R3 zone in Merritt: Small Parcel Residential

Merritt, British ColumbiaDraft, not yet reviewedBylaw read 2026-11-07

In short

Small and narrow parcels with Single Detached, Semi-Detached, Townhome and Apartment residential, plus Detached Secondary Dwellings, Home-based Business and Secondary Suites.

Zone rules

Purpose	Small and narrow parcels with Single Detached, Semi-Detached, Townhome and Apartment residential, plus Detached Secondary Dwellings, Home-based Business and Secondary Suites.
Main uses	Dwelling, Multiple Unit Apartment Dwelling, Multiple Unit Townhome Dwelling, Single Detached Dwelling, Semi-Detached
Also allowed (secondary uses)	Accessory Building Dwelling, Detached Secondary Home-based Business Secondary Suite Urban Agriculture Short-Term Rental (discretionary) Short-Term Rental needs approval from the Development Approving Officer.
Extra uses on specific lots	LOT A, PLAN EPP27753, District Lot 125 (PID 029-292-484): front and/or rear setback may be reduced to 3 metres if there is no vehicle Access to the Parcel
Minimum lot area	Single Detached: 112.5 m² (135 m² corner); Semi-Detached: 180 m² (225 m² corner); Apartment or Townhome: 225 m² (270 m² corner)
Minimum lot width	Single Detached: 7.5 metres (9 metres corner); Semi-Detached: 12 metres (15 metres corner); Apartment or Townhome: 15 metres (18 metres corner)
Maximum lot coverage	85% for Apartment and Townhome (up to 95% with permeable surfaces on at least 10% of the Parcel Area)
Maximum density	Single Detached or Semi-Detached: 3 dwelling units on parcels up to 280 m2, or 4 dwelling units or 60 per hectare (whichever is greater) on larger parcels; Apartment or Townhome: 3 units up to 280 m2, or 4 units or 90 per hectare (whichever is greater) on larger parcels
Maximum height	Lesser of 14 metres or 3 storeys
Maximum height, accessory buildings	Accessory Building: lesser of 5 metres or 1.5 storeys; Detached Secondary Dwelling: lesser of 10.5 metres or 2 storeys
Front setback	3 metres (lane access); 5 metres (front access, corner, back to back, pie-shaped); 3 metres excluding the panhandle access (panhandle)
Rear setback	5 metres (lane access, back to back); 3 metres (front access, corner, panhandle, pie-shaped)
Interior side setback	1.2 metres; 0 metres between shared Parcel Line units of Semi-Detached or Townhome dwellings
Street side setback	2.8 metres (corner, back to back, pie-shaped, panhandle); not applicable on lane and front access parcels
Accessory building setbacks	Accessory Building: front Front Building Line, side 1.2 metres, rear 1.2 metres; Detached Secondary Dwelling: front Front Building Line, interior side 1.2 metres, exterior side 2.8 metres, rear 1.2 metres
Other rules	If a Parcel has multiple Accesses, the front, exterior side and/or rear setback for a Principal Building is 5 metres Minimum separation: 3 metres between Principal Buildings; 1.5 metres between Accessory Buildings and other Structures Private Open Space is required for each Apartment or Townhome unit (5 m2 to 10 m2 depending on bedrooms)

Source: Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 (consolidated to January 2026), s. 7.6 (read 2026-11-07)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply, and a lot can have site-specific rules. The City's consolidation does not have legal force; contact City Hall to confirm the status of the bylaw. Section 7.27 (Comprehensive Development framework) sets rules for creating CD zones and is not itself a zone. Sections 7.5 and 7.9 are deleted. 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.

This zone as Markdown · JSON · all Merritt zones · Report an error