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VR1 zone in Bowen Island
Village Residential 1 (Detached Housing). Small-lot detached housing within Snug Cove Village (s.4.6 information note).
The rules
| Name | Village Residential 1 (Detached Housing) |
|---|---|
| Homes allowed | 2 (one detached house + one secondary suite OR detached secondary suite; ARU added by Bill 44 Bylaw 653) |
| Floor space notes | The bylaw sets NO floor space ratio or floor-area cap for the principal dwelling in this zone; size is controlled by lot coverage, 50% coverage, 9 m height and setbacks. Accessory residential use (s.3.57): only ONE per lot - either a secondary suite or a detached secondary suite. Detached secondary suite max floor area = 65 m2 + 0.625% of lot area, capped at 140 m2 (s.3.57.3). Secondary suite max = greater of 90 m2 or (65 m2 + 0.625% of lot area, capped at 140 m2) (s.3.57.4, as replaced by Bill 44 Bylaw 653). One extra parking space per suite (s.3.57.2). Detached suites in the Detached Secondary Suite DPA need a development permit (s.3.58, s.7.6). Accessory buildings to a dwelling: total floor area max 160 m2 on lots up to 0.4 ha; 4% of lot area max 400 m2 on 0.4-4 ha; 4% max 1,000 m2 on 4 ha+ (s.3.13 Table 3-1). Max 2 accessory buildings, 1 usable for home occupation (s.4.6.2). |
| Height | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Height notes | 9 m max (s.4.6.2). Height measured from the lower of average natural or average finished grade to the roof high point (flat) or mean roof height (pitched) (s.1.1 'Height', s.3.12). |
| Lot coverage | 50% |
| Coverage notes | 50% max lot coverage of all buildings and structures (s.4.6.2). |
| Setbacks | front 0 m (0 ft), side 1.5 m (5 ft), rear 0 m (0 ft), flank 0 m (0 ft) |
| Setback notes | Interior lot line 1.5 m; front lot line 0 m; all other lot lines 0 m (s.4.6.2 table, VR 1 column; the 4.6 m highway setback applies only to VR 2). Values checked against the PDF table column positions. General (Part 3): no building within 30 m of the natural boundary of the sea (s.3.16; reducible to 15 m, or 7.5 m with bedrock/engineered protection, by neighbour averaging, s.3.17), 30 m from watercourses/wetlands (s.3.18), 50 m from lakes/reservoirs (s.3.19), 30 m from active raptor/heron nest trees (s.3.22). Projections: bay windows etc. 0.6 m, uncovered decks 1.25 m (max 20% of side setback), eaves 1.0 m (s.3.23). Small accessory buildings <=2.5 m high and <=10 m2 may sit at 0 m from lot lines (s.3.31). |
| Bylaw sections | s.4.6.1-4.6.3, s.3.57, s.3.59; Bylaw 653 s.1.9 |
What you can use it for
Detached dwelling (1 primary)Secondary suite or detached secondary suite (one)Home occupationResidential guest accommodation
Example lots in VR1
No addressed lots in this zone on the map.
Other zones in Bowen Island
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Read from Bowen Island Municipality Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated for convenience November 2025; last listed amendment Bylaw 674 adopted 2025-03-10; later adopted bylaws 666, 672, 673, 694, 721, 722 applied from their own text) ↗, checked 2026-10-21. Summaries are our reading of the bylaw: confirm with Bowen Island before buying or designing. Page rebuilt October 25, 2026.