DT7: Quennell Square

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Multi-family homes, a house, live/work units, a rooming house and an accessory home, within the floor area allowed; the zone sets no count of homes. A house that is the only use on the lot may have a secondary suite; boarders at most two (ss. 11.2.1, 11.2.3)

Main uses

Mostly homes, with offices, shops and services: retail, restaurants, a neighbourhood pub, a lounge, offices, financial institutions, personal services, a pharmacy, an internet centre, a hotel, a convention centre, a library, cultural facilities, an artist studio, assembly halls, clubs, religious institutions, recreation, a university or college, a commercial school, a court of law, a funeral parlour, a veterinary clinic, printing and publishing, auto sales and rental (at most 4 vehicles displayed or stored outside), a personal care facility, a social service resource centre, daycare, a pawn shop (300 m from another), a seasonal public market, parking, electric vehicle charging; homes as above; a home-based business, boarders, a secondary suite and short-term rental as accessory uses (ss. 11.2.1, 11.2.3)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

370 m², 12 m wide, 30 m deep; a watercourse leave strip doesn't count toward the area (ss. 11.4.1, 11.4.2)

Lot coverage

100%; floor area 2.3 times the lot area, 0.2 and 0.25 more for Schedule D's Tier 1 and Tier 2 amenities, and more again for parking under the building (ss. 11.3.1, 11.3.3, 11.7.1)

Height limit

14 m (s. 11.7.1)

Setbacks

Front 4.6 m, sides 1.8 m, flanking side 4.6 m, rear 7.5 m; 2.5 m more beside a major road not yet widened; no parking between the street and the building's front; Part 6's watercourse setbacks also apply (ss. 11.5.1, 11.5.3, 11.5.4, 11.6.1)

The zone is for homes with some compatible offices, shops, culture, recreation, institutions and services, built to suit its neighbours' streetscape, open space, views, sunlight and privacy (s. 11.1).

Unlike most downtown zones, DT7 keeps yards on every side, the rear 7.5 m (s. 11.5.1). No overnight storage of commercial vehicles over 8,600 kg in parking lots or parkades (s. 11.6.2).

Some lots the bylaw names have their own uses, floor area or height (ss. 11.2.4, 11.3.2, 11.7.2); whether a lot is one of them, ask the City.

A home here is most often in a strata building: what an owner may do with it is in the strata's bylaws as well, so read them.

Secondary suites: one per home; a house with no other main use may have two, one of them in an accessory building (not in R2 or R3). A suite inside a house is at most 40% of the house's living space and 100 m². One in an accessory building only on an R5 or R14 lot, a corner, through or lane lot, or a lot of 500 m² or more; never on its own title, with 30 m² of private outdoor space, and no bigger than the zone lets an accessory building be, up to 100 m² (s. 6.15).

Short-term rental (stays under 30 days) only in the operator's own primary residence, the whole home or rooms; one per lot where the home has suites (s. 6.16).

Part 6 (general regulations: accessory buildings, watercourse setbacks, flood levels, fences, home businesses) also applies.

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 Nanaimo's planning and development department before you buy or build.

Source: Part 11 of City of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 4500 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-06); zone map: Open Government Licence – Nanaimo.