Wellington County Planning Office Tour Provides Insight into Municipal Planning Practices
On September 29, 2025, students in School's RPD*6250 Foundation: Planning Practice class (taught by Prof. Mollie Kuchma), were welcomed to the Wellington County Administration and Planning Office by Aldo Salis, Director of Planning and Development. The visit provided students with an opportunity to understand how local planning departments function and to gain deeper insight into the diverse responsibilities planners undertake at the county level.
The session began with an introduction to the building’s history, which was once the residence of a governor, by the Manager of Development Planning, Curtis Marshall, followed by an explanation of its architectural and administrative significance. Students were guided through various departments within the county office, where they learned about the structure of the Planning and Development (PD) office and the historical background of Wellington County’s municipalities.
During the presentation, County staff introduced the main areas of planning work, including development planning, municipal planning, and policy planning. The discussion covered several key planning processes, such as minor variance applications under the zoning by-law, Additional Residential Units (ARUs), and Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) regulations. Students actively engaged with the speakers, asking insightful questions about planning policies, development approval processes, and the relationship between township and county-level planning. Senior Planner Joanna Henderson and Planner Jamie Barnes explained the Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) process, using examples such as the Mount Forest outdoor pool project and an agricultural commercial development to illustrate each stage of a planning application, from proposal submission to final approval. Planner Thomas Freeman and Junior Planner Allie Gorman also provided insight and their professional planning opinion as part of the discussion.
In an interactive exercise, the graduate students analyzed a minor variance application example, studying a Site Plan and discussing the proposed residential development. Through this activity, students gained a more practical understanding of how minor variances are reviewed and approved in real-world contexts.
The visit concluded with a discussion on career development in municipal planning, including advice on job searching, application strategies, and key considerations for those aspiring to work in local government.