Zoning · Hamilton · Commercial
C7 zone, Hamilton: Arterial Commercial (C7) Zone
Section 10.7 (10.7.1 to 10.7.9) of the City of Hamilton Zoning By-law 05-200, as amended by 17-240, 19-062, 25-075, 26-016.
A zone along major roads for large-format commercial businesses serving the travelling public (car dealerships, gas bars, hotels, building supply stores, warehouses), with big buildings set well back from the street and no homes allowed.
Is a property in the C7 zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the C7 zone permits
- Building or Contracting Supply Establishment
- Building and Lumber Supply Establishment
- Commercial Entertainment
- Commercial Motor Vehicle Sales, Rental and Service Establishment
- Commercial Parking Facility
- Commercial Recreation
- Community Garden
- Conference or Convention Centre
- Equipment and Machinery Sales, Rental and Service Establishment
- Farm Product Supply Dealer
- Funeral Home
- Garden Centre
- Home Furnishing Retail Establishment
- Home Improvement Supply Establishment
- Hotel
- Major Recreational Equipment Sales, Rental and Service Establishment
- Motor Vehicle Dealership
- Motor Vehicle Gas Bar
- Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessory Sales Establishment
- Motor Vehicle Rental Establishment
- Motor Vehicle Service Station
- Motor Vehicle Washing Establishment
- Place of Assembly
- Repair Service
- Restaurant
- Self Storage Facility
- Surveying, Engineering, Planning or Design Business
- Transportation Depot
- Warehouse (restricted definition per 10.7.1.1)
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum front yard | 18 m10.7.3a) Minimum building setback to a street line 18.0 m (applies to any street line); 10.7.4a) Motor Vehicle Gas Bar / Motor Vehicle Service Station: minimum yard abutting a street 4.5 m notwithstanding 10.7.3a) |
| Minimum interior side yard | 1.5 m10.7.3c) 1.5 m; 4.5 m where abutting a Residential or Institutional Zone or a lot containing a residential use |
| Minimum exterior side yard | 18 mThe by-law gives no separate exterior side yard; 10.7.3a) requires an 18.0 m building setback to any street line (4.5 m for Motor Vehicle Gas Bar / Service Station per 10.7.4a)) |
| Minimum rear yard | 6 m10.7.3b) 6.0 m; 7.5 m where abutting a Residential or Institutional Zone or a lot containing a residential use |
| Maximum building height | 14 m |
Other provisions in this section
- Explanatory note: C7 permits large-format commercial uses catering to the travelling public; uses are land intensive and may require outdoor storage and sales areas.
- 10.7.1.1 Restricted use: notwithstanding Section 3 Definitions, Warehouse means a building used for bulk storage or distribution of goods to industrial, commercial or institutional users or other wholesalers, not retailing to the general public; excludes Waste Management Facility, Salvage Yard or Towing Establishment (By-law 26-016).
- 10.7.2 Prohibited uses, even as accessory uses: Dwelling Unit (By-law 25-075), Performing Arts Theatre, Cinema.
- 10.7.3e) Visual barrier required along any lot line abutting a Residential Zone or Institutional Zone property line, per Section 4.19.
- 10.7.3f) Where a lot line abuts a lot line in a Residential or Institutional Zone (and not a Laneway), a minimum 1.5 m wide planting strip must be provided and maintained.
- 10.7.3g)i) Outdoor display of goods for retail purposes accessory to a Retail use permitted only in the front, side and rear yard.
- 10.7.3g)ii) Outdoor storage area shall not be located on a planting strip or on required parking or loading areas.
- 10.7.3g)iii) Outdoor storage area must be 6.0 m from a Residential or Institutional Zone or lot containing a residential use, or from a lot line fronting a street, and must be screened or fenced from view.
- 10.7.3g)iv) Outdoor storage area attached to a building shall not exceed 500 m2 or 5% of the Gross Floor Area, whichever is lesser.
- 10.7.4a) Motor Vehicle Gas Bar and Motor Vehicle Service Station: minimum yard abutting a street 4.5 m, notwithstanding 10.7.3a) (By-law 19-062).
- 10.7.4b) Fuel pump islands, fuel pumps and canopies: minimum 4.5 m from any lot line.
- 10.7.4c) Gas Bar / Service Station: minimum 3.0 m planting strip abutting any street line or Residential/Institutional Zone lot line, except at points of ingress and egress (notwithstanding 10.7.3f)).
- 10.7.4d) Maximum Gross Floor Area for accessory retail uses to a Motor Vehicle Gas Bar: 175.0 m2.
- 10.7.5 Accessory buildings per Section 4.8.
- 10.7.6 Parking per Section 5.
- 10.7.7 Drive-through facilities per Section 4.25.
- 10.7.8 Urban Farm per Subsection 4.26.
- 10.7.9 Community Garden per Subsection 4.27 (By-law 17-240).
Source: Section 10.7 (10.7.1 to 10.7.9), By-law 05-200 (City of Hamilton), 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 commercial zones in Hamilton: C1, C2, C3, C6, E1, S2, TOC2