I love to spend my professional time doing two things: working in the Moncton real estate market and/or helping small businesses grow. While it may be obvious that everyone is into Moncton real estate these days, small businesses are getting their fair share of love these days, too. 

As of June 2021, the Globe and Mail reported that 2 million small businesses had launched in Canada since the beginning of the pandemic… and yes, that was almost a whole year ago. The Great Resignation has been a fertile ground for innovation, creativity and yes, entrepreneurship.

Many small businesses that have become household names in Greater Moncton (think TH Sports Group or Halo Donuts) were born from the pandemic. 

If you have an idea for a local business in Moncton and you’re thinking about purchasing a space to finally make your dreams come true, it’s time for you to check out Urban Residential zoning… a great option for many small businesses provided that they fit the criteria. 

What is zoning?

Interestingly, I’ve rarely heard anyone ever explain zoning in the first place. So, I went to Investopedia to check out their definition: 

Zoning refers to municipal or local laws or regulations that govern how real property can and cannot be used in certain geographic areas. For example, zoning laws can limit commercial or industrial use of land to prevent oil, manufacturing, or other types of businesses from building in residential neighbourhoods.

Essentially, the city of Moncton’s planning department gives every property a zoning assignment to clarify the permitted use of that property. Recently, Moncton launched an interactive map allowing you to easily and quickly verify the zoning of any particular address. You’ve got to check it out right here.

As an example, I ran a search of my current listing at 134 Church Street in Moncton (indicated by the grey dot): 

Now, if I click on the property, the zoning displays on a popup. In this case this property is designated UR: Urban Residential (more on that later). 

Now, if I click on “Land uses permitted”, it opens the City of Moncton Zoning By-Law Z-222 which outlines the possible land uses for the property.

For anyone looking to purchase property for a small business, UR (Urban Residential Zoning) might be just the ticket.

So, what is permitted in Urban Residential zoning?

According to Moncton’s By-Law Z-222, here are the permitted uses for UR Zoning. 

One or more of the following main uses:

• Art gallery, library or museum

• Church

• Community garden

• Daycare center

• Educational use

• Philanthropic use

• Residential (other than manufactured dwellings)

• Retail store, personal service shop, office or restaurant occupying the ground floor only

One or more of the following secondary uses: 

• Accessory dwelling

• Bed and breakfast

• Convenience store (max 120 m2) or personal service shop within a multiple unit dwelling containing more than 24 units

• Daycare center

• Home daycare

• Home occupation

• Urban agriculture

Please note that I’m not a planning expert and recommend that you read the by-law in more detail right here: https://www5.moncton.ca/docs/bylaws/By-Law_Z-222_Zoning_Arrete_zonage.pdf#page=134

If you’ve been looking for the perfect place to run your business in downtown Moncton, and your business activities fit within the categories above, then be sure to add Urban Residential properties to your search criteria. 

Oh, and would you look at that, my listing at 134 Church Street might be the perfect spot for you! (After all, it used to be a gallery).  Check it out by clicking on the image below: