Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan

The Durham Region Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development issued a Notice of Decision for the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan on March 2, 2022. The decision includes final policy and mapping schedule modifications. The final date to appeal the decision was March 22, 2022. The final date to appeal the decision was March 22, 2022.

• Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan (Approved) (PDF)
• Southeast Courtice Urban Design and Sustainability Guidelines (Approved) (PDF) 
• Southeast Courtice Schedule A - Land Use (PDF)
• Southeast Courtice Schedule B - Transportation, Parks and Open Space (PDF)
• Notice of Decision (PDF)
• Final Policy Modifications Table (PDF)
• Final Mapping Modifications (PDF)

On December 7, 2020, Clarington Council adopted the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan and the Official Plan Amendment 124 to include the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan in the Clarington Official Plan.  

A copy of the adopted Secondary Plan is provided below.

• Staff Report (PDF)
• Official Plan Amendment (PDF)
• Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan - ADOPTED (PDF)
• Southeast Courtice – Schedule A – Land Use Map - ADOPTED (PDF)
• Southeast Courtice – Schedule B – Transportation, Parks and Open Spaces - ADOPTED (PDF)
• Southeast Courtice Urban Design and Sustainability Guidelines - ADOPTED (PDF)
• Fiscal Impact Analysis Report (PDF)

Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan – DRAFT (Statutory Public Meeting Materials)

After extensive consultation, the Municipality presented the draft Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan at a Statutory Public Meeting on June 23, 2020. A copy of the report, presentation and draft Secondary Plan are provided below. 

• Public Meeting Staff Report (PDF)
• Public Meeting Presentation

• Official Plan Amendment (PDF)
• DRAFT – Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan (PDF)
• DRAFT – Southeast Courtice – Schedule A – Land Use (PDF)
• DRAFT – Southeast Courtice – Schedule B – Transportation, Parks and Open Spaces (PDF)
• DRAFT – Southeast Courtice Urban Design and Sustainability Guidelines (Available upon request)

These draft reports are expected to be further revised.

An accessible version of these documents is available upon request.

• Final Technical Summary Report (PDF)
• Appendix A – Planning Background Report (PDF)
• Appendix B – Affordable Housing Analysis (PDF)
• Appendix C – Commercial Needs Assessment (PDF)
• Appendix D – Transportation Needs Analysis (PDF)
  • Transportation Needs Analysis appendices available upon request.
• Appendix E – Functional Servicing Background Report (PDF)
• Appendix F – Landscape Analysis (PDF)
• Appendix G – Agricultural Impact Assessment (PDF)
• Appendix H – Archaeological Assessment (PDF)
• Appendix I – Built Heritage and Cultural Heritage Landscape Screening (PDF)
• Appendix J – Natural Resources Background Analysis / SWS Integration (PDF)
• Appendix K – Sustainability and Green Principles (PDF)

The Municipality of Clarington has undertaken the preparation of several secondary plans that will conform to and implement the Clarington Official Plan, the Durham Region Official Plan, Provincial Policies and Plans of managing foreseeable growth to realize the community’s desire for liveable, healthy neighbourhoods that are compatible with the surrounding natural environment.

AECOM Canada Ltd. together with Gladki Planning, and DBH Soil Services Inc. have been retained by the Municipality of Clarington (MoC), to assist in the preparation of the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan (SECSP) through the integrated planning process. The primary objective of the study is to prepare a Secondary Plan for the Southeast Courtice neighbourhood in Courtice, Ontario and complete Phases 1 and 2 of the MCEA for all new arterial and collector roads, required for the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan.

The integrated approach adopted for the preparation of the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan (SECSP) area, coordinates the planning and approval processes for the proposed development so it satisfies the requirements of the Planning Act and the Environmental Assessment Act simultaneously.

The “Integrated Approach” is outlined in the Municipal Class EA document (Municipal Engineers Association, October 2000, as amended in 2007, 2011 and 2015) which is an approved process under the Environmental Assessment Act. The integrated EA approach is a cost-effective method of meeting the requirements of both the Planning Act and Class EA processes.

