As demand for new housing supply grows and land becomes less available in our region, cities must be prepared to receive and thoughtfully guide applications for homes to be built on smaller lots between 9 and 11 metres wide.  

Colwood's Small Lot Guidelines are intended to maintain the livability and quality character of neighbourhoods where single family homes are proposed on small lots.

In particular, smaller lot widths can impact whether a secondary suite can be accommodated and the number of parking spaces that can be achieved.

In 2021 and 2022, the City of Colwood engaged residents and stakeholders to better understand considerations with respect to small lots. Post cards were mailed to residents who currently live on small lots to encourage input, and meetings were held with stakeholder groups. See the Small Lot Design Guidelines project on Let's Talk Colwood.

The small lot guidelines are shown below. Click to view or download the Small Lot Guidelines as a pdf.