PlaceDossier / Zoning / Regional District of East Kootenay
SweetWater Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2127, 2009
The Regional District of East Kootenay's zoning bylaw, which applies in East Kootenay, Electoral Area B. Our summary of its 10 zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-06-12.
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1(A) Single Family Residential – Large Lot | One house, with a secondary suite, and a guest house (not lived in year round) | 1,000 m² | 30% | House 10 m, accessory buildings and guest house 7 m |
| R-1(B) Single Family Residential – Medium Lot | One house, with a secondary suite | 570 m² | 35% | House 10 m, accessory buildings 7 m |
| R-1(C) Single Family Residential – Small Lot | One house under 93 m² of floor area, with a secondary suite inside it | 225 m² | 50% | House 8 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| R-3 Multiple Family Residential – Medium Density | Multiple family dwellings (three or more homes in a building) at up to 62 homes per hectare, or a duplex | 1,000 m² | 60% | Main buildings 12 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| C-1 Mixed Use Village Commercial | Multiple family dwellings at up to 50 homes per hectare; in a building with businesses, homes take at most 25% of the first storey's floor area | 300 m² | 75% | 12 m |
| M-1 Marine – Restricted | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | Not set | None set in the zone |
| M-2 Marine – General | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
| RES-1 Recreation Accommodation | None listed in the zone: campsites hold tents, RVs, park model trailers or cottages, occupied seasonally (s. 3.03) | 1 ha; in a bare land strata campground, strata lots of at least 140 m² | 70% | 9 m |
| P-2 Parks and Open Space | 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 |
| P-3 Works and Utility | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | Not set | 10 m |
"Not set" means the zone itself sets no figure; general rules elsewhere in the bylaw may still apply. Each zone's page has its uses, setbacks and the general rules that apply to it.
Where the bylaw is unclear
Points we couldn't settle from the bylaw's text. Ask before you rely on them.
- R-1(A): Secondary suite (s. 1.22): one per lot, either inside the house (at most 49% of its habitable floor space) or in a detached garage (at most 70 m²); built to the BC Building Code, on approved sewage disposal, never strata-titled, and not in a manufactured home or an addition to one. A detached dwelling accessory to a permitted use may be 9 m tall (s. 1.12(3)); whether that lets a garage with a suite go above the zone's limit for accessory buildings is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- R-1(A): Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- R-1(B): Secondary suite (s. 1.22): one per lot, either inside the house (at most 49% of its habitable floor space) or in a detached garage (at most 70 m²); built to the BC Building Code, on approved sewage disposal, never strata-titled, and not in a manufactured home or an addition to one. A detached dwelling accessory to a permitted use may be 9 m tall (s. 1.12(3)); whether that lets a garage with a suite go above the zone's limit for accessory buildings is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- R-1(B): Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- R-1(C): Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- R-3: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- C-1: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- M-1: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- M-2: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- RES-1: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- P-2: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- P-3: The zone allows vehicle and equipment storage yards, but s. 1.16(4) bans outdoor storage outside the C-1 and M-2 zones; how far a storage yard may store outdoors is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
- P-3: Basements are allowed only upland of the basement suitability line on Schedule B1, with the underside of the floor no lower than 751.0 m (Schedule B, s. 1.02(3)); the bylaw's definition of a basement also says none below the basement suitability elevation of 753.5 m (s. 3.03). How the two levels fit together is unclear, so ask the RDEK.
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: SweetWater Zoning & Floodplain Management Bylaw No. 2127, 2009 (summarised in our words); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District of East Kootenay.