Improvement initiatives, service delivery and user engagement are tools that the Committee of Adjustment uses to provide valuable information to Toronto residents. Included on this page is future information on how to participate in annual engagement events with the Committee of Adjustment.
Development Review staff are undertaking a multi-year, transformational work program focused on improving users’ ability to participate in the Committee of Adjustment process and public hearings.
At its May 5 and May 6, 2021 meeting, City Council directed the Development Review Division to retain a third-party consultant to conduct a review of the Committee of Adjustment. Broadly, the objective of the review was to identify recommendations to improve the effective participation of the public and applicants in the hearing process.
From February to November 2022, KPMG conducted this review, holding extensive stakeholder consultations. Report Findings and Results KPMG’s Final Report on the Committee of Adjustment Review identified 15 recommendations to improve the public hearing process for members of the public and applicants and proposed a high-level implementation plan for their recommendations. This report was presented at the February 2023 Planning and Housing Committee meeting, along with a staff report supporting the recommendations.
In its Committee of Adjustment Public Hearing Review study, KPMG recommended a review of the Committee of Adjustment’s service delivery model as one of the 15 recommendations. The City retained KPMG to undertake this service delivery model review which began in December 2023 and was completed in January 2025. The Service Delivery Model Review presents recommendations to improve the Committee of Adjustment’s service performance in terms of organizational structure, process and public hearings.
Staff established a multi-year implementation plan for the recommendations based on KPMG report recommendations and stakeholder feedback.
In June 2026, staff provided an update to Planning and Housing Committee (PH31.11) outlining updates on the Committee’s continuous improvement workplan, including KPMG report implementation status and upcoming priorities. These include:
Further, Development Review is working with the City Manager’s Office and City Clerk’s Office to further assess term limits, qualifications, recruitment and remuneration for Committee of Adjustment panel members and report back by early 2027 with any recommended changes to be implemented prior to the next term of appointments.
The following key changes are also targeted to be in place before the next panel is appointed in early 2027:
Development Review will also report back in early 2027 on other priorities requested by council, including:
More details regarding priorities, status of KPMG recommendations and how stakeholder consultation informed these priorities can be found in the report to the Planning and Housing Committee (PH31.11).
As staff move forward with implementation and service delivery model recommendations, they continue to engage with all Committee of Adjustment users: experienced and inexperienced applicants, building industry representatives, resident groups and other community organizations, members of the public, Committee of Adjustment panel members, staff in the Development Review and Development Review Divisions, Legal Services, Toronto Building and other partners in development review.
On April 16, 2026, Development Review staff from the Committee of Adjustment held their annual Stakeholder Forum with participation from members of the building and development community, residents’ associations, and staff from the Mayor’s and Councillors’ offices. Discussions at the forum were structured around opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the Committee, providing a focused opportunity to gather feedback on current operations and proposed work plan priorities. This engagement informed the Committee’s work plan as outlined above and the recent report to the Planning and Housing Committee (PH31.11).
The Committee welcomes feedback from the public regarding its processes. Questions and comments can be sent to developmentreview.coa@toronto.ca and will be reviewed and responded to by the management team.