The City of Colwood has taken a step toward a rezoning that will allow for 29 new three-storey townhomes to be built on Latoria Road.
Developer Formwell requested the city rezone the property at 641 Latoria Road from its current R1 residential zoning to a comprehensive development zone to allow for the increased density and height allowed on the property.
Council approved the request, directing staff to prepare a formal bylaw amendment to enact the rezoning at its Oct. 10 regular meeting, with Coun. Cynthia Day the only vote against.
Council’s decision followed a unanimous recommendation the request be approved from the Planning and Land Use Committee, which spent much time debating the request at its Oct. 3 meeting.
“The focus was more so on the project, on traffic impacts,” said Coun. Ian Ward – who sits on the committee – during council’s discussion of the rezoning.
“All things considered, I think they made a significant design change to accommodate the entry and egress.”
Ward said parking concerns were also raised in committee, but in this project’s case there are few concerns about overflow parking spilling into neighbouring residential areas as there are no practical ways for a resident of the proposed development to do so.
He said proposed design elements such as carbon capture concrete construction and level 2 EV chargers also led the committee to support the rezoning.
While council has supported the rezoning request by directing staff to prepare a bylaw amendment to enact the rezoning, additional discussion and votes will take place in future public council meetings before the rezoning comes into effect.
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