The City of Hamilton is delivering on a decade-old promise with new public notice boards designed to be legible for the general public and meet accessibility standards.
The new signs, which are similar to those used in other municipalities, will include a 3D massing image of proposed developments, simple language explaining what is proposed, and a link to the City website page with more information.
They will replace the existing sign boards which are written in ‘legalese,’ were text-only, and did not list any website information. The redesigned signs meet Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards, the City states.
“This is really nice to see a more accessible and visually appealing signage for folks to be able to understand what may or may not be coming to their neighbourhood,” stated Ward 1 Councillor Maureen Wilson during the June 10 planning committee meeting.
Increased Notice Radius
Property owners within a 240-metre radius of proposals requiring zoning or official plan amendments will receive notices in the mail. This doubles the previous 120-metre radius, which was the minimum mandated by the Planning Act.
Similar to signage, the new notices will be legible for the general public and designed with accessibility in mind.
Increasing Fees to Cover Additional Mailings
Development application fees will increase to cover the costs of the additional mailings on a cost-recovery basis.
The average zoning by-law amendment mailing will cost $805.49, up from the current $257.52. Draft plan of subdivision applications will cost an average of $689.62 for mailings, up from $205.30.
Costs will vary based on location. An urban condominium application could need to mail out 438 notices to reach all mailboxes within the 240-metre radius, at a cost of $1,222.90.
The new policies and practices will begin on July 1.
Planning staff hope to enable people to sign up for planning updates on the City website in the future.
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: June 17, 2025
Last updated: June 17, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version