Zoning Bylaw Review

Project state

Active

Overview

Central Saanich’s Zoning Bylaw is a foundational tool for shaping land use, development, and community growth. Provincial legislation requires that the District update its Zoning Bylaw by December 31st, 2025 to align with 20-year housing needs.

After decades without a comprehensive review, the bylaw is due for an update to reflect current priorities and incorporate recent planning initiatives—such as the Official Community Plan (OCP) review, the Active Transportation Plan, and new Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) legislation. Modernizing the zoning framework will enable the District to support a broader range of housing options, foster economic development, and promote more sustainable land use—while ensuring alignment with the community’s long-term vision.

Key proposed updates include:

Increasing building heights in core commercial areas
To reflect the updated OCP and support vibrant village centres, we're looking at modest increases in allowable building heights in key commercial zones.

Refreshing zoning for small commercial nodes
Updates to permitted uses and building heights in smaller commercial areas could help meet the community’s growing interest in walkable hubs offering everyday goods and services close to home.

Refining rural estate zone regulations
We're exploring ways to better preserve tree cover, protect sensitive ecosystems, and support agricultural uses—ensuring rural lands continue to align with environmental and farming objectives.

Improving small-scale multi-unit housing regulations
By reviewing best practices and lessons learned from implementation, we’re working to refine our approach to small-scale multi-unit housing (like duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes) to support gentle density in appropriate areas.

Have your say

The District will be seeking input from residents and local businesses this fall. Please subscribe for updates!

Questions and Answers

Zoning provides specific regulations for land use. It sets out the permitted uses for land and regulates building height, size, and setbacks to ensure developments align with the character of the surrounding area. It is key to the growth and development of a community.

How is the Zoning Bylaw different than the Official Community Plan?

The Official Community Plan (OCP) is a high-level policy document that outlines the long-term vision and goals for how the community will grow and change over time. It includes guidance on land use, housing, transportation, parks, the environment, and more.

The Zoning Bylaw, on the other hand, is a regulatory tool that puts the OCP’s vision into action. It sets out specific rules for how land can be used and developed—such as permitted uses, building heights, setbacks, and densities—for each property in the District.

In short, the OCP sets the direction, and the Zoning Bylaw provides the detailed rules to help get there.
Several important drivers are guiding this update. BC’s Bill 44 requires municipalities to update their zoning bylaws by 2026 to support 20-year housing needs. Additionally, the review builds off community engagement and recent planning initiatives to ensure the bylaw reflects the shared vision for Central Saanich’s future.

This update is also necessary to reflect significant changes in community priorities, legislative frameworks, and housing needs since the last comprehensive review, which occurred decades ago.

Updating the bylaw provides an opportunity to align zoning regulations with recent planning initiatives that support housing diversity, economic development, and sustainable land use.
Small Commercial Nodes refer to smaller-scale commercial areas located outside of the main Village Centres. These nodes provide neighbourhood-scale services and retail—like convenience stores, cafés, personal services, or small offices—that are easily accessible to nearby residents and support complete, walkable communities.

The Nodes include:
Island View

Turgoose

Verdier

Additionally, for Tanner Ridge, the District will look at introducing an ability to apply for a commercial use, such as a food truck, small market or coffee shop, to serve Tanner residents.
Several small commercial areas in Central Saanich have the potential to better serve local residents. In 2024, research and community engagement helped identify the types of additional businesses and services people want to see—alongside growing support for modest increases in building height. These changes aim to create more complete, walkable neighbourhood hubs that offer essential goods and services close to home. By enhancing local access, reducing car dependency, and encouraging community gathering spaces, these updates support healthier and more connected neighbourhoods.

Overview of proposed changes

A proposed change would increase the allowable building height in C1 zones in Brentwood Bay and Saanichton to five or six storeys to better support a mix of residential and commercial uses. While the Official Community Plan (OCP) already envisions this scale of development in these areas, current zoning limits height to four storeys unless a rezoning is pursued. This update would align zoning regulations with the OCP and the Saanichton Village Design Plan (the SVDP supports buildings up to five storeys in the village core).
Building setbacks are proposed to be adjusted to better align with the Saanichton Village Design Guidelines, helping to strengthen the street presence and encourage a more walkable, connected environment.
Mixed-use commercial zoning is proposed along Wallace Drive and East Saanich Road to align with the OCP, fostering a more dynamic and active streetscape. Additionally, updates to the design guidelines are being considered to ensure that new development enhances the vibrancy, attractiveness, and integration of commercial areas.
Turgoose is set to evolve into a vibrant neighbourhood with the introduction of local commercial uses such as grocery stores, cafés, and small retail shops. Initial community input showed support for increasing building heights to six storeys (82% of respondents supported six storeys or more during initial consultant), reflecting current development patterns and aligning with the Official Community Plan (OCP).
Proposed plans for Verdier focus on preserving its unique marine commercial character while supporting tourism and local businesses. Modest increases in building height—from two to three or four storeys—are being considered, with an emphasis on protecting key view corridors. In addition, current C4 (Service Station Commercial) zoning would be transitioned to C3 (Neighbourhood Commercial) to encourage a wider range of amenities.
No large-scale changes are envisioned for Tanner Ridge. Based on a desire from some residents for walkable destinations for food and drink, the District will explore Official Community Plan (OCP) policies and directions to support future opportunities for small-scale, neighbourhood-serving commercial uses—such as a food truck, small market, or coffee shop—to better serve local residents. Any ideas would be presented to the community this fall for public input.
To support the protection of Central Saanich’s natural landscapes, the District will be seeking input on refining land use regulations for the five Rural Estate zones. These updates will align with OCP designations and focus on balancing development with environmental conservation for shoreline, forest, and agriculture areas. Specifically, the proposed changes include:
Rural – Shoreline: Review lot coverage and limit agricultural activity to minor uses to preserve tree canopies.
Rural – Forest: Review lot coverage and limit agricultural activity to minor uses to preserve tree canopies.
Rural – Agriculture: Review lot coverage and maintain agricultural uses.

Discussion