PlaceDossier / Zoning / Zone codes
P-2 zoning in BC
P-2 (also written P2) means whatever the bylaw that zones the lot says: there is no provincial P-2 zone. 23 bylaws we've summarised use it, from 17 local governments. It goes by 12 names: Parks and Open Space (8 bylaws), Institutional (4 bylaws), Parks and Recreation (2 bylaws), Administration, Public Service and Assembly and 8 more. What it allows is below, bylaw by bylaw.
P-2 in each bylaw
| Local government | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · SweetWater Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2127, 2009 | One dwelling, accessory to a use on the lot (ss. 1.18(2), 4.11(2)); a detached one up to 9 m tall, with the setbacks of the main use (ss. 1.11(4), 1.12(3)) | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · Wycliffe Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2256, 2010 | One dwelling, accessory to a use on the lot: a manufactured home on a non-permanent foundation, or a self-contained unit built into the main building above the first storey or behind the main use, with its own outside door (s. 1.18(3)) | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · South Country Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2320, 2011 | One dwelling, accessory to a use on the lot: a manufactured home on a non-permanent foundation, or a self-contained unit built into the main building above the first storey or behind the main use, with its own outside door (the zone; s. 1.18(3)) | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · Electoral Area E Zoning and Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2502, 2014 | One dwelling, accessory to a use on the lot: a manufactured home on a non-permanent foundation, or a self-contained unit built into the main building above the first storey or behind the main use, with its own outside door (the zone; s. 1.18(3)) | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · Steeples Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2615, 2015 | One dwelling, accessory to a use on the lot: a manufactured home up to 5 m tall on a non-permanent foundation, or a self-contained unit built into the main building above the first storey or behind the main use, with its own outside door (s. 1.11(3)) (the zone; s. 1.18(4)) | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · Electoral Area C South Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2913, 2019 | One dwelling, accessory to a use on the lot: a manufactured home on a non-permanent foundation, or a self-contained unit built into the main building above the first storey or behind the main use, with its own outside door (s. 1.18(4)) | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| Regional District of East Kootenay Parks and Open Space · Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 3255, 2023 | One dwelling, accessory to a park use | None set in the zone | Not set | Not set for park buildings; a detached dwelling 10 m, a manufactured home 5 m |
| Thompson-Nicola Regional District Institutional · TNRD Zoning Bylaw No. 2400, 2012 | A caretaker's home | 1,000 m² | Not set | Not set |
| City of Abbotsford Park, Open Space and School Zone · City of Abbotsford Zoning Bylaw No. 2400-2014 | One accessory home for a caretaker or manager | Not set | 20% | 12.2 m; accessory buildings 4.6 m |
| District of Barriere Institutional · District of Barriere Zoning Bylaw No. 111 | NoneExceptions (1)
Listed in s. 15.1 of the bylaw. | 1,000 m² | No maximum | No maximum |
| City of Burnaby Institutional · Burnaby Zoning Bylaw 2026, No. 14815 | Institutional homes: non-market rental housing, supportive and transitional housing, congregate housing, dormitories and aftercare and rehabilitation centres, up to 6 storeys; home occupations in them. No houses, townhouses or market apartments unless an R overlay district is zoned on the lot (ss. 5.2.2, 5.2.4) | None set in the district; subdivision goes to the City's Approving Officer (our reading) | None set in the district; at least 20% of the lot left permeable, shown on a landscape architect's plan (Part 4-4.3) | 8 storeys; a cemetery 4, institutional homes 6, a post-secondary campus 12 (on all its land), a hospital 20; more where a residential overlay district is zoned on the lot (s. 5.2.4) |
