Robert Howe

Partner

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Robert Howe

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Overview

Rob Howe is a partner in the Municipal and Land Development Group at Goodmans. His practice focuses on land use planning and public infrastructure matters for private and public sector clients.

Rob has a wide range of experience in land use planning matters, appearing regularly before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (formerly Ontario Municipal Board), the Ontario Court of Justice, and before municipal councils. He has represented both landowners and municipalities regarding development proposals throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that include major residential and mixed-use greenfield development, as well as large industrial and retail developments. He has also been involved in significant hearings regarding municipal official plans engaging topics that include environmental feature protection, cultural heritage conservation, Growth Plan policy and land budget/urban area expansions.

In addition to dealing with land use planning regulation and approvals, Rob has developed a specialty in servicing and financial matters related to land development, including the negotiation and drafting of complex agreements between landowners and municipalities regarding the provision and funding of municipal infrastructure, and landowner cost-sharing agreements. Rob also routinely represents landowners regarding development charge by-laws at the municipal level and in appeals before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and Superior Court.

Rob’s public sector experience also includes working with the City of Toronto's Legal Services Division early in his career.

Rob is recognized as a leading lawyer by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Chambers Canada and Best Lawyers in Canada. He is also featured in the Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure.

Featured Work

Rob’s representative work includes acting for:
  • a group of landowners in the Region of Waterloo successfully achieving an expansion of the Region’s urban area boundary through an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board of the Region’s Official Plan
  • the Building Industry and Development Association in numerous reviews and appeals of development charge by-laws across the GTA, including in milestone cases before the Ontario Municipal Board and the Superior Court of Justice that successfully challenged methodologies proposed by municipalities to increase development charges
  • the group of landowners developing the Seaton Community in Pickering, negotiating and drafting a front-ending agreement with the Region of Durham to secure the financing and construction of $400 million worth of infrastructure required to develop the community
  • the Town of Oakville in respect of hearings before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal regarding the proposed redevelopment of the Glen Abbey Golf Course lands

Credentials

Professional Involvement

Rob is a past Chair of the Municipal Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association. He sits on the board of directors of the Hassle Free Clinic in Toronto.

Professional Affiliations

  • Law Society of Ontario