Kingston’s blueprint for how the city grows over the next 25 years won’t be decided until next year, after city council voted May 19, 2026, to delay a final vote on the new Official Plan. The 11-1 decision cancels special meetings planned for June and pushes the approval timeline beyond the October 26 municipal election, meaning the next mayor and council will make the call.
The delay means work on updating the plan, which last got a full rewrite in 2010, now stretches into a third council term. Councillor Brandon Tozzo, who moved the deferral, said several supporting studies still aren’t done — including the Natural Heritage Study, Integrated Mobility Plan, water and wastewater master plan, and a financial breakdown of what the new plan would cost.
At the heart of the debate is whether to expand the city’s urban boundary by about 1,000 acres of rural land on the east and west sides. Planning forecasts say Kingston’s population could hit 220,000 by 2051 — roughly 70,000 more people than today — and some councillors say expansion is necessary to handle that growth. Environmental groups and the Coalition of Kingston Communities had pushed for the delay, arguing residents and council members need finished studies and more time to grasp the full picture before locking in decades-long development patterns.
Councillor Gary Oosterhof opposed the delay, calling it a setback for staff who worked hard to meet earlier deadlines. With Mayor Bryan Paterson away, Deputy Mayor Ryan Boehme chaired the meeting. Council plans to hold a public information session in early 2027 so incoming councillors and the community can review the completed studies ahead of a final decision, which must come by June 30, 2027.
The clock is ticking: Ontario’s planning rules change January 1, 2028, and staff warn that if Kingston’s plan isn’t done by then, the city would have to start the entire process over. A video summary of the council discussion is on the city’s YouTube channel.
