Zoning Bylaw Changes: Burnaby’s Zoning Bylaw is undergoing a major rewrite to modernize and simplify our development regulations, and to implement new provincial housing legislation and City plans and policies. On July 1, 2024, to comply with the new provincial legislation, Burnaby’s previous 12 R-Districts were consolidated into one R1 Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing District. The City will be pursuing additional changes to the Zoning Bylaw over the course of the rewrite project. For more information visit Zoning Bylaw Rewrite.
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The Burnaby Zoning Bylaw regulates the development and use of land and the location and use of buildings and structures within the City of Burnaby.
The stated purpose is to serve the community with regard to:
- the promotion of health, safety, convenience, and welfare of the public
- the prevention of the overcrowding of land, and preservation of the amenities peculiar to any zone
- the securing of adequate light, air and access
- the value of the land and the nature of its present and prospective use and occupancy
- the character of each zone, the character of the buildings already erected and the peculiar suitability of the zone for particular uses
- the conservation of property values
The Burnaby Zoning Bylaw provided for the public’s convenience is an unofficial consolidation of Bylaw 4742 and has been divided into the following parts which provide the following information:
The Explanatory Note includes a short explanation of the organization of the Zoning Bylaw and a description of how you may purchase a copy. Note that each section and schedule is page-numbered separately to allow for the insertion of replacement pages. On each page, the date of the last revision is indicated at the bottom right-hand corner. Replacement pages are printed whenever the text of the Bylaw is amended.
The Table of Contents provides a list of the Bylaw’s organization and index of the Bylaw’s sections and schedules.
Sections 1-4 of the Bylaw provides for the title, purpose, definitions, and basic provisions. Sections 5-9 give information on the establishment of Zoning Districts and schedules, Supplementary Regulations that apply to various types of developments, Administration and enforcement of the Bylaw and information regarding application submission for requisite permits and development applications.
Zoning Districts in Burnaby are grouped into “R” for the Residential district, “RM” for Multiple Family Residential districts, “C” for Commercial districts, “M” for Industrial districts, “B” for Business Centre districts, “P” for Public and Institutional districts, “A” for Agricultural districts and “CD” for the Comprehensive Development districts. For each district the Bylaw states uses permitted, conditions of use, lot area and width, lot coverage, development density, height of principle building, depth of principle building, front yard, side yards, rear yard, parking and other aspects related to the district.
Schedules 8, 9 and 10 of the Bylaw outline the off-street parking, off-street loading and off-street bicycle parking regulations which apply to the various districts.
The links below provide access to the online version of the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw and the Official Zoning Map. To purchase a copy of the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw, or for more information on the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw and zoning in the City, please contact the Planning Department at 604-294-7400.