Zoning Bylaw Rewrite

We're rewriting our Zoning Bylaw (ZB) to make it clearer and easier to use, streamline regulations, support and encourage economic growth, align with current policy documents (including the new Official Community Plan [OCP]), and better reflect community needs to support growth and development.

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What is a Zoning Bylaw?

A Zoning Bylaw is a document required by the Yukon Municipal Act (the Act) that sets out regulations for land uses and development within a municipality.

The purpose of the City’s Zoning Bylaw is to:

Implement the policy directionContinue reading

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What is a Zoning Bylaw?

A Zoning Bylaw is a document required by the Yukon Municipal Act (the Act) that sets out regulations for land uses and development within a municipality.

The purpose of the City’s Zoning Bylaw is to:

Implement the policy direction provided in the City’s new OCP and other Council-approved plans and policies.
Organize the municipality into zones (ex. residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) and set out permitted uses for each zone.
Set standards for the height, appearance, size, and location of buildings.
Determine parking, signage, and landscaping design standards.
Guide the permit and rezoning process.

Why is a new Zoning Bylaw needed?

The current Zoning Bylaw was adopted in 2012, and although it has been updated periodically throughout its life, a new bylaw is required to help implement the new OCP and reflect changing community values since the 2012 bylaw was adopted. The Zoning Bylaw is being rewritten to make it clearer and easier to use, streamline regulations, support and encourage economic growth, align with the new OCP, and better reflect community needs to support growth and development.

How does the Zoning Bylaw rewrite impact me?

Zoning regulations shape our neighbourhoods. They regulate building heights, setbacks and the types of development allowed on a property, in a specific neighbourhood or zone. If you are planning to develop or change your existing property or its use after the new Zoning Bylaw has been approved, the new regulations will apply. If you are not planning to develop or alter your existing property, what currently exists on your property will not need to be altered to meet new regulations, provided it was allowed in the first place (ex. Your current shed may not meet the new regulations, but that’s ok, it can stay as-is. However, if you decide to alter it or build a new one, you will need to ensure it meets the new regulations).

What is the relationship between the OCP and Zoning Bylaw?

The Whitehorse 2040 Official Community Plan (OCP) guides the City as it grows over the coming decades. The plan establishes our objectives for growth and development. The Act mandates that the Zoning Bylaw needs to be updated within two years of adoption of the new OCP. The Zoning Bylaw uses the OCP planning framework to guide development.

Housing Amendments Adopted

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At their regular meeting on Monday, April 22, 2024, Council adopted Bylaw 2024-16, a bylaw to amend the Zoning Bylaw to enable a wider range of opportunities for residential development. The new regulations are summarized as follows:
1. Allow up to four (4) units per lot in all urban ‘single detached’ residential zones;
2. Relax site coverage and setbacks in some zones where additional units are provided;
3. Relax living and garden suite regulations to allow them in more places:
  - Allow suites in RR zone
  - Allow suites in duplex, triplex, and townhouse housing
  - Allow two suites on any lot where suites are allowed
4. Enable more units in RCM – Comprehensive Residential Multiple Family and RCM3 – Cottage Cluster Homes zones; and
5. Relax some parking regulations:
  - Eliminate visitor parking and loading space requirements for multiple housing in commercial zones
  - Reduce parking requirements for living/garden suites
These amendments will be incorporated into a new consolidation of the Zoning Bylaw, to be released shortly. We will also be updating our application forms and handouts in the coming weeks.
You can read our guide to the new regulations here.
Public Hearing Report now available

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A copy of the Public Hearing Report is now available. Read it here.
Initial Round of Housing Amendments

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On February 26, 2024, City Council gave first reading to a bylaw to amend the Zoning Bylaw that, if adopted, will enable more housing to be developed throughout Whitehorse. The proposed amendments include:
1. Allow up to four (4) units per lot in all urban ‘single detached’ residential zones;
2. Relax site coverage and setbacks in some zones where additional units are provided;
3. Relax living and garden suite regulations to allow them in more places:
  - Allow suites in RR zone
  - Allow suites in duplex, triplex, and townhouse housing
  - Allow two suites on any lot where suites are allowed
4. Enable more units in RCM – Comprehensive Residential Multiple Family and RCM3 – Cottage Cluster Homes zones; and
5. Relax some parking regulations:
  - Eliminate visitor parking and loading space requirements for multiple housing in commercial zones
  - Reduce parking requirements for living/garden suites
A public hearing was held on March 25, 2024. The public hearing is now closed, and no further input on this bylaw can be submitted to Council. City staff presented a Public Hearing Report to Council on April 15, 2024. Council will make a decision on the proposed amendments April 22, 2024.
For additional details on what these proposed amendments mean, please review our Guide to Proposed Changes.
Still have questions? Ask a question right here in our Zoning Questions Corner, so others can see as well.
Round 1 Engagement Summary now available

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The Round 1 Engagement Summary report from the first round of public engagement is now available. The report provides a summary of the input received from 417 community survey responses and 10 targeted interviews with interested and affected parties and rights holders. Respondents provided their input on topics including housing, parking, urban design, and transportation.
This feedback will be used to inform the draft Zoning Bylaw, which is expected to be completed and presented for public and interested party feedback in fall 2024.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and interviews - your contributions and continued interest in the project are appreciated!
History of Zoning in Whitehorse

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Our planning team has put together a brief document summarizing the history of zoning in Whitehorse. This document looks back at all of the City's previous Zoning Bylaws, starting in 1952, and tracks how zoning has changed over the decades to reflect an evolving community and changes in planning best practices that are reflective of broader trends throughout North America.
History of Zoning in Whitehorse
Survey closed

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The survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey – we received 417 responses!

We are now preparing a What We Heard report summarizing the input received through the survey as well as interviews done by the consultant. The results will be provided later in February.

Stay tuned for more information on the second round of public engagement. We hope you can join us!

Your feedback, along with interested party feedback and best practices data, will be used to inform the draft Zoning Bylaw. The draft bylaw will then be presented in Fall 2024, for public and interested party feedback, to help the City finalize the bylaw for Council review and approval.
Zoning Bylaw Rewrite Advisory Group Opportunity

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The City of Whitehorse is forming an advisory group to assist the City and its Consultant, ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd., with the Zoning Bylaw Rewrite project. The group will meet periodically with the Consultant to provide information and advice to ISL as they work through the stages of the project.
The application period to join this group has closed and members have been selected. Thank you to everyone who applied to join this group.
Initial Round of Housing-Related Amendments

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There will be a first round of amendments to the Zoning Bylaw to address immediate housing challenges in the community before focusing on the entire Zoning Bylaw content. Housing related amendments will be developed based on recommendations provided by the Housing and Land Development Advisory Committee. These initial amendments will address short- and medium-term housing challenges, which will provide the basis for longer-term housing related solutions to be developed in the complete Zoning Bylaw Rewrite in Phase 2.