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Zoning · Burlington · Mixed use

DL-C zone, Burlington: Downtown Old Lakeshore Road DL-C Zone

Zoning By-law 2020, Part 6 (Downtown Mixed Use Centre Zones), Sections 1-3 and 5; Table 6.2.1 of the City of Burlington Zoning By-law 09-2026 / 2020, as amended by 2020.205.

A downtown mixed-use zone along Old Lakeshore Road in Burlington that allows shops, restaurants, offices, hotels and apartments, where new buildings must follow the DL-B zone's rules (or DL-A rules for 2076, 2084 and 2092 Old Lakeshore Road) plus the lakefront provisions of Part 1, Section 2.30.

Is a property in the DL-C zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.

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What the DL-C zone permits

  • Convenience/Specialty Foods Store
  • Other Retail Stores
  • Standard Restaurant (no drive-through; outdoor patio entertainment per footnote (f))
  • Standard Restaurant with Dance Floor (no drive-through; in buildings with dwelling units only at grade where office or residential-accessory uses are on the second storey; footnote (f))
  • Fast Food Restaurant (no drive-through; footnote (f))
  • Convenience Restaurant (no drive-through)
  • Veterinary Services (no keeping of animals outside)
  • Other Service Commercial Uses
  • Outdoor Patio (subject to Part 1, Section 2.21(v))
  • All Office Uses (ground floor within 15 m of a public street limited to retail/service commercial, footnote (g))
  • Community Institution (footnote (g))
  • Hotel (footnote (g))
  • Convention/Conference Centre (footnote (g))
  • Banquet Centre
  • Caterer
  • Recreational Establishment
  • Entertainment Establishment
  • Night Club (not in a building with dwelling units; max 500 persons; not within 45 m of R, DRM and DRH zones)
  • Dwelling Units in a commercial/office building
  • Apartment Building (footnote (g))
  • Retirement Home (footnote (g))

Other provisions in this section

  • Section 5: new buildings and structures in a DL-C zone are subject to Part 1, Section 2.30 (lands adjacent to Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay) and the DL-B zone regulations; no separate dimensional standards are given for DL-C.
  • Section 5: the properties at 2076, 2084 and 2092 Old Lakeshore Road are instead subject to Part 1, Section 2.30 and the DL-A zone regulations.
  • Section 5: buildings, structures or parking areas that legally existed as of the enactment of By-law 2020.205 (April 28, 2008) and are used for a permitted purpose are deemed to conform for the life of the existing building, structure or parking area.
  • Table 6.2.1 (a): drive-through facilities are not permitted with any permitted use.
  • Table 6.2.1 (c): veterinary services may not keep animals outside.
  • Table 6.2.1 (e): night clubs are not permitted in a building containing residential dwelling units, are capped at 500 persons, and are not permitted within 45 m of R, DRM and DRH zones.
  • Table 6.2.1 (f): outdoor patios were permitted to have entertainment uses until July 12, 2025 under a temporary use by-law (12:00 pm to 10:00 pm; Sundays and holidays 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm; one entertainer entity at a time; subject to the Nuisance and Noise By-law); on expiry, entertainment/recreational uses are no longer permitted on outdoor patios.
  • Table 6.2.1 (g): for offices, community institutions, hotels, convention/conference centres, apartment buildings and retirement homes, the ground floor of any building within 15 m of a public street shall be used only for retail or service commercial uses, except on the six listed street segments (west side of Brant St between Baldwin and Caroline; west side of Locust St between Caroline and 40 m north of Elgin; east side of Pearl St between Pine St and 60 m north; west side of Martha St between Maria and James; west side of Emerald Cres north of Caroline; south side of Victoria Ave from 30 m to 110 m east of Brant St).
  • Table 6.2.1 (i): in buildings containing residential dwelling units, a Standard Restaurant with Dance Floor is only permitted at grade where office uses or uses accessory to residential are located on the second storey.
  • Table 6.2.1 (j): outdoor patios are subject to Part 1, Section 2.21, Subsection (v).
  • Section 3: in addition to Part 1, Subsection 2.22, the following are prohibited: warehouse club; lumber sales; swimming pool sales and service; recreational vehicle and utility trailer sales and service; boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles sales and service; heavy machinery and equipment sales and service; car wash; video game/pinball arcade; propane cylinder handling facility; bulk propane storage depot; adult entertainment establishment.
  • Section 3: residential uses permitted in Table 6.2.1 are subject to Part 2, Subsection 2 'Prohibited Uses'.
  • Section 1: all uses are subject to Part 1 (General Conditions and Provisions) and Part 14 (Exceptions to Zone Designations).
  • Section 1(a): where the zone is prefixed with the Holding Symbol 'H', permitted uses follow Part 11, Section 1.1 and development is premature until the 'H' is removed under Part 11, Section 1.2.
  • Section 1(b)-(e): lands adjacent to Lake Ontario/Burlington Bay refer to Part 1, Subsection 2.30; side yards for L-shaped dwellings, parking spaces and driveways, and parking structures refer to Part 2, Subsection 1.

Source: Zoning By-law 2020, Part 6 (Downtown Mixed Use Centre Zones), Sections 1-3 and 5; Table 6.2.1, By-law 09-2026 / 2020 (City of Burlington), checked 2026-09-12. General provisions elsewhere in the by-law (parking, driveways, accessory buildings) also apply, and a numbered exception on the parcel can change any value here. Treat this as a pre-check, not a sign-off.

Other mixed use zones in Burlington: DC, DL-A, DL-B, DW, MXC, MXE, MXG, MXT, UC, UCR1, UCR2, UCR3, UE, UMXE, UOP