RTH3: Residential Townhouse 3

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Townhouses, at most one home per 220 m² of lot (s. 2.5.7)

Exceptions (2)

• Other densities, from about one home per 140 m² to one per 300 m², or a fixed number of homes, on about a dozen sites and strata developments the bylaw names
• On several of those sites more homes in return for a payment to a City amenity fund or land given for a stream reserve

Listed in s. 2.5.7 of the bylaw.

Main uses

Townhouses, boarding (at most two boarders a home, stays of 90 days or more), parks and playgrounds, child care, home businesses (Table 2.3)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

1,000 m², 30 m wide, 18 m of frontage, 28 m deep (Table 2.2)

Lot coverage

40% (Table 2.4)

Height limit

10.5 m (Table 2.4); accessory buildings 3 m to 4.8 m by roof slope (Section III, s. 2-7)

Setbacks

Front 7.5 m, sides 1.8 m (3.5 m for a wall with a window to a habitable room), street side 3.5 m, rear 7.5 m (Table 2.4, Note 9)

The zone is for ground-oriented attached homes in a compact form (Table 2.1). It sets no floor area ratio.

Each home needs at least 30 m² of usable open space (s. 2.5.9). A development of more than 10 homes needs a quarter of them family-oriented and one in twenty with three or more bedrooms (s. 2.5.16).

Home businesses in a townhouse: at most two people working, both living there, no personal services or pet grooming, five visits a day (Section III, s. 5-3). Child care up to 8 children in a home (Section III, s. 8-3).

Short-term rental is a home business only in the A and RS zones (Section III, s. 5-4), so not here; ask the City.

Accessory buildings (garages, carports, sheds): together at most 12% of the lot or 90 m², whichever is less; 7.5 m deep; 3 m high with a flat or low roof, up to 4.8 m to the peak of a roof of 6 in 12 or steeper; not in the front setback or the side setbacks, 1.2 m from the rear line or a lane, 1.5 m from the house if over 10 m²; nobody lives in them, and a sink and toilet but no shower or bath (Section III, ss. 2-3 to 2-8).

In the flood plain no habitable room goes below the flood construction level (Schedule B); a house in an RS zone there has at most a 10 m² entry, a 10 m² laundry or mechanical room and a garage below it, the rest crawl space (Section III, s. 1).

No home on a lot under 0.4 ha that isn't on community water and sewer; no mobile homes (Section II, s. 6).

Uses the zone doesn't list aren't allowed (Section II, s. 5).

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 Port Coquitlam's development services department before you buy or build.

Source: Section II, Part 2 of City of Port Coquitlam Zoning Bylaw, 2008, No. 3630 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – City of Port Coquitlam.