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RU2 zone in Sooke: Rural

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

In short

Varied rural uses on large rural tracts of land.

Zone rules

PurposeVaried rural uses on large rural tracts of land.
Main uses
  • Agriculture
  • Agriculture – intensive
  • Aquaculture
  • Single family dwelling
  • Duplex
  • Manufactured home
May be subject to Provincial ALC approval.
Also allowed (secondary uses)
  • Bed and breakfast
  • Boarding and lodging
  • Home-based business
  • Secondary suite
  • Small suite
  • Vacation accommodation unit
Secondary suite and small suite are subject to conditions of use.
Minimum lot area4 ha
Minimum lot width85 m
Maximum lot coverage35%; 75% where agricultural production is in greenhouses
Maximum densityPrincipal buildings by lot size: 0.4 ha or less, 1 single family dwelling or 1 manufactured home or 1 duplex; 0.41 ha – 0.799 ha, 2 single family dwellings or 2 manufactured homes or 1 duplex; 0.8 ha – 3.99 ha, 3 single family dwellings or 3 manufactured homes or 1 duplex; 4 ha – 15.99 ha, 4 single family dwellings or 4 manufactured homes or 2 duplexes; 16 ha – 31.99 ha, 5 single family dwellings or 5 manufactured homes or 2 duplexes; 32 ha or greater, 8 single family dwellings or 8 manufactured homes or 4 duplexes
Maximum height3 storeys, up to 12 m
Maximum height, accessory buildings2 storeys, up to 9 m
Front setback5 m (shared figure for principal and accessory buildings)
Rear setback6 m; 4.5 m where the rear is a lane
Interior side setback1.2 m (shared figure for principal and accessory buildings)
Street side setback5 m (shared figure for principal and accessory buildings)
Accessory building setbacksfront 5 m, flanking 5 m, side 1.2 m, rear 1.5 m, lane 0 m
Other rules
  • Farm buildings or structures must be 10 m from all lot lines (0 m from a lane); aquaculture or intensive farm buildings 30 m (10 m from a lane)
  • Intensive agriculture needs a lot of 2 hectares or more if the lot is outside the Agricultural Land Reserve or exempted by the ALC
  • A maximum of four dwelling units is permitted on lots partly or wholly in the Community Growth Area, on community water and sewer, larger than 280 m² and smaller than 4050 m², and outside the Agricultural Land Reserve
  • 1 secondary suite and 1 small suite per single family dwelling

Source: Sooke Zoning Bylaw No. 600, 2013 (unofficially consolidated, updated February 18, 2025), s. 102 (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. Consolidated for public convenience only; the original bylaw and amendments at Municipal Hall prevail. In this bylaw each zone is a numbered Schedule (101 to 815), so section is the schedule number. Sub-zones carry a letter or number suffix on the map (for example CD2-A, CD7-1). The schedule heading for Harbourside Cohousing (813) says CD12 in the document, but the zone table and the map call it CD13. 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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