{"title":"R-3 zone in Lake Cowichan: Traditional Urban Residential","code":"R-3","slug":"r-3","name":"Traditional Urban Residential","group":"Residential","section":"Part V","site_specific_zone":false,"summary":"A variety of dwelling types at medium density in an urban setting.","fields":{"purpose":{"value":"A variety of dwelling types at medium density in an urban setting.","quotes":["The intent of the Traditional Urban Residential R-3 Zone is to provide for a variety of","residential dwelling types of medium density in an urban setting."]},"primary_uses":{"value":["Single detached","Duplex","Lodge / boarding house","Triplex","Quadplex"],"quotes":["Permitted Principal Uses","Single detached ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓","Duplex ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓","Lodge /","boarding house ✓","Triplex ✓ ✓","Quadplex ✓ ✓"]},"secondary_uses":{"value":["Secondary suite, garden suite or coach house (one of the three on a lot with a single detached dwelling)","Secondary suite in a duplex (corner lot, or garage with tandem parking, or lot of at least 780 m²)","Home-based business (within the size limits for the suite)"],"quotes":["suite, or a garden suite, or a coach house is permitted on a lot with a","A secondary suite is permitted on a lot with a duplex, provided it is a","A home-based business is permitted if"]},"site_specific":{"value":["Silviculture on Lots 1 to 4, Plan VIP74849, District Lots 10 & 14 (minimum lot size 40,000 m²; leave strips along streams and at least 10 m along the roadway to the Town-owned campground); development and care of forests as accessory use; minimum lot size 40,000 m²; setbacks 30 m front and 15 m rear, exterior side and interior side","Rental only tenure for 25% of all units of any housing type on Lot B, Plan VIP 44661, District Lot 16 (PID 006-130-453), Cowichan Lake Road","Rental only tenure for 100% of units on Lot 3, Section 6, Renfrew Land District, Plan VIP5580 (PID 005-990-254), 118 MacDonald Road","Bed and Breakfast, accessory to principal single detached residential use, on Lot 3, Block 4, Section 5, Plan 1750 only"],"quotes":["Silviculture for Lots 1 to 4, Plan VIP74849, District Lots 10 & 14, silviculture,","(i) a minimum lot size of 40,000 square metres;","(a) Development and care of forests for use for Lots 1 to 4, Plan VIP74849, District","i. Minimum lot size is 40,000 square metres.","Minimum building setbacks for principal and accessory buildings is 30 metres for","(b) Rental only tenure for 25% of all units of any housing type for Lot B, Plan VIP","44661, District Lot 16, Cowichan Lake Land District (PID: 006-130-453), also","(c) Rental only tenure for 100% of units on Lot 3, Section 6, Renfrew Land District,","also known as 118 MacDonald Road","(b) Bed and Breakfast, accessory to principal single detached residential use for","Lot 3, Block 4, Section 5, Plan 1750 only."]},"min_parcel_area":{"value":"600 m² (single dwelling); 780 m² (duplex on a single strata lot); 300 m² (duplex, each unit on its own fee simple lot); 780 m² or corner lot (triplex and quadplex)","quotes":["i. Single dwelling 600 600 600 500 350 275","strata) 780 780 600 600","simple lot) 300 300 300 300","iv. Triplex and 780 or corner 780 or","quadplex lot corner"]},"max_parcel_coverage":{"value":"50%","quotes":["Maximum lot coverage (%)","30 40 50 50"]},"max_height":{"value":"11.0 m; for all building types except townhouses the third storey must have a minimum roof slope of 8 vertical to 12 horizontal","quotes":["i. Principal building","11.0;","For all building types except for","townhouses the third storey shall","have a minimum roof slope of 8","vertical run to 12 horizontal run"]},"max_height_accessory":{"value":"7.5 m (accessory buildings over 10 m²); 3.5 m (accessory structures under 10 m²)","quotes":["ii. Accessory building","7.5 7.5 7.5 flat roof 7.5 roof","iii. Accessory structure less","3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5"]},"setback_front":{"value":"6.1 m for single detached, duplex, triplex and quadplex (dwelling front face may extend 1.5 m into the setback); 4.5 m to dwelling front face and garage front face for townhomes (porches may extend into the setback)","quotes":["i) 6.1 m","extend into the front","setback 1.5 m","b) For townhomes:","4.5 m to dwelling front"]},"setback_rear":{"value":"4.5 m","quotes":["Minimum setbacks for principal and accessory buildings or structures (metres)","4.5 3.0 4.5"]},"setback_side_interior":{"value":"1.5 m","quotes":["1.5 1.5 1.5"]},"setback_side_exterior":{"value":"3.0 m","quotes":["v. Exterior side lot line 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 1.5 1.5"]},"accessory_setbacks":{"value":"Accessory structures under 10 m²: front 7.5 m, rear 0.6 m, interior side 0.6 m, exterior side 3.0 m","quotes":["Minimum setbacks for accessory structures of less than 10m2 (metres)","i. Front lot line 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 4.5 n/a","ii. Rear lot line 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 n/a","iii. Interior side lot line 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 n/a","iv. Exterior side lot line 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 1.5 n/a"]},"other":{"value":["Maximum 3 storeys","One accessory dwelling unit is permitted on a lot","Secondary suite: at most 40% of the principal dwelling's floor area or 85 m² (whichever is less); at least 30 m²; at most 2 bedrooms","Garden suite and coach house: at most 40% of the principal dwelling's floor area or 60 m² (whichever is less); at least 30 m²; at most 2 bedrooms"],"quotes":["b. Maximum number of storeys","3 3 3 3 3 1 1/2","iii. In all low and medium density residential zone districts one accessory dwelling","Maximum size is 40% of gross floor area of principal dwelling, or 85 square metres,","iii. Minimum size is 30 square metres.","iv. Maximum number of bedrooms is 2 (two).","Maximum size is 40% of gross floor area of principal dwelling, or 60 square metres,","Minimum size is 30 square metres.","a. The maximum size is 40% of gross floor area of principal dwelling, or 60","b. The minimum size is 30 square metres.","Maximum number of bedrooms is 2 (two)."]}},"bylaw":{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated as of February 24, 2026)","url":"https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf","accessed":"2026-11-08","note":null},"source_url":"https://www.lakecowichan.ca/dl//1055-2021%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20Consolidated%2026-02-24.pdf#page=21","place":{"path":"ca/bc/lake-cowichan","name":"Lake Cowichan","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/zoning/r-3/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/zoning/r-3.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/zoning/r-3.json","index":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-cowichan/zoning/index.json"}}