declared by Council in March 2021.
  • Updated environmental, urban forest, and green energy infrastructure policies.
  • Updated Natural Environment mapping in accordance with NOP.
  • Clarification of uses permitted within the Specialty Agricultural and Prime Agricultural Designations.

Planning Application Procedures

  • Updated public engagement strategy and complete application policies, in recognition of the importance of early public consultation and upfront coordination with applicants and to meet accelerated planning timelines, as legislated by the Province.

Comment and Questions Form

We welcome and appreciate questions or comments on this project. Please provide your comment and a staff member will respond as soon as possible. 

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  • Share My comment is regarding the timing of the Open House at 2:30 pm in the afternoon. Many of us have full-time jobs that make it impossible to attend daytime events, so I am disappointed that such an important issue that affects the entire community would be timed this way. It gives us a disadvantage to building our understanding of the process and proposed changes in advance of the Jan 15th meeting. on Facebook Share My comment is regarding the timing of the Open House at 2:30 pm in the afternoon. Many of us have full-time jobs that make it impossible to attend daytime events, so I am disappointed that such an important issue that affects the entire community would be timed this way. It gives us a disadvantage to building our understanding of the process and proposed changes in advance of the Jan 15th meeting. on Twitter Share My comment is regarding the timing of the Open House at 2:30 pm in the afternoon. Many of us have full-time jobs that make it impossible to attend daytime events, so I am disappointed that such an important issue that affects the entire community would be timed this way. It gives us a disadvantage to building our understanding of the process and proposed changes in advance of the Jan 15th meeting. on Linkedin Email My comment is regarding the timing of the Open House at 2:30 pm in the afternoon. Many of us have full-time jobs that make it impossible to attend daytime events, so I am disappointed that such an important issue that affects the entire community would be timed this way. It gives us a disadvantage to building our understanding of the process and proposed changes in advance of the Jan 15th meeting. link

    My comment is regarding the timing of the Open House at 2:30 pm in the afternoon. Many of us have full-time jobs that make it impossible to attend daytime events, so I am disappointed that such an important issue that affects the entire community would be timed this way. It gives us a disadvantage to building our understanding of the process and proposed changes in advance of the Jan 15th meeting.

    ALytle asked 12 months ago

    Your comment is appreciated and we apologize for the delayed response. The Shape Lincoln Official Plan Review Project has recently been initiated by the Town and the first public engagement sessions comprise of the Open House (December 5, 2023) and Public Meeting (January 15th, 2024) that you have referred to. These have been scheduled in the afternoon and evening, respectively, in order to provide a variety of engagement times.  Both of these sessions will introduce the project in the same manner, with staff providing a brief overview of context and policy direction, and community feedback will be solicited on priorities and the draft policies.  

    There is also an opportunity to provide input in writing, by emailing planningpublicmeetings@lincoln.ca or sending a letter to the Planning and Development Department.  Any written correspondence that is received by 9 a.m. on the Thursday prior to the Public Meeting will be included on the agenda which will be published on the Town’s website, shared with Committee members and staff, and will form part of the public record.

    A subsequent Public Information Meeting will also be held to gather continued community feedback as the project progresses.

    If you would like more information on the Shape Lincoln Official Plan Review Project, please feel free to reach out to Melissa Shih, Manager of Special Projects at mshih@lincoln.ca or ext. 250.

  • Share 2051? When I first read that I laughed. It's 2023 and your 2018 Secondary plan is already out of date or being successfully challenged by developers like LJM at Prudhommes. Why 2051? It seems like an arbitrary date. on Facebook Share 2051? When I first read that I laughed. It's 2023 and your 2018 Secondary plan is already out of date or being successfully challenged by developers like LJM at Prudhommes. Why 2051? It seems like an arbitrary date. on Twitter Share 2051? When I first read that I laughed. It's 2023 and your 2018 Secondary plan is already out of date or being successfully challenged by developers like LJM at Prudhommes. Why 2051? It seems like an arbitrary date. on Linkedin Email 2051? When I first read that I laughed. It's 2023 and your 2018 Secondary plan is already out of date or being successfully challenged by developers like LJM at Prudhommes. Why 2051? It seems like an arbitrary date. link

    2051? When I first read that I laughed. It's 2023 and your 2018 Secondary plan is already out of date or being successfully challenged by developers like LJM at Prudhommes. Why 2051? It seems like an arbitrary date.

    David JENNINGS asked 12 months ago

    Thank you for your question. Lincoln’s Official Plan is required to be reviewed and updated to conform with recent Provincial and Regional planning policies.  The Province’s Growth Plan was updated in 2020 and extended the planning horizon to 2051 for the Greater Golden Horseshoe area (GGH).  Through this Plan, the Province provided population and employment forecasts to upper- and single-tier municipalities in the GGH to 2051 to ensure that planning forgrowth is coordinated across municipalities and to support the achievement of complete communities.  These forecasts are used to inform infrastructure and financial planning as well as economic and business investment strategies.  The Niagara Region’s Official Plan was more recently approved in November 2022 and has allocated population and employment growth targets for Lincoln to 2051, in line with Provincial policies.  The Town is required, through an Official Plan conformity exercise, to plan to this 2051 planning horizon to accommodate these population and employment targets.

    The planning horizon for the Official Plan Review is a longer-term horizon.  As such, the Official Plan is not intended to be a static regulatory document.  It utilizes flexibility as land use and associated policies continue to shift and evolve.  Furthermore, the Official Plan is intended to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.  The Planning Act (Section 26) requires thatmunicipal Official Plans be reviewed every ten years after the approval of a new Official Plan and every five years after a comprehensive review. This is needed to reflect changes in our communities, the vision for the Region, and to ensure that the Official Plan remains aligned with Provincial policies.

Page last updated: 16 Jul 2024, 10:16 AM