Development Potential in View Royal

What you can build

Bylaw 1135 added Schedule E to Zoning Bylaw 900.

Lot size and location, units and lot coverage
Lot size and location	Units	Lot coverage
Under 280 square metres	3	50 percent
280 to 600 square metres	4	50 percent
600 to 1,215 square metres	4	40 percent
1,215 to 4,050 square metres	4	30 percent
280 to 4,050 square metres, within 400 metres of a prescribed frequent transit stop	6	40 percent

The six unit lots are mapped at Appendix 1 of Schedule E.

Sources: View Royal Bylaw 1135

Siting and parking

Height is 11 metres throughout. Impermeable surface is capped at 60 percent, and the minimum unit floor area is 33 square metres.

Parking requirements do not apply to the six unit transit package, other than accessible spaces.

Sources: View Royal Bylaw 1135

Garden suites

Garden suites sit under Schedule D and go in the rear yard only.

Lot size, maximum floor area and maximum height
Lot size	Maximum floor area	Maximum height
Up to 549 square metres	37 square metres	3.5 metres
550 to 999 square metres	60 square metres	4.5 metres
Over 1,000 square metres	65 square metres	4.5 metres

No deck, balcony or rooftop patio is permitted on a garden suite. A garden suite and a secondary suite are both permitted on one lot.

Secondary suites are not permitted in the CD 28A, CD 28B and CD 28F zones at Glentana Village, and were deleted from CD 16 at Mill Hill.

Sources: View Royal Bylaw 1135, View Royal SSMUH page

Near the VGH exchange

The VGH Exchange at Victoria General Hospital is a designated transit oriented area under provincial rules. Within 200 metres of it, the Town cannot refuse a rezoning on density or height grounds for a proposal up to 3.5 FSR and 10 storeys. Between 200 and 400 metres, the figures are 2.5 FSR and 6 storeys. That density still takes a rezoning, and a lot inside a transit oriented area is governed by those rules rather than the small scale multi unit rules. The two do not stack.

Sources: Transit Oriented Areas Provincial Policy Manual, Order in Council 678, 2023

What your title might say

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.

Sources: SSMUH Provincial Policy Manual and Site Standards, Property Law Act, section 35

FAQ

How many units can I build in View Royal?

Three units under 280 square metres and four from 280 to 4,050 square metres. Six units on lots from 280 to 4,050 square metres within 400 metres of a prescribed frequent transit stop, mapped at Appendix 1 of Schedule E.

Do I need parking for a six unit project in View Royal?

No. Parking requirements do not apply to the six unit transit package, other than accessible spaces.

How big can a garden suite be in View Royal?

37 square metres on lots up to 549 square metres, 60 square metres on lots from 550 to 999, and 65 square metres on lots over 1,000. It must sit in the rear yard, with no deck, balcony or rooftop patio.

Can I have a garden suite and a secondary suite?

Yes, both are permitted on one lot, except that secondary suites are not permitted in CD 28A, CD 28B and CD 28F at Glentana Village and were removed from CD 16 at Mill Hill.

Development potential by municipality

Every Greater Victoria municipality adopted the provincial rules differently. These guides set out what each one actually permits.

Run your View Royal address through the free development potential assessment. It reads the zoning, the servicing and the rules that apply to your specific parcel, and tells you what is actually permitted.