C-1A zone in Smithers: Downtown Commercial

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

In short

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 (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 Town posts the bylaw as adopted on 17 June 2025; no later amendments are folded into this PDF. Schedule A (the zoning map) is a separate PDF. 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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