Parkland Dedication

Parkland dedication is required for the development or redevelopment of land in the City of Cornwall. Section 42 of the Planning Act authorizes municipalities to adopt By-laws to require the conveyance of land or its equivalent value in cash-in-lieu as a condition of development of land. Parkland Dedication refers to either the conveyance of land or cash-in-lieu.

The City of Cornwall adopted a new Parkland Dedication By-law on August 8, 2022 that replaced the previous by-law that was adopted in 1989. The new By-law introduced a 2% parkland dedication rate for industrial and commercial development. It also set out clear criteria for what lands are suitable for parkland dedication and when the City would accept cash-in-lieu instead of land. Funds collected from cash-in-lieu are deposited into a Parkland Reserve Fund and used for capital improvements to existing parks.

Parkland dedication is required prior to the issuance of any building permits for a project. It is satisfied as part of the Subdivision process for lower-density residential development. For other forms of development, the City recommends satisfying Parkland Dedication requirements in conjunction with the Site Plan Control process.

Residential Development

In general, the rate of Parkland Dedication for residential land is 5% with the following exceptions:

  • Residential lots created by consent for single detached, semi detached, duplex and triplex dwellings must pay a flat fee of $750.
  • Parkland Dedication for residential development of 15 units per hectare or above is collected at a rate of 1 hectare per 300 units. This rate is 1 hectare per 500 units for developments with more than 25 units per hectare when cash-in-lieu is accepted.

Commercial, Industrial and Long-Term Care Development

The Parkland Dedication rate is 2% for commercial, industrial, and long-term care facilities.

Mixed-Use Development

The Parkland Dedication rate for mixed-use development is calculated by either the portion of land or the portion of a building dedicated to each use.

Read the Guide to Parkland Dedication

Read the City of Cornwall’s Parkland Dedication By-law.

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