Development Potential in Esquimalt

A lot only qualifies if it is shown as an SSMFH lot on the Township's Zoning Overlay Map, Schedule A.2. Lots shown as tsunami hazard lots are excluded. Each lot can have at most two principal buildings, and every unit must be at least 25 square metres.

There is no six unit tier anywhere in the Township. Esquimalt has no provincially recognized transit stop, so no zone was drafted for six units.

To use RSM 1 or RSM 2, an owner must build at least three units. Build fewer and the underlying low density zoning applies.

That makes the choice a clean one. On a small lot the new zoning means exactly three units. On a medium lot it means three or four. A single family or two family dwelling is still built under the lot's original zoning, not the new zones.

Principal buildings can reach 11.0 metres or 3 storeys in both zones. Accessory buildings are capped at 3.6 metres.

Lot coverage is 50 percent in RSM 1. In RSM 2 it is 50 percent on lots under 1,215 square metres and 40 percent on lots of 1,215 square metres or more.

The front setback is 2.0 metres in RSM 1 and 4.0 metres in RSM 2. Side setbacks are 1.2 metres, rising to 3.0 metres along the part of a side yard used to reach rear yard parking from the front. RSM 2 also requires the two side setbacks to total at least 3.0 metres. The rear setback is 4.5 metres, and a principal building must sit at least 2.5 metres from any other building.

Off street parking is set by Parking Bylaw No. 2011, not by the new zones, so check it against your unit count.

Esquimalt requires a development permit for small scale multi unit projects. It addresses Development Permit Areas 1, 3, 7 and 8, covering the natural environment, form and character, energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction, and water conservation. These permits are approved by staff rather than Council, but the design work still has to be done, so budget the time.

On 20 July 2026, Council directed staff to begin preparing a select committee, to be established after the October 2026 municipal election, to work through the technical, legal and financial details of targeted amendments to the small scale multi unit bylaws. Preliminary advice is to come no sooner than 31 March 2027, and final recommendations no sooner than 30 June 2027.

Nothing has changed yet, and the current rules apply until an amendment is adopted. If your project runs on a longer timeline, check the rules again before you commit.

Zoning is only half the answer. The provincial policy manual states that existing section 219 covenants are not affected by the small scale multi unit housing legislation, and that a valid statutory building scheme registered on title limiting a property to one dwelling unit takes precedence over the density the zoning permits. Order a title search on the PID before you price density into an offer.

There is a full post on what a covenant or building scheme does to your density.