R-3 zone in Lake Cowichan: Traditional Urban Residential

Lake Cowichan, British ColumbiaDraft, not yet reviewedBylaw read 2026-11-08

In short

A variety of dwelling types at medium density in an urban setting.

Zone rules

Purpose	A variety of dwelling types at medium density in an urban setting.
Main uses	Single detached Duplex Lodge / boarding house Triplex Quadplex
Also allowed (secondary uses)	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)
Extra uses on specific lots	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
Minimum lot area	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)
Maximum lot coverage	50%
Maximum height	11.0 m; for all building types except townhouses the third storey must have a minimum roof slope of 8 vertical to 12 horizontal
Maximum height, accessory buildings	7.5 m (accessory buildings over 10 m²); 3.5 m (accessory structures under 10 m²)
Front setback	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)
Rear setback	4.5 m
Interior side setback	1.5 m
Street side setback	3.0 m
Accessory building setbacks	Accessory structures under 10 m²: front 7.5 m, rear 0.6 m, interior side 0.6 m, exterior side 3.0 m
Other rules	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

Source: Zoning Bylaw No. 1055-2021 (consolidated as of February 24, 2026), s. Part V (read 2026-11-08)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply, and a lot can have site-specific rules. Zone pages are taken from the bylaw text by a research agent and have not yet been reviewed by a person: confirm with the bylaw before you rely on them. How answers are checked.

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