Development Manual Update
The City of Cornwall is updating its Subdivision Manual and Site Plan Guidelines and combining them into a single, comprehensive Development Manual.
The current Subdivision Manual dates back to the late 1990s, and while much of the foundation remains sound, it no longer fully reflects current industry standards, best practices, or modern development processes. Similarly, the Site Plan Guidelines were last updated in 2016, and several submission requirements and processes are now outdated. Over time, this has also resulted in duplication and inconsistencies between the two documents.
What We’re Doing
The City is developing a new, unified Development Manual that:
- Combines the Subdivision Manual and Site Plan Guidelines into one document
- Clearly outlines submission requirements, technical standards, and review processes
- Covers the full development lifecycle, from pre‑consultation to final acceptance
- Applies to all development types, including subdivisions, site plans, condominiums, and service extensions
Improves navigation by organizing content into sections that can be accessed individually or as a complete manual online
Why This Update Matters
The updated Development Manual will:
- Reflect current engineering standards and best practices
- Address gaps in areas such as required studies, stormwater management, low impact development, landscaping, grading, traffic, streetlighting, tree preservation, construction management, and soils management
- Improve clarity, consistency, and predictability for applicants
- Create alignment between municipal projects and private development submissions
How You Can Provide Input
As part of this update, the City is seeking feedback from developers, consultants, and industry partners to help ensure the new Development Manual is clear, practical, and effective.
Please review the materials provided and complete the online survey (linked below) to share your feedback on:
- Technical standards and design requirements
- Submission requirements and review processes
- Areas that are unclear, outdated, duplicated, or inconsistent
- Opportunities to improve usability and alignment with industry practices
Your feedback will directly inform the final Development Manual and help shape a more efficient and consistent development review process for the City of Cornwall.
Development Manual Feedback Survey
Materials for Review
To support your review and feedback, the following materials are provided in this hub:
- Proposed Development Manual structure and contents, presented as a draft Table of Contents, to give an overview of the organization, scope, and topics that would be included in the new manual
- The existing Subdivision Manual and Site Plan Guidelines, for reference and comparison
- Links to current City of Cornwall web content, where applicable, to highlight how requirements and information are currently presented
