EP zone, Vaughan: Environmental Protection Zone
Part 12, Section 12.2, Table 12-2 and Table 12-3 of the City of Vaughan Zoning By-law 001-2021.
A conservation zone for natural areas where only conservation and passive recreation uses are allowed; existing farms, houses and stormwater facilities may continue, but new buildings must sit at least 15 m from every lot line and cover very little of the lot.
Is a property in the EP zone? Enter its address and the lookup returns the zone and these standards, including any site-specific exception.
Check an addressWhat the EP zone permits
- Conservation use
- Passive recreational use
- Agriculture (only if legally existing on the lot on the effective date of the By-law)
- Single detached dwelling (only if legally existing on the lot on the effective date of the By-law)
- Stormwater management facility (only if legally existing on the lot on the effective date of the By-law)
Standards
| Requirement | By-law |
|---|---|
| Minimum lot area (interior lot) | No requirement |
| Minimum lot width (interior lot) | No requirement |
| Minimum front yard | 15 m |
| Minimum interior side yard | 15 m15 m; Table 12-3 note 2: where the lot is within the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan area (Schedule A), the minimum interior side yard shall be 15.0 m |
| Minimum exterior side yard | 15 m |
| Minimum rear yard | 15 m |
| Maximum building height | 9.5 m |
| Maximum lot coverage | 5 %5% (Table 12-3 note 3: where a lot is subject to the Oak Ridges Moraine Suffix Zone (-ORM) as shown on Schedule A, the maximum lot coverage shall be 5%) |
Other provisions in this section
- Uses marked 'E' in Table 12-2 (agriculture, single detached dwelling, stormwater management facility) are permitted only if legally existing and used on the lot on the effective date of the By-law (legend s.2.5.1).
- All other uses listed in Table 12-2 (animal boarding, driving range, golf course, active recreational use, cemetery, community garden, park, decommissioning activities, and all specified accessory uses such as bed and breakfast, home occupation, secondary suite, short-term rental) are not permitted in the EP zone.
- Table 12-2 note 1: uses so marked are subject to specific use provisions in Part 5 (none of these uses are permitted in EP).
- Table 12-2 note 2: agri-tourism is not permitted on a lot subject to the Oak Ridges Moraine Suffix Zone (-ORM) (not permitted in EP regardless).
- Table 12-3 note 1: no minimum lot frontage in an OS Zone where the principal use is passive recreation or a public-authority use (applies to OS zones, not EP; EP has no frontage requirement in any case).
- Table 12-3 note 2: where a lot is within the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan area (Schedule A), minimum interior side yard is 15.0 m.
- Table 12-3 note 3: where a lot is subject to the -ORM suffix zone (Schedule A), maximum lot coverage is 5%.
- Minimum lot area in Table 12-3 is expressed in hectares; EP shows '-' (no requirement).
Source: Part 12, Section 12.2, Table 12-2 and Table 12-3, By-law 001-2021 (City of Vaughan), 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.