The first thing most people notice when seeing a good, complete concept site plan prepared by a skilled urban planning consultant or land use planning expert containing the vast amount of information on it. Often, the amount of information on these drawings can be overwhelming, particularly when people outside the industry confuse a concept plan with something more akin to a sketch.
A preliminary sketch for a site plan will lay out roughly where the property boundary lines are and where any proposed buildings or structures will be placed. Usually, it will note the rough location of other existing features as well, but rarely will this be done to scale. On the other hand, a complete concept site plan will contain more details with more accuracy. All elements of a concept site plan must be drawn to the same scale to accurately show the relationships between them.
What’s Included in a Concept Site Plan?
Certain municipalities require more information than others, and, in some cases, provincial policy can require more information as well. Though not a comprehensive list, the following is a good example of what a complete site plan should include:
- Surveyed located property lines and their bearings;
- Proposed lot lines, adjustments, or easements, if any;
- Surveyors located existing buildings;
- The survey located features like wells, paved areas, fences, and utilities.
- Storm water management features like swales, catch basins, or storm water ponds;
- Any watercourses, water bodies, or features;
- Proposed new features like
- Buildings
- Pavement
- Parking areas
- Landscaped areas
- Trees
- Wells
- Swales
- Retaining walls
- Utility lines/poles
- Existing trees and significant vegetation areas (and those to be removed);
- Existing and proposed utility poles, gas lines, etc.
- Any zoning or official plan designation boundaries;
- Any abutting municipal roads and rail corridors;
- The existing, proposed, and neighbouring land uses;
- Any easements or other claims on title;
- Space for administrative use, like
- Drawing date, creator & reviewer, file number
- Surveyor certificate
- RPP stamp
- Municipal approval stamp
- Site statistics like
- Dwelling types and counts
- Gross floor areas
- Percent of the site dedicated to landscaping
- Zoning requirements, plus both existing and proposed stats
- Dimensions of all setbacks for buildings and significant features;
- Scale information to properly understand the size of the project.
- Key map to help understand the location of the subject property.
- North arrows to help reviewers properly orient the project;
The Complications Behind Concept Plans
Sometimes, municipalities will require additional information beyond the above requirements. Things get awkward when they don’t disclose these early in the application process. In some cases, even after an official pre-consultation or formal consultation meeting, some departments may not have been present, so they didn’t mention a missing requirement for your drawing until you actually go to apply and they get the drawing circulated to them, such as:
- Soil information for construction feasibility.
- Natural hazard areas and any mitigations proposed;
- Lighting plan information:
- Shadowing information:
- Density calculations
- Truck turning areas or fire route demarcation;
- Either elevation points or contour lines (or both) to understand the topography;
- Building entrances and exits;
- Building cladding materials information:
Most of the requirements laid out in the Zoning By-law and Ontario Building Code are required to meet their planning approval standards. Requirements may also be addressed in the municipal official plan if the zoning or building code doesn’t mention it. Some municipalities will have checklists available online that detail all the elements that are required to meet their standards.
All that being mentioned, it is sometimes quite difficult to produce a drawing that accurately and effectively communicates all of this information at once. Many municipalities are quite happy to have separate drawings for the main site plan, a geotechnical report, a landscaping and tree protection plan, a set of architectural drawings or renderings, etc. The separate drawings can be much more detailed and can provide more legible information, but if everything is required on one drawing, then the best advice we can give is to be as clear as possible! Hiring a professional land use planner to help with your application is probably the next best bit of advice, because they will usually know more about what a municipality wants in their drawings and how best to display the information without making a mess.
Why Hire a Professional Planning Consultant?
Navigating the planning process isn’t just about drawings and documents, it is about knowing exactly what the city expects, how to meet those expectations, and how to do it without wasting time or money. That’s where Urban in Mind steps in, your trusted Urban Planning consultant steps in. As one of Ontario’s most dependable urban planning consultancy firms, we simplify the chaos of site planning into a clear, guided journey that moves your project forward.
From Planning Justification Reports to zoning and policy analysis, we don’t just tick boxes, we make sure your application stands up to scrutiny. The reality is, submitting for site plan approval in Ontario can be overwhelming. Miss a report? Submit incomplete drawings? You’re looking at costly delays.
Our planners take that burden off your plate. We speak the same language as the municipal reviewers. We know what they’re looking for, and we make sure your application aligns with zoning by-laws, provincial policy, and the Ontario Building Code. That means fewer back-and-forths and a faster, smoother approval process.
And it doesn’t stop there. Need a Tree Protection Plan last minute? Geotech report? We coordinate it. We’ve done this hundreds of times, so we know how to avoid the typical snags that kill momentum. Bottom line: we make sure your site plan submission is complete, compliant, and built for success.
Your Strategic Partner in Land Use Planning
Urban in Mind isn’t just a planning consultant—we’re your development partner. We help you get approvals faster and with less stress, because we understand the pressure of timelines, budgets, and changing regulations.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer or launching your first project, we tailor our urban planning solutions to fit your needs. We manage submissions, coordinate with cities and other professionals, and keep everything on track so you don’t have to chase updates or interpret technical feedback.
We’re problem-solvers, but we’re also strategy-minded. Every site has unique challenges. We look beyond compliance to see how your project can meet both city expectations and your long-term goals. That’s the Urban in Mind difference.
What We Offer:
- Custom Concept Site Plans that communicate your vision
- Ontario-wide Site land use planning Ontario support
- Clear and concise Planning Justification Reports
- Expert coordination with municipal staff and industry professionals
- Strategic development guidance that puts your project on the map
Get Started with Confidence
A weak submission can derail even the best ideas. Work with Urban in Mind, a forward-thinking land development agency and your go-to land use planning consultants, to get your site plan approved with confidence. Don’t let avoidable errors or red tape slow you down. Work with Urban in Mind to get your site plan approved with confidence.
Whether you’re building residential, commercial, or mixed-use, we bring clarity, precision, and momentum to your planning process. Ready to get started? Let’s make your vision buildable.
Ready to move your project forward? Contact Urban in Mind at (905) 320-8120 or email us at contact@urbaninmind.ca to get expert guidance and start your site plan with confidence.