Small Lot Design Guidelines
Consultation has concluded
The City of Colwood is in the process of developing design guidelines for small lots.
The City’s Official Community Plan (OCP) defines a small lot as having an area of less than 550 m2 (5920 sq ft). The guidelines will provide greater clarity to small lot design than what is currently provided in the OCP; and, will better assist the City and development community in designing small lot subdivisions.
As a part of this process the City is seeking input from residents of small lots to understand how well parking, storage and outdoor open space on small lots is working today. Your feedback will inform the creation of design guidelines which will help to shape the future of small lot subdivisions in Colwood.
The Draft Small Lot Design Guideline is available for public review. We encourage you to read through and share your thoughts below under the ideas tab.
The City of Colwood is in the process of developing design guidelines for small lots.
The City’s Official Community Plan (OCP) defines a small lot as having an area of less than 550 m2 (5920 sq ft). The guidelines will provide greater clarity to small lot design than what is currently provided in the OCP; and, will better assist the City and development community in designing small lot subdivisions.
As a part of this process the City is seeking input from residents of small lots to understand how well parking, storage and outdoor open space on small lots is working today. Your feedback will inform the creation of design guidelines which will help to shape the future of small lot subdivisions in Colwood.
The Draft Small Lot Design Guideline is available for public review. We encourage you to read through and share your thoughts below under the ideas tab.
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Draft Guideline Feedback
about 2 years agoThe Draft Small Lot Design Guidelines is available for public review and comment.
We encourage you to read the draft guidelines and share your thoughts and comments here. Feedback will be reviewed and any necessary edits will be made to the draft document before appearing before Council once again.
May97about 2 years agoCarriage Home Ownership
The Housing Crisis has clearly impacted the value of land in our community and people (both young and old) who are not currently in the housing market will not be able to enter into it with the current housing stock (primarily Single Family Dwellings). Council should make it a priority to create more housing options and typologies so that Colwood residents (young and old) can afford to buy homes in the community they’ve rented in/grown up in. Colwood renters should not be forced to move somewhere far away just so they can afford a home. The Official Community Plan does say that “gentle infill’ should enable moderate residential growth in established single-detached neighbourhoods… but as long as the only housing option in those established neighbourhoods remains ‘single-family’ there will be significant barriers to enter the housing market. Perhaps the City could consider allowing the strata-tilting of secondary suites or carriage homes. This would create a new housing form and promote home ownership (rather than rental options which quickly become unaffordable). This type of infill requires carefully crafted design guidelines to address parking, landscaping, and emergency access. Storage will also be at a premium. The guidelines should focus on preserving the ‘single-family look & feel’ of the streetscape and less about the siding/windows of the carriage house tucked-away in the back yard (unless that carriage house is on a public lane). If a carriage house in a rear yard was ‘strata titled’ to allow for individual ownership it would provide a more affordable housing form for young families in the community…. Also, for aging Colwood residents, it could allow them to sell off a portion of their 'nest egg' to fund their retirement while also allowing them to age in place in a new, smaller building, that is ground oriented and accessible (rather than moving far away to find affordable housing or into a seniors care facility). This would also introduce older housing stock into the market. If parking can be accommodated on site, the zoning should also allow for a rental suite within the larger home (this creates 2 individually owned units and 1 rental unit on what would be a single-family lot). This makes the best use of existing infrastructure (e.g. roads, water, sewer, etc.) without compromising the look and feel of single-family neighbourhoods. There won't always be another 'Royal Bay' to funnel new housing starts into... and continually pushing for new single-family development on the fringes of established neighbourhoods will only contribute to sprawl in the long-run... To be sustainable Colwood needs to find tasteful ways to densify existing neighbourhoods, which allows new residents to be closer to transit and services.
1 comment1Eaabout 2 years agoNoise considerations
The small lot design should indicate where and how a heat pump can be located as to not impact the neighbours with their noise.
1 comment0William1990about 2 years agoSubdivision Criteria
The City should include subdivision criteria in it's guidelines, and consider the impacts of densification to the streetscape. For example, if a conventional subdivision requires that the street trees and boulevards be removed to allow for an extension water/sewer infrastructure, perhaps the guidelines should encourage a bare-land strata with one water/sewer connection that is shared by both strata lots. This could help to save the City $. In exchange, the City could look at reduced subdivision servicing standards for infill strata subdivisions (particularity in areas where infrastructure such as sidewalks already exists, or is planned in the next 5 years).
0 comment0William1990about 2 years agoAnticipate Provincial Changes
The B.C. Minister responsible for housing has suggested that the Province will claw back powers from local governments, and introduce measures to increase housing supply which is desperately needed. “municipalities simply are not approving enough housing in a timely enough way.” – David Eby Eby says the government is looking at other jurisdictions that have implemented similar policies such as California, Oregon, Washington and New Zealand. See https://globalnews.ca/news/8641905/bc-local-governments-housing-development/ These other jurisdictions have essentially removed ‘single-family only’ zoning by allowing 3 to 4 units per lot – and up zoning for low/medium rise condos along transit routes. Perhaps these guidelines could be tweaked to also consider small lot developments with multiple units (3-4 plex).
0 comment0Eaabout 2 years agoLandscape requirements
In keeping with the city’s goal to reduce GHG, the guidelines should include requirements for trees, water retention and drought tolerant planting on each lot.
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Who's Listening
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The Development Services team is taking the lead on this file.
Phone 250-294-8153 Email landdevelopment@colwood.ca
Lifecycle
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Phase 1 - Spring/Summer 2021
Small Lot Design Guidelines has finished this stageBackground Review
Phase 1 survey, draft design guidelines, stakeholder session, report to Council
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Phase 2 - Fall 2021/Winter 2022
Small Lot Design Guidelines is currently at this stageGuidelines Development
Updating guidelines, stakeholder review, finalizing guidelines, report to Council
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Public Review - Winter 2022
this is an upcoming stage for Small Lot Design GuidelinesDraft Small Lot Subdivision Guidelines will be available for review and comment beginning Tuesday, January 25 for a three week period
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Implementation
this is an upcoming stage for Small Lot Design GuidelinesGuidelines will be used for future small lot subdivisions