| District of Clearwater Institutional · District of Clearwater Zoning Bylaw No. 133, 2016 | Senior citizen housing; one caretaker home | 1,000 m² on community water and sewer, 2,000 m² on community water only, 1 ha with neither | No maximum | No maximum |
| Village of Clinton Parks and Recreation · Village of Clinton Zoning Bylaw No. 607, 2025 | None | No minimum area; 15 m wide | 30% | 12 m |
| City of Coquitlam Special Institutional · City of Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw No. 3000, 1996 | No ordinary homes. One home for the owner or operator of a business, or the leader of a place of worship, on the lot (accessory single-detached residential); congregate housing and care (licensed care, assisted living or supportive housing units with shared dining or care services), with supportive housing units at most a third of its units; a private hospital, which may be seniors' housing or a convalescent home (s. 2002(2), (3)(b); Part 2) | No minimum set in the zone; an assembly use needs at least 555 m² (s. 2002(4)). Subdivision without City water and sewer: at least 1.25 ha (0.4 ha with City water but no sewer) (s. 602(2)) | Buildings and structures 40%; parking 95% (s. 2002(6)); floor area at most 1.2 times the lot area (s. 2002(5)) | 11.0 m; the accessory home 7.3 m, or 11.0 m with a roof pitched 3 in 12 or more over at least 80% of the roof (s. 2002(10)) |
| City of Cranbrook Community Recreation · City of Cranbrook Zoning Bylaw No. 3977, 2019 | No house: one home accessory to a use the zone lists (ss. 7.24.2(a), 7.24.3) | No minimum set in the zone; a lot under 2.0 ha is connected to City sewer (s. 5.01.4) | No limit set in the zone | 20.0 m (s. 7.24.5) |
| Township of Esquimalt Parks and Open Space · Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No. 2050 | None: the zone lists no homes (s. 59(1)) | None set in the zone | None set in the zone | 6 m for any building (s. 59(2)) |
| City of Kamloops Places of Worship · City of Kamloops Zoning Bylaw No. 55, 2021 | One accessory home (up to 2 storeys); at most one residential unit on the lot | 1,114 m², 23 m wide | 50% for main buildings; accessory buildings together 12% of the lot up to 112 m² | Places of worship 12 m; the accessory home 2 storeys; other accessory buildings 4 m |
| City of Kelowna Education and Minor Institutional · City of Kelowna Zoning Bylaw No. 12375 | Apartments, and a security or operator home, as secondary uses | 660 m², 18 m wide, 30 m deep (s. 14.10) | 40% for buildings; 60% for buildings, structures and hard surfaces (s. 14.12) | 3 storeys and 13.5 m; 1.0 FAR; a P2 lot in an urban centre takes that centre's base density and height (s. 14.14) |
| District of Lake Country Administration, Public Service and Assembly · District of Lake Country Zoning Bylaw 561, 2007 | No house: congregate housing (sleeping units with shared living space, meals, laundry and cleaning), a major group home and temporary shelters are listed, and one residential security operator unit (a home for a caretaker, operator or staff on the site) as a secondary use, at most one a site (s. 18.2; definitions in s. 3.3) | 700 m², 18.0 m wide, 30.0 m deep (s. 18.2) | 50% for buildings, 75% with parking and roads; floor area ratio 2.0 (s. 18.2) | 13.5 m or 3 storeys (s. 18.2) |
| Village of Lytton Preservation · Village of Lytton Zoning Bylaw No. 484, 1998 | None | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| City of Merritt Institutional and Public Use · City of Merritt Zoning Bylaw No. 2284, 2020 | Homes for staff, such as a church manse; a security or operator suite | 450 m², 15 m wide, 30 m deep | 85% | 22 m or 5 storeys |
| City of Penticton Parks and Recreation · City of Penticton Zoning Bylaw No. 2024-22 | None: the zone lists no dwelling | 560 m², 15 m wide | 40% | 16 m |
| City of Prince George Minor Institutional · City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 | No house: one residential security/operator unit, a home inside a building for a caretaker, operator or staff, as a secondary use (s. 13.2.3; definition in s. 2.3); community care facilities (licensed residential care) are principal uses (s. 13.2.2) | 1,000 m², 20.0 m wide (s. 13.2.4) | 40% (s. 13.2.5) | 12.0 m (s. 13.2.5) |
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 P-2 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.