Zoning

Before issuing a building permit, the Building department determines if proposed changes to a property will meet the requirements of the Zoning By-law. The Town of Lakeshore Zoning By-law 2-2012 (updated December 2, 2019) was adopted by Council on January 10, 2012. It controls land uses and development in the town, including:

• The types of buildings permitted and how they can be used
• Where buildings and structures can be located
• Building heights, setbacks and parking requirements
• Lot sizes, dimensions, and coverage

Enter an address into the public version of our interactive web-based map service and then click on the zoning layer to identify a property's zone. The Zoning By-law contains regulations and development standards for each zone.

Lakeshore's Zoning By-law is occasionally updated to reflect Zoning By-law Amendments and to put the general policies of the Town of Lakeshore Official Plan into effect.

Zoning By-law Amendments

A Zoning By-law Amendment is needed to develop or use your property in a manner that is not allowed in the Zoning By-law. Council is the approval authority for Zoning By-law Amendments, and will only consider a new use for your property if it is permitted in the Town's Official Plan.

You must request and attend a pre-consultation meeting with Planning Services staff prior to submitting a Zoning By-law Amendment application. During this meeting you will receive feedback with respect to your amendment proposal, and will be told which studies and reports need to be submitted with your application.

If your proposal is requesting only a minor change from the by-law, then applying for a Minor Variance may be more appropriate. Please visit Town Hall or contact Planning Services at (519) 728-2818, ext. 286 or ext. 276 for advice with respect to your proposal.