Zoning · Hamilton · Mixed use

WF2 zone, Hamilton: Waterfront - Mixed Use (WF2) Zone

Section 14.2 (Regulations in Section 14.2.3; general Waterfront Zone provisions in Section 14.0) of the City of Hamilton Zoning By-law 05-200, as amended by 17-095-LPAT-01, 21-189, 24-137, 25-155.

A waterfront zone (Pier 8 area) for mid-rise buildings of up to 6 storeys that mix apartments and live/work units with ground-floor shops, restaurants, offices and cultural uses like galleries and museums.

Is a property in the WF2 zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.

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What the WF2 zone permits

Art Gallery
Beverage Making Establishment
Catering Service
Child Care Centre
Commercial School
Communications Establishment
Craftsperson Shop
Educational Establishment
Financial Establishment
Library
Live/Work Unit
Multiple Dwelling
Museum
Office
Personal Service
Place of Assembly
Place of Worship
Repair Service
Restaurant
Retail
Social Services Establishment
Studio

Standards

Requirement	By-law
Minimum front yard	See noteNo minimum setback stated; a MAXIMUM setback applies per Figure 11 of Schedule F: Special Figures (14.2.3 a). Maximum setback of 6.0 m for the portion of a building providing an access driveway to a garage, except where a visibility triangle is required (14.2.3 b).
Maximum building height	24.5 mMaximum 6 storeys and up to 24.5 m; minimum building height 9.0 m; plus a minimum 4.5 m facade height for the first storey of any non-residential portion of a building (14.2.3 c). Section 14.0 B) ii) excludes roof-top amenity access structures from measured height (max 3.0 m high, floor area not more than 10% of storey below, set back 3.0 m from exterior walls) but counts them as a storey; interior balconies/mezzanines are not storeys.
Minimum parking	See noteSection 14.0 D) (overrides s. 5.6): Live/Work Unit and Multiple Dwelling 0.70 spaces per dwelling unit (0.3 per unit where the unit is 50 m2 GFA or less); Art Gallery, Library, Museum, Place of Worship 0; Child Care Centre 1 per 125.0 m2 (none if within an educational establishment); Educational Establishment 1.25 per classroom; Long Term Care Facility 1 per 3 patient beds; Social Services Establishment 1 per 50.0 m2 GFA; Beverage Making Establishment, Catering Service, Commercial Entertainment, Communications Establishment, Craftperson's Shop, Medical Clinic, Repair Service, Place of Assembly, Restaurant 3 per 100 m2; Commercial School and Studio 1 per 50 m2 in excess of 450 m2; Financial Establishment 4 per 100 m2; Office 2 per 100 m2 in excess of 450 m2; Retail 1.5 per 100 m2; Personal Service 1 per 16.0 m2; open space uses 0.

Other provisions in this section

Commercial uses are only permitted on the ground floor (14.2.1.1 i, 14.2.3 e).
A Library, Art Gallery or Museum is only permitted on the ground floor and second floor (14.2.1.1 ii, 14.2.3 f).
20% of the total non-residential floor area is permitted for commercial uses ancillary to a Library, Art Gallery or Museum (14.2.1.1 iii, 14.2.3 g).
Additional Residential Unit restrictions apply per Figure 14 of Schedule F: Special Figures (14.2.1.1 iv, 14.2.3 h).
Prohibited, even as an accessory use: Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Establishment, Motor Vehicle Rental Establishment, Motor Vehicle Service Station, Motor Vehicle Gas Bar, Drive-Through Facility (14.2.2).
Maximum setback per Figure 11 of Schedule F; maximum 6.0 m setback for the portion of a building providing an access driveway to a garage, except where a visibility triangle is required (14.2.3 a, b).
Minimum building height 9.0 m; minimum 4.5 m first-storey facade height for any non-residential portion of a building (14.2.3 c).
Built form for new development: minimum ground floor facade width per Figure 13 of Schedule F; at-grade residential units fronting a street must have a principal entrance facing the street with direct access from the street; parking must be underground and/or in above-grade parking structures; above-grade parking structures must be within buildings and fronted on all levels by commercial, cultural or residential uses except for driveway access; minimum 40% of the ground floor facade facing a street must be windows and glazing (14.2.3 d).
Live/Work Unit (s. 14.0 B i): one dwelling unit with an at-grade entrance plus one of Office (excluding Medical Clinic), Personal Service, Retail or Studio on the ground floor; commercial component GFA not to exceed 50.0 m2.
Roof-top amenity access structures excluded from building height but counted as a storey if floor area is not more than 10% of the storey below, set back min 3.0 m from exterior walls below, and not greater than 3.0 m in height; interior balconies/mezzanines are not storeys (s. 14.0 B ii, iii).
Section 4.23 d) of the By-law does not apply to Waterfront Zones (s. 14.0 C).
Required parking within Pier 8 may be on another lot within 300 m of the lot containing the use (s. 14.0 D ii).
Short-term bicycle parking: Multiple Dwelling minimum 10 spaces per building; long-term bicycle parking: Multiple Dwelling and Live/Work Unit 0.5 per dwelling unit (s. 14.0 D iii).
Existing parking spaces exceeding the maximum standard in s. 14.0 D) i) may be eliminated, but never below the minimum requirement (s. 14.0 D iv).
All required parking must be provided within Blocks 1 through 16 as shown on Schedule A (s. 14.0 E); Figure 10 of Schedule F identifies the Blocks referenced in the WF zones (s. 14.0 A).

Source: Section 14.2 (Regulations in Section 14.2.3; general Waterfront Zone provisions in Section 14.0), 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 mixed use zones in Hamilton: C4, C5, C5a, D1, D2, D3, D5, TOC1, TOC4, WF1, WF3