Zoning · Hamilton · Institutional
I2 zone, Hamilton: Community Institutional (I2) Zone
Section 8.2 (8.2.1 Permitted Uses; 8.2.2 Prohibited Uses; 8.2.3 Regulations, 8.2.3.1 to 8.2.3.9) of the City of Hamilton Zoning By-law 05-200, as amended by 10-076, 14-173, 14-238, 14-273, 15-107, 18-219, 21-189, 25-075, 25-155.
A neighbourhood institutional zone for places of worship, schools, child care, shelters, care homes and community uses, which also allows houses, semis, townhouses and small plexes under their own lot and setback rules.
Is a property in the I2 zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the I2 zone permits
- Child Care Centre
- Community Garden
- Duplex Dwelling
- Educational Establishment
- Emergency Shelter
- Fourplex Dwelling
- Museum
- Recreation
- Place of Worship
- Residential Care Facility
- Retirement Home
- Semi-Detached Dwelling
- Single Detached Dwelling
- Social Services Establishment
- Street Townhouse Dwelling
- Triplex Dwelling
- Urban Farm
- Urban Farmers Market
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum lot area (interior lot) | 360 m²Single detached, duplex, triplex, child care centre (8.2.3.3): 360.0 m²; fourplex (8.2.3.6): 360.0 m²; semi-detached (8.2.3.4): 270.0 m² per unit; street townhouse (8.2.3.5): 180.0 m² per unit; no lot area stated for institutional uses (8.2.3.1, 8.2.3.2). |
| Minimum lot width (interior lot) | 12 mSingle detached, duplex, triplex, child care centre (8.2.3.3): 12.0 m; fourplex (8.2.3.6): 12.0 m; semi-detached (8.2.3.4): 9.0 m per unit; street townhouse (8.2.3.5): minimum unit width 6.0 m; emergency shelter, place of worship, residential care facility, retirement home, social services establishment (8.2.3.1): 30.0 m. |
| Minimum front yard | 4 mDwellings and child care centre (8.2.3.3, 8.2.3.4, 8.2.3.5, 8.2.3.6): 4.0 m; on lots identified on Figure 36 of Schedule F (not townhouses) a building may be closer, within 10% of the (average) setback of the adjacent dwelling(s) on the same street, but never less than 0.5 m. Emergency shelter, place of worship, residential care facility, retirement home, social services establishment (8.2.3.1): 3.0 m. Educational establishment, museum, recreation (8.2.3.2): 6.0 m only where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone lot line. |
| Minimum interior side yard | 1.2 mDwellings and child care centre: 1.2 m (semi-detached and street townhouse: 0 m on the common-wall side; fourplex: 1.2 m with a minimum aggregate of 3.5 m). Emergency shelter, place of worship, residential care facility, retirement home, social services establishment (8.2.3.1): 6.0 m. Educational establishment, museum, recreation (8.2.3.2): 6.0 m where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone lot line. |
| Minimum exterior side yard | 3 mDwellings and child care centre (8.2.3.3 to 8.2.3.6): 3.0 m flankage yard. 8.2.3.1 institutional uses: 6.0 m. Educational establishment, museum, recreation (8.2.3.2): 6.0 m where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone lot line. |
| Minimum rear yard | 7.5 m7.5 m for all dwelling types, child care centre and 8.2.3.1 institutional uses. Educational establishment, museum, recreation (8.2.3.2): 6.0 m where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone lot line. |
| Maximum building height | 10.5 m10.5 m for all uses. For educational establishment, museum and recreation (8.2.3.2 b) ii) the height may be increased equivalently as the yard increases beyond the 6.0 m minimum yard. |
| Maximum lot coverage | See noteOnly stated for fourplex dwelling (8.2.3.6 h): 40%. No lot coverage stated for other uses. |
| Minimum landscaped open space | 30 %Single detached, duplex, triplex, child care centre, semi-detached and fourplex: 30% of lot area, with Section 4.35 applying within the landscaped area. Street townhouse: per Section 4.35 a) and b). Emergency shelter, place of worship, residential care facility, retirement home, social services establishment (8.2.3.1): 10% of the lot area. Not stated for educational establishment, museum, recreation. |
| Minimum unit width | 6 mStreet townhouse dwelling only (8.2.3.5 b): 6.0 m per unit; semi-detached: 9.0 m lot width per unit. |
Other provisions in this section
- Prohibited use (8.2.2): an Educational Establishment consisting of a College or University.
- 8.2.3.1 g): capacity of an Emergency Shelter, Residential Care Facility or Retirement Home shall not exceed 50 residents.
- 8.2.3.1 h): every Emergency Shelter or Residential Care Facility must be on a lot with a minimum 300 m radial separation (lot line to lot line) from any other lot occupied by a Residential Care Facility, Emergency Shelter, Corrections Residence or Correctional Facility; an existing facility closer than 300 m may be expanded or redeveloped only up to the number of residents permitted by its zone.
- Parking for all uses in accordance with Section 5 of the By-law (8.2.3.1 i, 8.2.3.2 c).
- Accessory buildings in accordance with Section 4.8 of the By-law (8.2.3.1 j, 8.2.3.2 d).
- 8.2.3.2 a): educational establishment, museum and recreation uses require a 6.0 m yard only where the lot line abuts a Residential Zone lot line; 8.2.3.2 b) ii): building height may be increased equivalently as the yard increases beyond that 6.0 m minimum.
- Front yard exception (8.2.3.3 c ii, 8.2.3.4 c ii, 8.2.3.6 c ii): on lots identified on Figure 36 of Schedule F (Special Figures), a building may be erected closer to the front lot line: within 10% of the average setback of two adjacent dwellings fronting the same street, or within 10% of the setback of the one adjacent dwelling; never less than 0.5 m from the front lot line.
- Semi-detached (8.2.3.4 d) and street townhouse (8.2.3.5 d): 0 m side yard permitted on the common-wall side; otherwise 1.2 m.
- Fourplex (8.2.3.6 d): side lot line setback 1.2 m with a minimum aggregate of 3.5 m for both sides.
- Fourplex (8.2.3.6 h): maximum lot coverage 40%.
- Fourplex (8.2.3.6 j): visual barrier required along side and rear lot lines per Section 4.19; rear yard parking shall comply with Section 4.35 d).
- Fourplex (8.2.3.6 k): amenity areas not permitted in the side yard or on the rooftop.
- Fourplex (8.2.3.6 l): outdoor waste storage must be fully enclosed and not located in the front yard.
- Landscaped area: within the required landscaped area the requirements of Section 4.35 apply (8.2.3.3 h ii, 8.2.3.4 h, 8.2.3.6 i ii); street townhouse landscaped area per Section 4.35 a) and b) (8.2.3.5 h).
- Urban Farm per Section 4.26 (8.2.3.7); Community Garden per Section 4.27 (8.2.3.8); Urban Farmers Market per Section 4.28 (8.2.3.9).
Source: Section 8.2 (8.2.1 Permitted Uses; 8.2.2 Prohibited Uses; 8.2.3 Regulations, 8.2.3.1 to 8.2.3.9), 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.