MI-1: Marine Industrial-1 Zone

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

None: homes aren't a use the zone lists (s. 4.10.1)

Exceptions (1)

• Up to 33 float homes and 31 live-aboards in set water areas, with shops, food service and marine uses, at one harbour site the site-specific table names

Listed in s. 4.10.8 of the bylaw.

Main uses

Marine industry (building, maintaining and storing boats, making marine products, ship breaking and recycling, fishing supplies, selling fish and commercial fishing), heavy and light industry, automotive repair, equipment rental, laboratory, docks, piers and wharves, food and beverage service, civic facility, utility, accessory buildings; office and retail trade only alongside a main use. At least 65% of the lot's area at ground floor must be marine, heavy or light industry, automotive repair, equipment rental or a laboratory. More than one building is allowed on a lot (s. 4.10.1, 4.10.1.1; definitions in Part 2)

Smallest lot for a subdivision

None set: the zone leaves its lot size section blank (s. 4.10.7)

Lot coverage

90% (s. 4.10.6)

Height limit

25.0 m; equipment, silos and cisterns 30.0 m; buildings on a dock, pier or wharf 6.0 m; parapets may rise 1.0 m and rooftop structures 5.0 m above it (s. 4.10.3)

Setbacks

Front, flanking street and rear 0 m; sides 0 m, but 3 m for the parts of a building under 10 m high beside a lot zoned for homes (s. 4.10.4). On a corner lot, nothing built within the 3 m corner triangle where the streets meet, from 3 m below to 3 m above grade (Part 3 s. 37)

The zone is for the working harbour: boatyards, marine industry and docks (our reading of s. 4.10 and the Part 2 definition of marine industrial).

Density: floor space ratio 3.0; a mezzanine in the first storey isn't counted (s. 4.10.2).

Outdoor storage needs a concrete or asphalt surface, proper grading and drainage, a landscape screen at least 1.5 m high and 60 cm wide next to a lot zoned mainly for homes, and a landscape screen at least 1.0 m wide along any street (s. 4.10.1.1).

Child care isn't allowed in this zone unless the site-specific table names it (Part 3 s. 29). Small-scale commercial urban agriculture is exempt from parts of Schedule B here (Part 3 s. 23).

Short-term rental is allowed only as a home occupation in the operator's principal residence (Part 3 s. 20), so with no homes it isn't open in this zone (our reading), bar the float homes at the harbour site the site-specific table names.

The zone's site-specific table (4 entries) allows a larger office, a brew pub, taller dock buildings or float homes on named lots and wins where it differs (Part 1 s. 5); ask the City whether a lot is listed.

Parking (Part 5, Table 1): industrial uses 1 space per 140 m², a warehouse 1 per 100 m², office 1 per 55 m², retail 1 per 50 m², food and beverage 1 per 25 m², civic facility 1 per 80 m².

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).

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 4.10 of Zoning Bylaw 2018, No. 18-072 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-06); zone map: Open Government Licence – City of Victoria.