---
title: "C-1A zone in Smithers: Downtown Commercial"
place: Smithers, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/smithers
zone: C-1A
bylaw: Zoning Bylaw No. 1987 (adopted June 17, 2025)
bylaw_read: 2026-11-07
review: draft
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/zoning/c-1a/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/zoning/c-1a.json"
---

# C-1A zone in Smithers: Downtown Commercial

To accommodate a broader mix of retail, business and office uses, together with residential development, within Downtown Smithers.

## Zone rules

- **Purpose:** To accommodate a broader mix of retail, business and office uses, together with residential development, within Downtown Smithers.
- **Main uses:** Bank; Club, fraternal lodge; Public or private school, college; Restaurant; Premises licensed for consumption of alcoholic beverages; Entertainment establishment; Funeral home, undertaking establishment; Institutional use; Medical, health service centre; Offices for business, professional services; Off-street parking, including parking garage; Open-air produce market; Personal service establishment; Hotel; Printing, publishing; Retail sales; Studio, including artist, display, music, radio, recording, television, photographic; Wholesale sales; On-site manufacture and sale of hand crafted small goods when totally contained; Plant nursery and sale of garden supplies; Animal hospital and veterinary facility, when totally contained in a building; Rescue mission; Youth centre; Microbrewery; Cannabis retail sales
- **Also allowed (secondary uses):** Residential use (front part of ground floor used only for permitted principal uses); Minor group home (front part of ground floor used only for permitted principal uses); Swimming pool; Auction of goods sold in respect of the principal use; Storage and minor repairs of goods sold in respect of the principal use; Short-term rental (ground floor used only for permitted principal uses)
- **Extra uses on specific lots:** 3876 Second Avenue (Lots 5-7, Block 95, Plan PRP1054, District Lot 5289, Range 5, Coast Range 5 Land District): short-term rental permitted from the ground floor as an auxiliary use to the principal use at the front
- **Minimum lot area:** No minimum
- **Minimum lot width:** 7 metres
- **Maximum lot coverage:** 100% for all buildings and structures
- **Maximum height:** 3 storeys or 12 metres, whichever is less
- **Other rules:** C-1A Residential Overlay (Figure 5.2): properties in the overlay may also be used for single-detached dwelling, semi-detached dwelling, townhouse, houseplex and group home (minor and major), with secondary suite, carriage home, short term rental and bed and breakfast; Ground-floor dwelling limited to one unit, at the rear of the principal building; All storage areas must be at the rear of the parcel; Residential parking must be accessed from the lane and located at the rear or side of the parcel

## Source

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1987 (adopted June 17, 2025), s. 5.2](https://www.smithers.ca/sites/default/files/2025-06/Town%20of%20Smithers%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20No.%201987_Deepa%20Chandran.pdf#page=51) (read 2026-11-07)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply. All zones in Smithers: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/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/smithers/zoning/c-1a/_