---
title: "C-3 zone in Oak Bay: Village Commercial Use (sub-zones C-3 ST. 1 street level, C-3 D. 1 below street level, C-3 UP 1 above street level, C-3 SP 1 mixed use)"
place: Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/oak-bay
zone: C-3
bylaw: Zoning Bylaw 3531, 1986 (office consolidation to June 8, 2026)
bylaw_read: 2026-11-07
review: draft
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/zoning/c-3/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/zoning/c-3.json"
---

# C-3 zone in Oak Bay: Village Commercial Use (sub-zones C-3 ST. 1 street level, C-3 D. 1 below street level, C-3 UP 1 above street level, C-3 SP 1 mixed use)

Village commercial zone for the Oak Bay Avenue village, split by floor level into four sub-zones: C-3 ST. 1 (street level), C-3 D. 1 (below street level), C-3 UP 1 (above street level) and C3 SP1 (mixed use)

## Zone rules

- **Purpose:** Village commercial zone for the Oak Bay Avenue village, split by floor level into four sub-zones: C-3 ST. 1 (street level), C-3 D. 1 (below street level), C-3 UP 1 (above street level) and C3 SP1 (mixed use)
- **Main uses:** Retail use; Service business use; Restaurant use; Financial institution use (not ST. 1); Parking use (D. 1 only); Apartment use (UP 1 and SP1); Residential use (UP 1 and SP1); Real Estate Office Use (D. 1, UP 1 and SP1); Neighbourhood Public House Use (SP1 only); Liquor Retail Sale Use (SP1; in ST. 1 only on the lot listed below) (Which uses apply depends on the sub-zone; in SP1 residential and apartment use is not allowed at or below street level.)
- **Extra uses on specific lots:** C-3 ST. 1 liquor retail sale use: Lot A, Sections 23 and 69, Victoria District, Plan 42273 (maximum 215 sq. m floor area)
- **Minimum lot area:** 558 sq. m
- **Maximum lot coverage:** 50% (street level and above street level sub-zones); 61% (SP1 mixed use)
- **Maximum height:** Street level (ST. 1): 4.00 m. Above street level (UP 1): 7.32 m. Mixed use (SP1): 7.32 m
- **Front setback:** 2.00 m
- **Rear setback:** 0.00 m; 7.62 m (25 feet) where the rear lot line abuts an R or RM Zone
- **Interior side setback:** 0.00 m; 2 m (6 feet) where the side lot line abuts an R or RM Zone
- **Street side setback:** 2.00 m (all lot lines abutting a street)
- **Other rules:** A principal use may not use more than 15 m of frontage on Oak Bay Avenue; Restaurant area limited to 200 sq. m; Accessory buildings are prohibited in the mixed use sub-zone (SP1); Minimum dwelling unit areas for apartments: one-bedroom 56 sq. m, two-bedroom 70 sq. m, three-bedroom 84 sq. m

## Source

- [Zoning Bylaw 3531, 1986 (office consolidation to June 8, 2026), s. Part 9](https://www.oakbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/3531-Oak-Bay-Zoning-Bylaw-Consolidated.pdf#page=125) (read 2026-11-07)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply. All zones in Oak Bay: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/zoning/index.json

_Draft: taken from the bylaw text by a research agent and not yet reviewed by a person. Gov Handbook is an independent guide. Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/zoning/c-3/_