R-1: Residential One

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

Under 1 ha, two homes: a house with a secondary suite or an accessory dwelling unit, or a duplex; 1 to 2 ha, three: a house, suite and accessory dwelling unit, or a duplex and an accessory dwelling unit; 2 to 3 ha, four; 3 ha or more, five (s. 19.1)

Main uses

Homes; home occupation, short-term rental, accessory buildings (ss. 19.1, 19.2)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

1 ha (s. 19.3); smaller lots by averaging (s. 13)

Lot coverage

20% on a lot of 1 ha or less, 10% on a bigger lot (s. 19.3)

Height limit

10 m (s. 16.2)

Setbacks

4.5 m from every lot line (s. 19.3); more from roads and streams (s. 15)

The zone is for homes on Cortes Island lots of about a hectare.

Homes (s. 6): an accessory dwelling unit is a separate home of up to 110 m² beside the house; a secondary suite is inside the house, and the two can never be strata-titled or otherwise split. Where a lot's septic or community sewer can serve them, the bylaw encourages clustering the homes in one place on the lot (s. 14.1).

In every upland zone (s. 9.1): accessory buildings, farming, home occupations, short-term rental (stays under 90 days, bed and breakfasts included) with a home, low-impact recreation, parks, solar power for the lot, utilities. Each home, home occupation and short-term rental needs its own parking space on the lot, and no use may park on the road (s. 18). The Province's principal residence rule may apply to short-term rental on top.

Home occupation (s. 12): needs the SRD's approval; up to five staff, one of them living on the lot; outdoor work and noise only 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; outdoor storage screened; never in a setback; no salvage yard, bulk storage or planer mill; a sawmill, animal clinic or kennel only on a lot of 4 ha or more.

Streams (s. 15.2): 15 m from a stream where the Riparian Areas Protection Regulation applies, 7.5 m from any other water feature, and the SRD's floodplain bylaw can ask more; along a stream, lake or the sea the larger of the stream and lot line setbacks governs.

Roads (s. 15.1): 7.5 m from a road along the front or rear, 4.5 m from a road along a side.

Lots smaller than the zone's minimum may be made by averaging, as long as the count of lots doesn't pass the land left after roads and parks divided by the minimum (s. 13).

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 SRD's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 19 of Cortes Island Zoning Bylaw, 2025 (No. 598) (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-13); zone map: Open Government Licence – Canada.