RS-2(B): Resort Residential (Multi-Family)

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One house plus a secondary suite or a guest house, or one duplex, or apartments up to 30 units per hectare of usable site; employee housing for the resort

Main uses

House, duplex, apartments, employee accommodation, community hall, helipad; security gate house; home occupation in a house or duplex

Smallest lot for a subdivision

800 m² for a house or duplex (each half of a split duplex 400 m²), 1,000 m² for apartments; a garage suite or guest house needs 2,023 m²

Lot coverage

35%

Height limit

House or duplex 9 m, apartments, employee housing and the hall 16 m, guest house 7.5 m, other accessory buildings 5 m

Setbacks

3 m from every lot line (4.5 m beside a road)

Every building must be on community water and community sewer.

A guest house has no kitchen, at most 80 m² and two bedrooms (ss. 3.04, 4.21).

Apartments need 1 parking space per unit with up to two bedrooms, 1.5 with three or more; the spaces may be on another RS-2(B) or MG-1(A) lot.

Employee accommodation is for people working at the resort (some off-season rental to others is allowed), with indoor storage for each resident and laundry.

A house or duplex is at least 5.5 m wide in every direction (not counting additions).

Secondary suite (s. 4.16): one per lot, at most 49% of the house's living space, or above the first storey of a detached garage (70 m² on lots under 0.4 ha, 90 m² on 0.4 ha or more; the garage up to 7.5 m tall, 7.5 m from the front, 3 m from the rear and 1.5 m from the sides, 4.5 m beside a road). On approved sewage disposal, never strata-titled, and not in a manufactured home; no garage suite on a lot with a duplex or another extra dwelling.

Home occupation (s. 4.05): run by the family living on the lot with at most one outside helper, inside the house or an accessory building, and at most 185 m² in all. On lots of 2 ha or more it can also use up to 185 m² outdoors, away from the front yard. The bylaw defines a bed and breakfast (up to four guest rooms) as a kind of home occupation (s. 3.04).

Inside the Fernie Alpine Resort plan area, a home occupation can't rely on regular commercial deliveries, and sells only goods made on the premises (s. 4.05).

The bylaw doesn't list vacation or short-term rental as a use; a bed and breakfast is allowed as a home occupation. Ask the RDEK before renting a home short term.

An RV or park model trailer can't be used as a home (s. 4.04).

No vehicle wrecking or repair, and no derelict vehicles; outdoor storage is screened (s. 4.11).

Every zone also allows public utilities, parks, roads and conservation areas (s. 4.03).

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 RDEK's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Elk Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 829, 1990 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District of East Kootenay.