CVD-1: Community Village District-1 Zone

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

No set number of homes: apartments over shops, held by the density and height limits; homes aren't allowed on the first storey except beside a flanking street lot line (s. 4.3.1.1)

Main uses

Homes, home occupations, hotel, retail trade, retail liquor sale, personal service, food and beverage service, drinking establishment (not a nightclub), office (on the first storey not within 6 m of a wall on a street or walkway), financial service, studio, art and cultural facility, assembly, civic facility, assisted living and care facilities, equipment rental, veterinary clinic, utility, accessory buildings (s. 4.3.1)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

540 m² and 15.0 m wide at least (s. 4.3.7)

Lot coverage

80%; landscape area at least 6% of the lot (s. 4.3.6)

Height limit

14.0 m; parapets may rise 1.2 m and rooftop structures 5.0 m above it (s. 4.3.3)

Setbacks

Front, sides and flanking street 0.0 m; rear 6.0 m for the first storey and storeys without homes, and 8.0 m or 25% of the lot's depth, whichever is more, for any part above the first storey with homes. Balconies may reach 2.0 m into a setback, steps and porch 2.0 m, cornices, eaves and the like 0.6 m. An accessory building sits at most 3.5 m from the flanking street, or the neighbouring lots' front setback if more (s. 4.3.4)

The zone is for the City's community villages: shops and services at street level with homes above, a step up from LVD-1 in the uses it allows (a hotel, a pub, a liquor store), with the same density and height (our reading of ss. 4.2 and 4.3).

Density: floor space ratio 1.6 (s. 4.3.2); Schedule C's density benefits are for GRD-1 only.

Parking (Part 5, Table 1): apartments by size (rental 0.60, 0.70 or 1.10 a home under 45 m², to 70 m², over 70 m²; others 0.70, 0.85 or 1.30; affordable 0.20, 0.50 or 0.75) plus 0.1 for visitors; hotel 0.50 a room; retail 1 space per 50 m², office 1 per 55 m², food and beverage 1 per 25 m², drinking establishment 1 per 70 m²; bicycle parking for homes. The bylaw sets no reduction near transit; ask the City.

A liquor store at most 275 m² unless the site-specific table says otherwise (Part 3 s. 32).

The zone's site-specific table (17 entries) gives named lots other heights (up to 18.6 m), densities (up to 2.43:1), cannabis stores or bigger liquor stores, and wins where it differs (Part 1 s. 5); ask the City whether a lot is listed.

Every home at least 33 m²; in buildings of 3 storeys or less at least 30% of the homes with three bedrooms or more; in taller buildings at least 10% with three bedrooms and another 20% with two (15% with the density of Schedule C e.); not for assisted living or affordable housing developments (Part 3 s. 30).

Accessory buildings: in the rear yard, at most 37 m² and 3.5 m high, 0.6 m from the side and rear lines, 3.5 m from a flanking street, 2.4 m from the main building, at most 25% of the rear yard; no home, shower, bath or toilet in them (Part 3 s. 27).

Short-term rental (under 30 nights) and bed and breakfast only as a home occupation in the operator's principal residence: at most two guest bedrooms, never a whole home, except the whole residence while the operator is away for no more than 160 nights a calendar year; no liquor for guests (Part 3 s. 20(e), (i)).

Home occupations: residents of the home, a City business licence, no sales on the premises except as part of the business, no nuisance beyond the home, at most three in a home and only one with customers coming (Part 3 s. 20).

A child care facility is allowed, but not in a garden suite unless the main building is one too; in a building of three or more homes, only on the first storey; a house or duplex converts only if built before September 14, 2023 or at least 5 years earlier (Part 3 s. 29).

On a waterfront lot (on tidal water), garden suites, accessory buildings, landscape structures and retaining walls between the main building and the water keep the main building's setbacks (Part 3 s. 35).

Fences: 1.22 m in the front yard setback and 1.83 m in other setbacks on a lot with homes (Part 3 s. 25).

A building legally built before this zone came in may keep a density over today's limit until it is damaged beyond 75% of its value (Part 1 s. 20).

Parts 1, 2, 3 (general regulations) and 5 (parking) and Schedules B (urban agriculture) and C (density benefits) also apply.

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 City of Victoria's planning department before you buy or build.

Source: Part 4.3 of Zoning Bylaw 2018, No. 18-072 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-05); zone map: Open Government Licence – City of Victoria.