FoTenn Consultants is a full-service planning & urban design firm with expertise in the following areas:

Community Design Plans & Master Planning

FoTenn has extensive experience in the preparation of broad land use concept plans with associated design frameworks for developing communities and other strategic properties, including military bases and federal campuses.

Development Approvals

FoTenn excels in the management and processing of all types of planning and development approvals, including official plan and zoning by-law amendments, plans of subdivision, site plans, minor variances and consents. Whether the focus is a commercial development, a downtown residential infill redevelopment or a new plan of subdivision, we guide every type of project through all phases of the planning process. This ranges from the assessment of sites and the preparation of applications, plans and supporting documentation, through to liaising with the public, administrative staff and approval bodies to address issues and secure approvals.

Expert Witness

FoTenn has a strong record of providing professional and judicious expert evidence on a variety of planning matters before the Ontario Municipal Board, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and various Committees of Adjustment, Planning Committees and City Councils. FoTenn is known for the depth of preparation on these matters, for the breadth of our understanding of the issues, and for the ability to provide thoughtful opinions for adjudicators and decision-makers.

Facilitation & Public Consultation

FoTenn has a team of trained facilitators with proven consultation and mediation skills. We are able to creatively resolve difficult development files, achieve community consensus and meaningful public input through workshops and design charrettes, and assist corporate and government clients in establishing strategic planning priorities.

Municipal Planning

FoTenn works on a contractual basis with several municipalities in Ontario and Nunavut, providing supplementary professional planning support, primarily in the areas of development approvals and real property asset management.

Official Plans, General Plans, Secondary Plans and Zoning By-laws

FoTenn is a leader in the preparation of policy and regulatory documents that provide the planning framework for growth and change in communities. Our focus is both strategic and practical – in that we have the strategic knowledge and expertise to develop new policy and regulatory documents, as well as the practical experience to manage and consolidate these documents over time.

Planning in the North

FoTenn has developed an outstanding reputation for expertise in planning for Canada’s northern communities. Our work for municipalities across Nunavut demonstrates our sensitivity to, and our understanding of, the distinct physical, environmental and cultural issues associated with planning in the north. FoTenn has prepared general plans and regulatory documents, as well as community policy documents, design guidelines and plans of subdivision. Public consultation is an important aspect of all these projects and FoTenn has experience organizing charrettes, workshops and open houses designed to meet the particular needs of these communities.

Project Management

FoTenn provides results-oriented management of complex planning projects and development files, by coordinating the work of interdisciplinary consulting teams, harmonizing concurrent approval processes, and tightly managing project timelines and budgets.

Strategic Site Evaluation

FoTenn has extensive experience in providing critical real estate assessments, including the timely preparation of highest and best use analyses, strategic site options analyses, site concept plans and due diligence reviews for land acquisition, redevelopment and disposal. Through this analysis, opportunities can be identified for adding value to vacant or underutilized properties.

Sustainable Development

Sustainability is central to good planning decisions. FoTenn offers expertise in this area on two levels: policy and design. From a policy perspective, FoTenn can assist with visioning and goal setting, review existing programs and policies, develop planning principles and criteria for sustainable development, and create implementation programs and indicators for measuring sustainability. From a design perspective, FoTenn can provide urban design guidelines and subdivision/site designs that put into practice the principles of sustainability.

Urban Design

Thoughtful urban design is a core element in all FoTenn projects, whether preparing a site plan for an individual lot or undertaking a comprehensive design plan for an entire new community. We offer a full spectrum of design expertise – including the preparation of urban design guidelines, streetscape designs, subdivision design, master plans and community design plans – with extensive computer-aided mapping and graphic capabilities.