PlaceDossier / Zoning / Regional District of East Kootenay
Elk Valley Zoning Bylaw No. 829, 1990
The Regional District of East Kootenay's zoning bylaw, which applies in East Kootenay, Electoral Area A. Our summary of its 28 zones, read from the consolidation to 2026-04-10.
The zones side by side
| Zone | Homes allowed | Smallest lot for a subdivision | Lot coverage | Height limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS-1 Single Residential (Urban) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite | 1,670 m² without community water or sewer, 695 m² with one, 555 m² with both; a duplex needs 2,140, 1,170 or 700 m² (and each half of a split duplex 1,070, 585 or 350 m²) | 30% | House 9 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| RS-1A Single Residential (Urban-A) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite | 1,670 m² without community water or sewer, 695 m² with one, 555 m² with both; a duplex needs 2,140, 1,170 or 700 m² (and each half of a split duplex 1,070, 585 or 350 m²) | 30% | House 9 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| RS-4 Single Residential (Extensive) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite; a dwelling for a relative needing care is possible | 0.4 ha | 20% | 10 m |
| RR-1 Rural Residential (Estate) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite; a dwelling for a relative needing care is possible | 1 ha | 20% | 10 m |
| RR-2 Rural Residential (Small Holding) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite; a dwelling for a relative needing care is possible | 2 ha | 10% | House 10 m, accessory buildings 12 m |
| RR-4 Rural Residential (Hobby Farm) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite, and a farm-hand dwelling; a dwelling for a relative needing care is possible | 4 ha | 10% | House 10 m, accessory buildings 12 m |
| RR-8 Rural Residential (Country) | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite, and a farm-hand dwelling; a dwelling for a relative needing care is possible | 8 ha | 10% | House 10 m, accessory buildings 12 m |
| RR-60 Rural Resource | One house or one duplex, plus a secondary suite, and a farm-hand dwelling; a dwelling for a relative needing care is possible | 60 ha | 10% (the consolidation reads "shall exceed 10%", almost certainly a slip for "shall not exceed"; unclear, so ask the RDEK) | House 10 m, accessory buildings 12 m |
| RS-2 Recreation Residential | One house or cabin, plus a secondary suite; a second house, cabin or campground needs 1,858 m² of lot for each | None set in the zone; each house, cabin or campground needs 1,858 m² of lot | Not set | Not set in the zone; cabins 5 m (s. 4.21) |
| RS-2A Resort Residential | Where the Fernie Alpine Resort plan shows houses, one house plus a secondary suite; where it shows duplexes, one duplex; where it shows apartments, up to 60 units per hectare of usable site | 555 m² for a house and 700 m² for a duplex (each half of a split duplex 350 m²), all with community water and sewer; 1,670 m² for apartments | 30% | House or duplex 9 m, apartments 16 m, accessory buildings 5 m |
| RS-2(B) Resort Residential (Multi-Family) | 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 | 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 | 35% | House or duplex 9 m, apartments, employee housing and the hall 16 m, guest house 7.5 m, other accessory buildings 5 m |
| RH-1 Mobile Home Park Residential | A mobile home park: up to 18 mobile homes per hectare of usable site, one per space; and at most one single family dwelling unless the RDEK's Mobile Home Park Bylaw No. 1 allows more (whether that cap counts the park's mobile homes, which the bylaw also calls single family dwellings, is unclear) | 2 ha for a new lot; each mobile home space 370 m² (700 m² for a dwelling that isn't a mobile home) | Not set | 7.6 m |
| WP-1 Watershed Protection | One house, plus a secondary suite | 125 ha | 10% | 10 m |
| CG-4 Highway Commercial | One dwelling, accessory to a business on the lot (s. 4.18) | 1,670 m² without community water or sewer; 695 m² with either | 60% | 10 m |
| CG-6 Service Commercial | One dwelling, accessory to a business on the lot (s. 4.18) | 1,670 m² without community water or sewer; 695 m² with either | 60% | 10 m |
| CG-8 Resort Commercial | Apartments up to 60 units per hectare of usable site; employee accommodation and resort hostels up to 125 units per hectare, at most four beds a unit; one dwelling accessory to a hotel, motel, tourist court, campground, ski facility, amusement park or golf course | 1,670 m² | 60% | 16 m |
| CG-TP Tourist Pension Commercial | One dwelling for the operator, inside the pension: 32.5 to 95 m², one kitchen, up to three bedrooms | 925 m² with community water and sewer, 2,500 m² with one of them, 4,000 m² with on-site water and sewage disposal; at least 20 m of frontage | 35% | Pension 10 m, accessory buildings 6 m |
| MG-1 Light Industrial | One dwelling, accessory to a business on the lot | 0.2 ha | 50% | 12 m (the bylaw gives 34.9 ft beside it, which doesn't match 12 m; unclear, so ask the RDEK) |
| MG-1(A) Resort Light Industrial | Employee accommodation for the resort, up to 20 units per hectare of usable site, on community water and sewer | 0.4 ha | 50% | 12 m |
| MG-2 Heavy Industrial | One dwelling, accessory to a business on the lot | 0.4 ha | 50% | 12 m (the bylaw gives 34.9 ft beside it, which doesn't match 12 m; unclear, so ask the RDEK) |
| MG-4 Airport Industrial | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | Not set | 12 m, and lower near the runway (s. 4.10) |
| PG-1 Community Institutional | One dwelling, accessory to an institution on the lot (s. 4.18) | 1,670 m² | 60% | 10 m |
| PG-2 Parks and Recreation | One dwelling, accessory to a park use (s. 4.18) | None set in the zone | 60% | 8.5 m |
| PG-3 Utility and Public Works | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | 60% | 10 m |
| PG-4 Resort Open Space, Recreation and Trails | None; cabins for wildland use, at most one per 250 ha of PG-4 land | None set in the zone | Not set | 9 m |
| RES-2 Resort Recreation | None: the zone lists no dwelling | None set in the zone | Not set | 12 m, not counting ski lift towers |
| RES-4 Resort Core | Apartments up to 60 units per hectare of usable site; employee accommodation and cat-ski chalets up to 20 units per hectare | None set in the zone | 60% for hotels and motels; not set for other uses | Hotels and cat-skiing lodges 20 m (the bylaw's wording, "no more than one" over 20 m, is unclear), apartments 16 m, other buildings 9 m |
| REC-1 Recreation | No homes; one recreation lodge and up to six recreation cottages for short stays by owners in the development and their guests | 0.4 ha | Not set | Lodge 9 m, cottages and other buildings 5 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.
- CG-TP: Guest rooms by lot size: 5 on 925 m², 7 on 1,000 m², 8 on 1,050 m² or more (how lots between those sizes count is unclear). Each room is 9.5 to 28 m², with no cooking beyond a microwave and a coffee maker.
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.