The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) is inviting community members and businesses to provide input on the new Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw (CZB) aimed at consolidating and modernizing the region’s nine existing zoning bylaws. This streamlined bylaw will make land use regulations more efficient, consistent, and easier to navigate for residents, developers, and businesses.
Why Update Zoning Bylaws?
A zoning bylaw is a set of rules that specify how land can and cannot be used. In the CVRD, zoning bylaws are enacted by the CVRD Board through authority by the Local Government Act.
Zoning bylaws regulate:
- Use of land, buildings, and other structures
- Density, or the number of homes that can be built on one property
- Sitting and size of buildings and other structures, including height and setbacks from property lines
- Location of uses on the land and within buildings and other structures
- Shape, dimensions, and area of all parcels of land created by subdivision, which includes minimum parcel sizes
The power to regulate through a zoning bylaw also includes the power for local governments to prohibit uses in a zone.
Zoning bylaws are the practical tools that help implement the vision outlined in the CVRD Official Community Plan (OCP). The CVRD is also finalizing its Modernized Official Community Plan (MOCP) and the Zoning Bylaw is being updated to align with its goals and policies. The CZB will better align with the goals outlined in the MOCP and integrate other bylaws such as sign, campground, and parking standards, creating a single, clear document for all electoral areas.
How to Participate
Residents and businesses can share their thoughts through an online survey available until November 8, 2024.
For more information, view the full CVRD news release.