The integration process includes data collection and a background review, the identification of the opportunities and constraints as summarized in this report and the identification of alternate solutions to the problem or opportunity in concurrence with subsequent planning efforts and will be supported by public notifications, consultation events and meetings, consultation documentation and a monitoring report.

Clarington is a thriving municipality in Durham Region where open space and natural elements define the essence of the community. Southeast Courtice is a natural extension of Courtice, containing the headwaters and tributaries of Tooley Creek and Robinson Creek.

Prioritizing a healthy, complete community and delivering on multi-modal transit, affordable housing and a unique sense of place, the goal of the plan will be to outline a strategy for the community refined by extensive community engagement. The process will introduce a policy framework to guide future land use, investment and development towards a mixed use, high quality residential neighbourhood, with a strong emphasis on sustainability interwoven into all aspects of planning, design, construction and community life.

The project seeks to develop a sustainable, responsive and defensible land use plan based on an objective assessment of options via a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) created by stakeholders to measure and optimize the land use layout for future development.

The key principles articulated through this report and based on target performance areas and benchmarks identified in existing policy, will lay the foundation for refining concept land use alternatives through the planning process to finally translate into appropriate planning provisions in the Secondary Plan, Zoning By-Law and Urban Design and Sustainability Guidelines as a guide for further development. The project approach integrates sustainability into all four phases of the planning process.

A Public Information Centre (PIC) was held on November 5, 2019, at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. The PIC included a presentation, a question and answer period, and roundtable discussions. The three land use options were also on display boards for viewing. A comment form was available to all attendees.

The presentation included an overview of existing policy direction, best practices in Neighbourhood Design, relevant to development in Courtice and further describe each of the alternative land use approaches that were presented. While all options seek to ensure the protection of highly sensitive environmental areas and to create complete and healthy neighbourhoods with a focus on active transportation and a diverse housing mix within walking distance to shopping, services, schools and amenities, each alternative explores a unique competing development objective.

• Presentation (Available upon request)
• Display boards (Available upon request)

For several weeks following the Public Information Session, an interactive mapping project for the Southeast Courtice area was available for the public to tell us how they use the lands and how they would like to use the lands within the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan area in the future.

To receive feedback, a build your own neighbourhood mapping tool was also made available. Using this tool, residents were able to populate an interactive map. The goal was for the public to show us where they would like low-rise buildings (detached homes), mid-rise buildings (townhomes) and high-rise buildings (apartments) for residential housing to be located. The public was also encouraged to show us where they wanted to see parks, trails, cycling paths, and commercial land within the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan area.

In addition, a survey was made available regarding the three land use options that were presented at the Public Information Session. A summary of the feedback we received will be made available in later stages of project.

The Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan process was launched at a drop-in session at South Courtice Arena on June 26, 2018. The 60+ residents, business owners, agencies and developers that attended the session were quite interested in the design process that will create the framework for future development of this area.

This session reminded the attendees that this Secondary Plan process will create a Sustainable Community in southeast Courtice. The project launch also introduced the community to the Integrated Environmental Assessment process which will be undertaken simultaneously.

The materials that were on display at the June 26, 2018 session are located below:

• Posters (PDF - 10MB)
• PowerPoint Presentation (PDF - 16MB)

The proposed new major roads to service the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan are subject to Schedule C of the Municipal Class EA. The EA will proceed through the “Integrated Approach” with the Planning Act as outlined in Section A.2.9 of the Municipal Class EA Guide (Municipal Engineers Association, October 2000, as amended in 2007, 2011 and 2015) which is an approved process under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act.

The “Integrated Approach” recognizes the desirability of integrating and coordinating the planning and approval processes to satisfy the requirements of the Planning Act and Environmental Assessment Act.

This notice was first issued on June 13, 2018.

The Municipality has hired AECOM, a firm of architects, engineers, and planners, as well as subconsultants, Gladki Planning Associates, Ward Land Economics and DBH Soil Services to prepare the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plan.

Background documents

•  Southeast Courtice Transportation Master Plan (PDF)
• Update on Secondary Plan Studies (PSD-052-18)
• Request to Initiate the Southeast Courtice Secondary Plans Report, including the draft Terms of Reference (PSD-011-18)
• New Residential Secondary Plans – Official Plan Implementation (PSD-071-17)