Proposed development plan to be furnished to municipalities, etc.
6.  (1) In respect of any area of land for which a development plan is to be prepared, the Minister shall cause a proposed development plan to be prepared and shall ensure that, (a) each municipality within such area is furnished with a copy of the proposed development plan and invited to make comments thereon within such period of time, not being less than three months from the time the plan is furnished to it, as is specified; (b) a notice is published in one or more newspapers having general circulation in such area notifying the public of the proposed development plan, indicating where a copy of the plan together with the material used in preparation thereof mentioned in subsection (5) can be examined and inviting the submission of comments thereon within such period of time, not being less than three months from the time the notice is first published, as is specified; and (c) any advisory committee appointed under section 3 and empowered under that section to make recommendations relating to the preparation and implementation of a development plan covering the area is furnished with a copy of the proposed development plan and invited to make comments thereon within such period of time, not being less than three months from the time the plan is furnished to the committee, as is specified. Hearing officer (2) Prior to, upon or after the expiration of time for the making of comments on the proposed development plan, the Minister shall appoint one or more hearing officers for the purpose of conducting one or more hearings, as the Minister may determine, within the area or in the general proximity thereof, for the purpose of receiving representations respecting the contents of the plan by any person desiring to make representations, and separate hearings may be conducted at different times and places for different parts of the planning area. Notice of hearing (3) A hearing officer shall fix the time and place for the hearing or hearings as determined under subsection (2), and shall publish notice thereof in one or more newspapers having in his or her opinion general circulation in the area. Time of hearing (4) The time fixed for any hearing under subsection (3) shall be not sooner than three weeks after the first publication of the notice of hearing and not before the expiration of the time for the making of comments on the proposed development plan. Procedure at hearing (5) At any such hearing, the Minister or any officials of a ministry or any other person that may be approved by the Minister shall present the proposed development plan and the justification therefor and shall make available for public inspection research material, reports, plans and the like that were used in the preparation of such plan and, subject to the rules of procedure adopted by the hearing officer for the conduct of the hearing, the persons presenting the plan may be questioned on any aspect of the plan by any interested person. Report of hearing officer (6) Not more than three months after the conclusion of the hearing or of the last hearing if more hearings than one are held or within such extended time as the Minister prescribes, the hearing officer conducting the hearing or hearings shall report to the Minister a summary of the representations made together with a report stating whether the plan should be accepted, rejected or modified, giving his or her reasons therefor, and separate reports shall be submitted for each part of the planning area for which a hearing or hearings was conducted. Inspection of report (7) A copy of the report of the hearing officer, or a copy of each report, if separate hearings were held, shall be made available in the office of the Minister, in the office of the clerk of each municipality, the whole or any part of which is within the area, and in such other offices and locations as the Minister determines for inspection by any person desiring to do so. Submission of proposed plan to Lieutenant Governor in Council (8) After giving consideration to the comments received and the report or reports, if there is more than one, of the hearing officer, the Minister shall submit the proposed development plan with his or her recommendations thereon to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. When report not approved (9) If the recommendation of the Minister to the Lieutenant Governor in Council is other than that the report or reports, if there is more than one, of the hearing officer, be approved, then the Minister shall give public notice to this effect, state his or her intention, and a period of twenty-one days allowed when representations in writing can be made by anyone concerned to the Lieutenant Governor in Council. Approval of plan by Lieutenant Governor in Council (10) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may approve the plan, or may approve the plan with such modifications as the Lieutenant Governor in Council considers desirable, and thereupon the plan is the development plan for the area defined in it. R.S.O. 1980, c.354, s.6.