AG3: Agriculture Three

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One house or mobile home and one secondary suite; plus accessory dwellings by lot size: 1 (125 m² in all) under 8 ha, 2 (250 m²) from 8 ha, 3 (375 m²) from 12 ha, 4 (500 m²) from 16 ha (s. 13.1.4)

Main uses

Farming, winery or other alcohol production, equestrian centre, packing and storage of farm and off-farm products, one house or mobile home; agri-tourism and its accommodation, bed and breakfast, home industry, home occupation, kennel, farm product sales, veterinary clinic

Smallest lot for a subdivision

20 ha

Lot coverage

35% on lots under 2,500 m², 20% up to 2 ha, 10% over 2 ha (75% for a greenhouse)

Height limit

10 m; accessory buildings 4.5 m on lots under 2,500 m²

Setbacks

Front 7.5 m, rear 7.5 m, sides 4.5 m (7.5 m beside a road) on lots of 2,500 m² or more; on smaller lots Front 7.5 m, rear 7.5 m, sides 1.5 m (4.5 m beside a road), accessory buildings 1 m from the rear and sides; livestock shelters, equestrian centres, greenhouses, generator sheds and indoor cannabis production 15 m from every lot line; incinerators and composting 30 m

The zone is for farming on large lots, mostly in the ALR (s. 13.1).

In the ALR, the secondary suite and accessory dwellings count only where the Agricultural Land Commission has approved them as a non-adhering residential use (the zone's dwelling rules, (d)), and the Commission's own rules apply to farm and other uses.

Secondary suite (s. 7.10): inside the house, sharing one unbroken foundation and roof with it (a garage, carport or breezeway counts as a break); on a lot under 1 ha it uses the house's own septic system or community sewer.

Accessory dwelling (s. 7.2): a separate home, up to 125 m² unless the zone allows more, never strata-titled; not on a lot under 1 ha unless it is on community sewer; on a lot over 1 ha it may be a mobile home.

Bed and breakfast (s. 7.4): in the house, up to 4 bedrooms and 8 guests, stays of at most 30 days in a row, run by people who live in the house and are there during each stay.

Vacation rental (stays under a month in a whole home) isn't a listed use in this zone, and uses the zone doesn't list are prohibited (s. 5.4); ask the RDOS before renting a home short term.

New lots must be at least a quarter as wide as they are deep.

Only the uses the zone lists are allowed (s. 5.4).

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 RDOS's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 13.1 of Electoral Area H Zoning Bylaw No. 3065, 2024 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – Regional District Okanagan Similkameen.