---
title: "C-5 zone in Smithers: Large Scale Retail Commercial"
place: Smithers, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/smithers
zone: C-5
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-5/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/zoning/c-5.json"
---

# C-5 zone in Smithers: Large Scale Retail Commercial

To accommodate retail uses that need large sites and exposure to high traffic volume.

## Zone rules

- **Purpose:** To accommodate retail uses that need large sites and exposure to high traffic volume.
- **Main uses:** Automotive service and parts sales; Building materials and home improvement sales; Garden centres and plant nurseries; Retail sales
- **Also allowed (secondary uses):** Office use; Outdoor storage; 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)
- **Minimum lot area:** 1.2 hectares
- **Maximum lot coverage:** 40%
- **Maximum height:** 11 metres
- **Front setback:** 7.5 metres
- **Interior side setback:** 7.5 metres
- **Street side setback:** 7.5 metres
- **Other rules:** Each retail sales business must have at least 2,800 m² of floor area; each food sales business at least 2,300 m²; Financial or food service use: maximum 555 m² of floor area, entirely inside the principal building; Storage must be inside a wholly enclosed building, except for plant nurseries and garden centres

## Source

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1987 (adopted June 17, 2025), s. 5.6](https://www.smithers.ca/sites/default/files/2025-06/Town%20of%20Smithers%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20No.%201987_Deepa%20Chandran.pdf#page=62) (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-5/_