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RU3 zone in Sooke: Small Scale Agriculture

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

In short

Small scale agricultural uses of land.

Zone rules

PurposeSmall scale agricultural uses of land.
Main uses
  • Agriculture
  • Agriculture – intensive
  • Aquaculture
  • Single family dwelling
  • Manufactured home
  • Duplex
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
Extra uses on specific lots
  • PID 025-686-054 (Lot E, Sections 27, 28, and 29, Sooke District, Plan VIP75447): the only permitted uses are agriculture and park
  • Lot A, Sections 7 and 11, Sooke District, Plan 31841: Community Care Facility is a permitted use, subject to ALC approvals
Minimum lot area4 ha
Minimum lot width60 m
Maximum lot coverage35%; 75% where agricultural production is in greenhouses
Maximum density2 dwelling units per lot
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
  • 1 principal building per lot; 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. 103 (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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