Municipal Law, Land Use Planning & Development

DSF provides expert advice and representation on a broad range of issues related to municipal law, zoning, land use planning, expropriation, heritage, and the extraction of sand, stone and gravel in Ontario.

Our clients include developers, aggregate operators, land owners, ordinary individuals, municipalities, and ratepayer groups.

We provide pragmatic, timely, cost-effective advice and assistance in respect of the following:

• preparing and reviewing land development, subdivision, site plan and zoning agreements;
• obtaining planning approvals, including official plan and zoning by-law amendments, subdivision and site plan approvals, as well as minor variances and severances;
• appearing before municipal councils and committees;
• representing clients in expropriation proceedings, court applications and hearings before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, the Toronto Local Appeal Body, the Environmental Review Tribunal and other adjudicative bodies and decision makers;
• obtaining and reviewing environmental approvals;
• drafting construction contracts as well as land acquisition and sale agreements;
• assisting clients with the legal aspects of project financing;
• drafting and enforcing lease agreements;
• providing opinions on title;
• rectifying title, often at the request of and with title insurers;
• defending municipal by-law and provincial offence prosecutions;
• helping clients to understand and to address the constitutional requirements relating to the duty to consult First Nations;
• representing clients in commercial rent arbitrations;
• interpreting and sometimes challenging municipal bylaws and decisions;
• helping clients obtain licences for aggregate extraction as well as any associated official plan and zoning amendments;
• registering, challenging and litigating construction liens matters; and
• litigating all aspects of construction and land use planning projects and agreements.

Founded in Toronto, DSF has grown to be an important regional firm with several offices in southern Ontario.  It is ranked by Novae Res Urbis as one of the top development law teams in the Greater Toronto Area, actively supports the Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (“OSSGA”), and, in addition to expertise in municipal law and land use planning, has the benefit of specialized teams of lawyers to address a broad range of other issues.

Please contact David White, Marc Kemerer or Lawrence Hansen at the telephone numbers or email addresses below.