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M1 zoning in BC
M1 (also written M-1) means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial M1 zone. 14 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 14 local governments. It goes by 5 names: Light Industrial (6 bylaws), General Industrial (4 bylaws), Industrial (2 bylaws), Clean Industrial and 1 more. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
M1 in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Shuswap Regional District Light Industrial · South Shuswap Zoning Bylaw No. 701 | One caretaker's dwelling | 1 ha | Not set | Not set |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Marine – Restricted · SweetWater Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2127, 2009 | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | Not set | None set in the zone |
| City of Coquitlam General Industrial · City of Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No. 3000, 1996 | No homes except one caretaker's unit for an employee, inside the principal building, at most 60 m², and only on a lot of 8,100 m² or more (s. 1901(2), (3)(c), (4)) | No minimum lot size set in the zone, except 8,100 m² for a caretaker's unit (s. 1901(4)). Subdivision without City water and sewer: at least 1.25 ha (0.4 ha with City water but no sewer) (s. 602(2)) | None set (s. 1901(6)); floor area at most 1.5 times the lot area (s. 1901(5)) | Buildings six storeys; other structures 19 m; stored goods and materials 3.7 m, stacked shipping containers 8.8 m (s. 1901(10)) |
| City of Cranbrook Clean Industrial · City of Cranbrook Zoning Bylaw No. 3977, 2019 | No house: one security suite, built into the main building, is the only home the zone allows (ss. 7.20.2(c), 7.20.4, 7.20.7(e)); mobile homes are prohibited (s. 7.20.8)Exceptions (1)
Listed in ss. 7.20.1(y), 7.20.2(e) of the bylaw. | 1,115 m², at least 15.0 m along the street (s. 7.20.3) | 50% (s. 7.20.6(b)) | 12.0 m (s. 7.20.6(a)) |
| City of Fort St. John Light Industrial · City of Fort St. John Zoning Bylaw No. 2470, 2019 | No homes except one caretaker suite with a business on the lot (ss. 22.2.2, 4.19)Exceptions (1)
Listed in s. 22.2.1(aa) of the bylaw. | 555 m², 15.0 m wide (s. 22.3) | 100% (s. 22.3) | 15.0 m (s. 22.3) |
| Village of Lytton Light Industrial · Village of Lytton Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 | One house, only as an integral part of the industrial use (s. 11.3) | 2,000 m² on a community sewer, 4,000 m² without; 30 m wide | 40% | Buildings with a home 7.2 m; the zone sets no other height limit |
| City of Merritt Light Industrial · City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 | A security or operator suite; with the City's approval, one home per industrial unit or bay | 450 m², 15 m wide, 30 m deep | 75% | 22 m; accessory buildings 16 m |
| Town of Oliver General Industrial · Town of Oliver Zoning Bylaw No. 1423 | One home (dwelling unit) a lot, as an accessory use, at least 30 m² and at most 125 m² or a quarter of the floor area of all the lot's buildings, whichever is less (ss. 16.1.1, 16.1.5, 16.1.10) | 0.1 ha on Town sewer, 1.0 ha without; 30.0 m wide; no depth set (ss. 16.1.2 to 16.1.4) | 60%; no floor area ratio set (ss. 16.1.6, 16.1.9) | 15.0 m; accessory buildings 5.0 m (s. 16.1.8) |
| City of Penticton General Industrial · City of Penticton Zoning Bylaw No. 2024-22 | One security or operator home (up to 100 m²) | 1,000 m², 20 m wide | Not set | 15 m |
| City of Port Coquitlam General Industrial · City of Port Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630 | None, but a caretaker's home accessory to a commercial indoor storage business, at most 140 m² or 33% of the business's floor area, whichever is less (Table 4.3 and its notes) | 1,200 m², 15 m wide, 9 m of frontage, 30 m deep (Table 4.2) | None set for buildings; impervious surfaces at most 80% of the lot (Table 4.4) | None set in the zone (Table 4.4) |
| City of Port Moody Light Industrial · City of Port Moody Zoning Bylaw, 2018, No. 2937 | No house: the only home the zone allows is the one an Artist Studio – Type B may hold (a studio for loud, messy or hazardous art work with up to one home), a secondary use (s. 12.1.2; s. 4) | 1,858 m², 27.4 m wide (ss. 3.2, 12.1.7) | None set; no floor area ratio set (s. 12.1.3) | 8.0 m; one accessory building 4.5 m and at most 10% of the lot (ss. 12.1.3, 12.1.6(f)) |
| City of Prince George Light Industrial · City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 | One residential security/operator unit, inside a main building or in a house or manufactured home (ss. 12.1.3, 12.1.7) | 600 m², 18.0 m wide (s. 12.1.5) | 80% (s. 12.1.6) | 12.0 m (s. 12.1.6) |
| District of Saanich Industrial · District of Saanich Zoning Bylaw No. 8200 | No house: at most one home, for the owner, operator, manager or caretaker of the use it serves (accessory residential, ss. 901.1, 2) | No minimum set in the zone | None set in the zone | 10.0 m (s. 901.2(b)) |
| City of Vancouver Industrial · Zoning and Development By-law No. 3575 | No homes, except a caretaker's home where it is essential to the business, and a home with a Class B artist studio in floor space that stood on February 26, 2013 (additions up to 10%); both conditional (ss. 2.1, 2.2.3, 2.2.4) | None set in the district (our reading) | None set. Floor space ratio 5.00 for manufacturing, transportation and storage and Class A wholesaling; 1.00 for all other uses together, with shops at most 1,000 m² and general offices at most 235 m² or a quarter of the floor area, whichever is more (s. 3.1.1.1) | 30.5 m; the Director of Planning or Development Permit Board may allow more. Accessory buildings 3.7 m (4.6 m at the peak), at most 10% of the lot together (ss. 2.2.9, 3.1.2.1, 3.1.2.4) |
Listed by local government, not ranked. "Not set" means the zone itself sets no figure; general rules elsewhere in its bylaw may still apply. Each zone's page has its uses, setbacks and the bylaw's sections.
Two lots both zoned M1 under different bylaws can allow quite different things, and provincial law sets a floor of homes on most house zones in towns (how many homes can I build?). Site-specific exceptions, development permit areas and the ALR apply on top. Find the lot's own zone with the search above, then confirm with the local government before you buy or build.
Sources: each zone's bylaw, linked from its page, summarised in our words. Other councils' zones aren't here: the zoning we cover.