Pre-Consultation

Please note that you are quite welcome to contact staff informally before fulfilling the City’s pre-consultation requirements if you need further information or clarification, or if you are developing land for the first time.

Please email one of the contacts below if you are uncertain whether pre-consultation applies to your proposal, or if you have questions related to this process. Use the City’s Ward and Councillor tool and/or geoOttawa to verify the location of your development property.

Development Review Areas 

Central (Wards 12, 13, 14, 15, 17) - DR Central

East (Wards 2, 11, urban part of 1, 19 and 20) - DR East

West (Wards 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 23) - DR West

South (Wards 3, 10, 16, 18, 22, 24) - DR South

Rural (Wards 5, 21, rural part of 1, 19 and 20) - DR Rural

All Wards (non-profit housing providers and school boards) -  DR All Wards

Pre-consultation process chart graphic [ PDF 148 KB ]

Pre-consultation fact sheet [ PDF 171 KB ]

Below are the general steps of the pre-consultation process:

1. Save an Adobe .pdf copy of the pre-consultation form.
   1. Email the completed form and required supporting materials to planningcirculations@ottawa.ca with the subject line Pre-consultation Request, Site Address and, if applicable, Phase Number.
2. Staff will review the submission and respond within 2 business days to confirm receipt of the request and advise if enough information has been provided.
   1. If enough information has not been provided, you will be advised of what further information is required to be submitted.
   2. If enough information has been provided or once the necessary information has been provided, staff will advise on how to proceed to payment if such is applicable.
3. Staff will then email you to organize the pre-consultation meeting or advise of, in the case of a Phase 3 – Study Review, the internal review having been initiated. In most cases, where applicable, a meeting will be held within 10 business days following the submission of the pre-consultation form and fee.
4. Be prepared to discuss the proposal in detail at the pre-consultation meeting. The Applicant is strongly encouraged to ask questions and highlight potential concerns during the meeting.
5. Staff will email a detailed Study and Plan Identification List and/or comments regarding the proposal to the Applicant within 3 business days following the pre-consultation meeting or within 5 business days following the internal review period. Applicants will be advised by staff on their required next steps in the pre-consultation or development process.

Where pre-consultation is not mandatory, there is no fee.

Where pre-consultation is mandatory, a fee of $906.00 (not subject to HST) applies to, where applicable, each phase of pre-consultation.

An applicant must complete the pre-consultation process with the City before applying for any of the following development applications:

• Official Plan Amendment
• Major or Minor Zoning By-Law Amendment
• Plan of Subdivision
• Site Plan Control (not including extension requests)
• Vacant Land Condominium
• Municipal Concurrence and Public Consultation Process for Antenna Systems

An application form is required to initiate a mandatory pre-consultation. Requests for concurrent pre-consultations are encouraged. 

• Pre-Consultation Form

Upon application submission, staff will provide confirmation of the amount due, the specific payment methods available for the application type, and the necessary details for the different payment methods.

If you require assistance using an electronic application form please contact a Development Information Officer, located at any of the Client Service Centres. You can make an appointment by calling 3-1-1 and asking to speak with a Development Information Officer.

If you would like to speak with planning staff please contact the appropriate development review group via email, as outlined above, or by calling 3-1-1.