A1: Agriculture

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One single family home on a lot, with at most one secondary suite: 2 homes (s. 6.1.3). The bylaw lists the home as an accessory use, alongside agriculture, a park or a community garden as the principal use, and counts farming as principal only where it covers at least 30% of the lot under an agriculture plan the City accepts (s. 6.1.2). Whether a house may stand on a lot with no farm, park or garden is unclear: ask the City. In the ALR the Agricultural Land Commission's rules also apply

Main uses

Agriculture, a community garden, a park (in the ALR only as the Agricultural Land Commission allows); secondary agri-tourism and events (ALR farms only, no permanent facilities, no visitor accommodation), animal care off the ALR (kennels, wildlife refuges and shelters for abandoned livestock, at most 5 dogs or livestock), farm stands off the ALR (up to 30 m²); accessory agricultural processing, farm retail and a lounge with an alcohol production facility (ALR only, up to 125 m² inside and 125 m² outside), one house, a secondary suite, boarders, home-based child care, home occupations, short-term rental (off the ALR only) (ss. 6.1.2, 6.1.3)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

Outside the ALR 5,000 m², 37 m wide; in the ALR 220,000 m² (22 ha), 114 m wide; a lot partly in the ALR takes the larger; not applied when lots are consolidated (ss. 6.1.4, 6.1.4.1)

Lot coverage

The house and its accessory buildings together at most 250 m² of the lot, detached accessory buildings at most 60 m², and at most 500 m² of floor area in all (crawlspaces and attics not counted); buildings a farm needs aren't limited. In the ALR, agricultural processing at most 2,000 m² of the lot, farm retail 2,000 m² (all own produce) or 300 m² (at least half from the farm or its co-operative). The district sets no permeable share (ss. 6.1.3, 6.1.4, 6.1.4.2; Part 4-4.3)

Height limit

House 10.5 m and 2.5 storeys; accessory buildings 4.0 m and one storey; buildings a farm needs 15 m. Measured from the average grade along the front wall to the middle of a sloping roof (ss. 6.1.4, 6.1.5.1)

Setbacks

House and accessory buildings: street at least 3.0 m and at most 9.0 m (the maximum from at least one street), lane, sides and rear 1.5 m; beside an R district lot, the smaller of that lot's own setback and 3.0 m, never under 1.5 m. Buildings a farm needs: street 3.0 m, lane, sides and rear 1.5 m, but livestock buildings 10 m from every lot line, and mushroom growing on manure, cannabis production, silos, incinerators and manure or waste storage 24 m. Kennels 24 m from every lot line and 9 m from a home on the lot (ss. 6.1.3, 6.1.4, 6.1.4.3)

The district is for farming and its secondary and accessory uses, in and out of the Agricultural Land Reserve; on ALR land the Agricultural Land Commission Act, its regulations and the Commission's orders apply over this bylaw (s. 6.1.1).

Distances from streams, channelized streams and ditches: 30 m for seasonal feeding areas, field storage of farm solid waste over 2 weeks and confined livestock areas of more than 10 units (455 kg of live weight each); 15 m for farm solid and liquid waste storage, chemical, compost and wood waste storage, composting, silos, incinerators, mushroom barns and smaller livestock areas; other farm buildings 15 m from a stream, 10 m from a channelized stream and 5.0 m from a ditch (s. 6.1.4.4).

Off the ALR, beehives on a lot under 2,000 m² are limited to two hives and two nucleus colonies in the rear yard; abattoirs and alcohol production aren't allowed, and other processing uses at least 10% produce from the lot. In the ALR an abattoir stands 150 m from homes on other lots (s. 6.1.3).

Short-term rental isn't allowed on a lot in the ALR (s. 6.1.3). Off it, only in the principal residence of an owner on title, never in the suite, an accessory building or a home with boarders, child care or a home occupation with clients on site; in a home with a suite, only while the suite is rented to a long-term tenant for 30 days or more (Part 6-3.3).

On land in the Fraser River flood plain (the regional plan's flood plain map), buildings with rooms for living, business or storing goods floodwater would damage stand at least 60 m from the river's natural boundary, with the underside of the floor no lower than a line rising from 3.392 m (geodetic) at Boundary Road to 4.002 m at Fenwick Street (Part 4-4.1). Whether a lot is in it we don't check here: see the floodplain section and ask the City.

Smallest homes: a secondary suite 32.52 m², a studio 37 m², one bedroom 56 m², two bedrooms 90 m², three bedrooms 111 m² (Part 4-3.2.2).

A secondary suite: at most one in each primary home (in small-scale multi-unit housing, a rowhouse or a townhouse), wholly inside it, at least 32.52 m², never on a title of its own; no boarders, child care centre or home occupation with clients on site in a home that has one (a licensed home-based child care may run in the suite where it has no inside door to the main home) (Part 6-3.1, Part 4-3.2.2).

Boarding: at most 2 boarders or lodgers in a home, for 30 days or more at a time (Part 2).

Home occupations: no outside sign of the business, no manufacturing or welding, no outside storage, residents only (one employee for a home-based child care), at most one customer and one customer vehicle at a time (Part 6-3.4).

Uses the district doesn't list aren't allowed (Part 1, s. 4.1), besides transit, public utilities, civic facilities and public parks, allowed everywhere (Part 6-1.4).

Parts 4 (general regulations), 6 (use-specific regulations) and 7 (parking) of the bylaw also apply.

Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the City of Burnaby's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Part 3, Section 6.1 of Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 2026, No. 14815 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – Burnaby.