Bill 44 Implementation

Implementation of Bill 44 - Housing Statues Residential Development Act

What is Bill 44?

In alignment with the Province’s Homes for People Action Plan, Bill 44 requires that all municipalities review and update their OCPs and land use bylaws to:

• Enable small scale multi-unit housing
• Ensure that the City’s land use accommodates the number of housing units required by the most recent Housing Needs Report over a 20-year time horizon

In addition to requirements of Bill 44, the Province has also created Bill 16 which provides authority to municipalities on pre-zoning implementation, density bonusing, tenant protection bylaws and site-level infrastructure and transportation demand management.

How is the City implementing Bill 44?

The City has initiated the process to achieve compliance with Bill 44 by the end of the year by enabling small scale multi-unit housing and aligning our Land Use Bylaw and Official Community Plan (OCP) with our housing needs for the next 20 years.

Where is the City at in the process?

See the Project LIfecycle on this page for an outline of engagement activities.

What Is Changing in Colwood?

1. Changes to the Official Community Plan

a) Policies/Data

• Keeping Data Current: Incorporate updated demographics and housing needs data into the OCP
• Refining Housing Policies: Align the OCP with the Housing Needs Report by accurately reflecting and enabling all identified housing types.
• Planning for Growth: Analyze housing capacity within the OCP to ensure it meets community needs for the next 20 years.

b) Updates to the City’s Intensive Residential design guidelines:

• Simplifying the Process: We’re updating our design guidelines to make it easier for homeowners to build single-family homes, duplexes, and small-scale multi-unit housing. These updates aim to reduce barriers and simplify the approval process.
• Supporting More Housing Options: These updates will encourage a greater variety of housing options to meet the needs of families, renters, and homeowners, while still seeking to preserve neighbourhood character.
• Streamlining Approvals: Homeowners will experience a quicker and more straightforward approval process for the development of small-scale residential housing.

Get Involved! We value your input! Share your feedback through public meetings and online engagement platform to help shape the final updates.

c) Updates to the Colwood Corners land Use Designation:

• Shaping the Future of Colwood’s Downtown: We’re exploring updates to the City’s Official Community Plan to bring the Gateway and Triangle Lands Vision to life and reimagine Colwood’s downtown as a more vibrant, connected and walkable place.
• Creating Distinctive Downtown Sub-Areas: As part of this process, we’re looking at ways to define key areas within downtown Colwood, ensuring that each area will have a unique identity and purpose that reflects the community’s needs and aspirations.

Help Us Shape and Name Our Downtown: We’re seeking your input on how to define the new downtown sub-areas, shaping what they will look like and how they will function. “Colwood Corners” has long been used to describe this area, but we also want to explore whether a new name could better reflect our shared vision for the city’s downtown.

2. Changes to the Land Use Bylaw:

• Expanding Housing Options: Bill 44 mandates that local governments update zoning bylaws, enabling property owners to develop up to 6 units per lot when connected to sewer using diverse built-forms like duplexes with suites, single-detached homes with secondary and garden suites, townhomes, and rowhomes.
• Maintaining Regulatory Framework: While property owners can build up to 4 units, existing zoning regulations, including setbacks, building height, and lot coverage, still apply. Typically, only 2 buildings per lot are permitted, preserving neighborhood character and planning consistency.
• Flexibility for Homeowners: Property owners gain new opportunities to choose how to utilize their additional units, either through strata titling or renting, expanding housing availability to meet varied community needs.

3. Changes to the Parking Bylaw:

• Transit Oriented Parking Flexibility: Parking requirements are waived for lots allowing up to 6 units within 400m of frequent transit, such as the Blink 95 route along Island Hwy and Goldstream in Colwood.
• Provincial Site-Specific Parking Considerations: The Province advises reducing or eliminating parking requirements for small-scale multi-unit housing, with site-specific standards generally ranging from 0.5 to 1 space per unit based on transit proximity (<800m).

4. Site Infrastructure Policy

• Managing Development: An amendment to the Subdivision and Servicing Bylaw will propose development only be permitted on lots connected to municipal sewer.
• Expanded Works and Services Authorities: Bill 44 grants municipalities greater authority to proactively plan through measures like pre-zoning and requiring works and services (e.g., roads, water, sewer) at the building permit stage.
• Site-Level Infrastructure & Active Transportation: Municipalities can now require additional infrastructure upgrades, including wider sidewalks, street trees, traffic calming measures, and active transportation features like protected bike lanes and benches.
• Public Realm Enhancements & Sustainability: Local governments now have the power to mandate public realm improvements, such as street furniture, parklets, and sustainable design elements, enriching urban spaces for community benefit.