C-1: General Commercial

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Homes in the commercial building, on or above the business's floor with their own entrance; on a lot over 0.8 ha, one detached house

Main uses

Shops including convenience stores, cannabis retail, restaurant, hotel or motel, offices, personal services, assembly, civic and funeral uses, entertainment, public market, service station, parking lot; homes

Smallest lot for a subdivision

500 m² on community water and sewer, 2,000 m² on community water only, 1 ha with neither; 15 m of frontage

Lot coverage

60%, all buildings together

Height limit

Main building 15 m, accessory buildings 6 m

Setbacks

Front 0 m (accessory buildings 6 m), interior sides 3 m, exterior side 4.5 m, rear 5 m; a detached house 3 m from the commercial building

Whether a lot over 0.8 ha may have homes in the commercial building as well as the detached house. Section 9.1.2(o) allows homes in the building "except on lots greater than 0.8 ha", where one house may stand apart, so this is unclear; ask the District of Clearwater.

No vehicle or machinery sales lots (s. 9.1.4). A veterinary clinic is also allowed at 205E Old North Thompson Highway (s. 9.1.3, Bylaw 317).

Mostly governed by the official community plan's development permit rules (s. 9.1.1).

Parking (Table 3): homes 1.3 spaces each plus 0.2 for visitors; shops 1 per 20 m²; offices 1 per 30 m²; restaurants 1 per 4 indoor seats (at least 3, for staff) plus 1 per 12 seasonal outdoor seats; hotels 1 per room.

The bylaw doesn't mention short-term rental. This zone allows traveller accommodation (s. 2.2: short stays in a motel, hotel, hostel or cabins); whether renting out a home by the night counts as that is unclear; ask the District of Clearwater.

A landscape plan by a landscape architect, designer or certified arborist comes with any building or development permit worth $50,000 or more (s. 5.12.1); garbage bins of 1 m³ or more are screened 2.5 m tall (s. 5.12.5).

Next to a residential lot, the setbacks along the shared lot line are landscaped or screened at least 1.5 m tall on this lot (s. 5.12.4).

Shipping containers (s. 5.26) as accessory buildings: up to two 40 ft or four 20 ft per lot, screened, at accessory building setbacks.

Nothing but a sign within 4.5 m of a provincial controlled access highway (s. 5.8.1).

Development within a riparian assessment area of a stream follows the provincial Riparian Areas Regulation's setbacks (s. 5.8.3).

On ALR land, the Agricultural Land Commission's rules come first: no extra home, duplex, carriage suite or garden suite without its approval, and agri-tourism lodging of up to four rooms (s. 4.4). Licensed cannabis production is allowed on ALR land in any zone, on a lot of 8 ha or more (s. 5.23.1).

Every zone also allows community gardens, municipal parks, utilities, rooftop solar and accessory uses of the zone's main uses, off ALR land (s. 5.2); beekeeping under the Animal Control Bylaw (s. 5.28).

Height is measured from the average finished grade to the highest point, leaving out chimneys, antennas and rooftop equipment (s. 2.2).

Minimum lot sizes apply to new lots. A lot for a relative's home under s. 514 of the Local Government Act is 8,000 m² (s. 5.3(e)).

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 District of Clearwater's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: District of Clearwater Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Thompson-Nicola Regional District.