VC: Village Centre

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Apartment buildings and townhouses, and dwelling units alongside a business, with no count set beyond the floor area ratio (ss. 13.1.1, 13.1.5); along 7th Avenue west of 7th Street, no homes on the ground floor (ss. 13.1.9, 13.1.10)

Main uses

An alcohol production facility (with an eating and drinking area of at least a quarter of its floor area), apartment buildings, an art gallery, an artisan studio, assembly, a cannabis retail store (none within 1,000 m of another), a child care centre, restaurants and bars, an educational facility, funeral services, a hotel, indoor recreation, a library, a mobile business, a museum, offices, personal services, retail stores, townhouses; dwelling units and accessory buildings (ss. 13.1.1, 13.1.10)

Exceptions (2)

• A service industry establishment (no heavy equipment or farm machinery sales, rental or repair, custodial services, metal or woodworking, or plumbing and heating) on two lots the bylaw names
• A motel of at least four rooms, with cooking in the rooms and monthly rentals allowed, on one lot the bylaw names

Listed in s. 13.1.11 of the bylaw.

Smallest lot for a subdivision

0.1 ha on Village sewer, 1 ha without; 4.5 m wide (ss. 13.1.2, 13.1.3)

Lot coverage

100%; floor area at most 3.0 times the lot (ss. 13.1.5, 13.1.8)

Height limit

12 m; accessory buildings 5 m (s. 13.1.7)

Setbacks

None from the front or sides; from the rear 6 m beside a residential zone (3 m with a lane between), none beside other zones; accessory buildings the same (s. 13.1.6)

The zone is the village's mixed shops-and-homes centre (s. 13.1's intent).

Homes in the zone each have their own door from outside and share no hallway with a business (s. 13.1.9).

Parking: the Table 9.2.1 rates, with commercial uses needing half as many spaces here (s. 9.4); required spaces may be on another lot within 150 m held by a covenant and easement (s. 9.3), or the owner may pay $5,000 a space not provided (s. 9.5).

Cannabis may be sold only in this zone (s. 6.2.5).

The bylaw doesn't list short-term rental of a home as a use in this zone; a hotel is listed. Ask the Village of Keremeos before renting a home here by the night.

Floodplain (s. 8): living space at or above the provincial map's flood level along the Similkameen River, or 1.5 m above any other watercourse; no building within 30 m of the Similkameen's natural boundary, 7.5 m of the dyke's toe or a lake, or 15 m of another watercourse.

Only the uses the zone lists are allowed (s. 5.4).

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 Village of Keremeos's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 13.1 of Village of Keremeos Zoning Bylaw No. 851 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-06); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District Okanagan Similkameen.