Apply for site plan approval

• before you apply for site plan approval, you must determine if your proposal requires a Zoning Bylaw or Official Plan amendment
• unless otherwise directed by the city's planning division, these amendments must be completed before submitting a site plan application
• if amendments are required, start that process by requesting a Zoning Bylaw or Official Plan amendment

Application submission steps

1. Submit a complete Site Plan Approval Application (PDF), including the required fees, forms, plans, documents and reports.
2. Submit all materials to siteplan@waterloo.ca by the deadline. 
3. Once the application is received, the Site Plan Chair or Coordinator will contact you within 10 business days to deem the application complete or incomplete and confirm that the application has been circulated for written comments (comment report).

The following materials must be submitted unless you are told otherwise during a pre-consultation meeting or by the Site Plan Chair:

• cover letter
• application form
• architectural drawing set including site plan, elevations, floor plans and cross sections
• photometric report
• landscape plan
• tree protection plan
• functional engineering drawings including existing conditions, erosion and sediment control, site grading and site servicing)
• survey
• master plan (if applicable)
• truck turning plan (if applicable)
• context plan (if applicable)
• urban design brief (if applicable)

For developments 6 storeys or greater (3 storeys or greater in the Uptown area), also include:

• wind study with recommendations
• shadow study with recommendations

Application deadlines

Pay in person by debit, cash, or cheque.

You can also send a cheque by mail or courier.

Make cheques payable to The Corporation of the City of Waterloo. Include the site plan's property address on the envelope or cheque. 

By mail

Waterloo City Centre (IPPW, Planning Division, second floor)
100 Regina Street South
P.O. Box 337, Station Waterloo
Waterloo ON, Canada, N2J 4A8

In-person or by courier

Waterloo City Hall – IPPW, Planning Division, 2nd floor
100 Regina Street South
Waterloo ON, Canada, N2J 4P9

The Site Plan Coordinator will assess applications for completeness.

Complete applications will be circulated for review immediately upon being deemed complete by the Site Plan Coordinator, with a notification to the applicant. 

Incomplete applications will be refused by the Site Plan Coordinator, with a notification to the applicant outlining missing or insufficient information.  

The SPRC will issue a Record of Site Plan Review to the applicant with detailed comments and the committee's formal position on the application. 

Formal positions may include Resubmission, Conditional Endorsement, or Full Endorsement. Engineering Services staff will advise on the acceptance of detailed engineering submissions, subject to functional acceptance of civil engineering plans and related information. 

Consider the following when preparing your submission:

• Planning Act (Section 41 – Site Plan Control)
• Interactive Mapping
• Zoning Bylaw
• Official Plan
• Urban Design Manual
• Site Plan Control Bylaw
• City of Waterloo's Comprehensive Engineering and Landscape Manual (CELM)
• Accessibility Standards

If the Record of Site Plan Review requires resubmission, it must be submitted digitally to siteplan@waterloo.ca.  

Matters outlined in the Record of Site Plan Review must be resolved or responded to in the resubmission. If necessary, the Site Plan Coordinator will review and circulate the resubmitted site plans and supporting documents. The SPRC will issue another Record of Site Plan Review with a formal position on the resubmission. This step is repeated until the SPRC issues a conditional or full endorsement of the application.

Upon receiving full endorsement from the SPRC, the Director of Planning conducts final review and approval. The Director may request modifications to the plans or additional information.

If the Director requires no modifications, the plans receive a formal stamp of approval, which is typically conditional.

This step is required if there are agreements (such as special servicing agreements), easements, or other legal requirements to be completed before registering the site plan agreement. At the Director of Planning's discretion, these may be completed after the plans are stamped.

After the plans are stamped, all legal requirements are met, and the city accepts cost estimates for securities, the city will prepare a site plan agreement authorized by the Planning Act. The agreement is signed by an authorized representative of the City of Waterloo, property owner(s), and mortgagee(s) before being registered on the property title. The city will invoice the applicant or owner for all agreement preparation and registration costs.

Once the site plan agreement is registered on title, the Site Plan Coordinator notifies the applicant of the final release of site plan approval. Digital copies of the approved plans and registered site plan agreement are provided.

Before starting any construction or site alteration, the applicant must obtain all necessary approvals and permits (such as final engineering approval, demolition control approval, demolition permit, and building permit) and pay applicable fees and securities (such as site plan/engineering securities, parkland cash-in-lieu and development charges).