---
title: "RT1 zone in Colwood: Residential Towncentre"
place: Colwood, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/colwood
zone: RT1
bylaw: Colwood Land Use Bylaw No. 151, 1989 (with amendments to August 24, 2026)
bylaw_read: 2026-11-07
review: draft
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/zoning/rt1/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/zoning/rt1.json"
---

# RT1 zone in Colwood: Residential Towncentre

Low-rise (up to six storeys), street-oriented residential development at medium density suited to a regional town centre, including smaller-unit apartment housing for seniors or people with special needs.

## Zone rules

- **Purpose:** Low-rise (up to six storeys), street-oriented residential development at medium density suited to a regional town centre, including smaller-unit apartment housing for seniors or people with special needs.
- **Main uses:** Apartment; Attached Housing; Congregate Housing (Uses in Section 2.1.10 are also permitted; the basic development provision also names one-family dwelling use and group home use (no more than one one-family dwelling per lot).)
- **Also allowed (secondary uses):** Home Occupation; Retail sales, offices and personal care services incidental to a congregate housing use; Accessory buildings and structures; Accessory dwelling unit
- **Extra uses on specific lots:** Lot 3, Section 1, Esquimalt District, Plan 9686 and Lot 16, Section 1, Esquimalt District, Plan 2574, Except that Part in Plan 9686 (360 and 364 Goldstream Avenue): no more than three dwelling and care units unless amenity contributions are paid; rear yard 6.5 m; lot coverage 40%; usable open space 6%; Lots 2, 3 and 4, Section 1, Esquimalt District, Plan 13872 (1919, 1921 and 1923 Jerome Road): no more than three dwelling and care units unless contributions and a traffic signal are provided; floor area ratio up to 2.0; rear yard 5.5 m; lot coverage 50%
- **Minimum lot area:** 1,400m² (minimum lot that may be created by subdivision)
- **Minimum lot width:** 18m (highway frontage and lot width created by subdivision)
- **Maximum lot coverage:** 40% (Goldstream Avenue lots) or 50% (Jerome Road lots) when over 50% of parking is underground or under-building; otherwise 35%
- **Maximum density:** Floor area ratio 1.55 with minimum dwelling unit size 55m²; up to 1.75 with a non-profit housing agreement or on-site community amenities; 2.0 on the Jerome Road lots
- **Maximum height:** Six storeys or 22.5m; pitched peaked roofs up to 26.5m
- **Front setback:** Not less than 2.5m and not more than 4.5m for a residential use
- **Rear setback:** 6.5m (Goldstream Avenue lots); 5.5m (Jerome Road lots)
- **Interior side setback:** 4m; 7.5m if an emergency access route is required
- **Other rules:** Basic development (before bonus density) follows Sections 5.3.03 through 5.3.07 (AR2); Usable open space at least 10 percent of the lot (6 percent on the Goldstream Avenue lots); Parking is 1.4 spaces per apartment dwelling unit; Panhandle lots not permitted for subdivision

## Source

- [Colwood Land Use Bylaw No. 151, 1989 (with amendments to August 24, 2026), s. 6.8](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1999#page=95) (read 2026-11-07)

Rules in the bylaw's general sections (parking, fences, suites, home businesses) also apply. All zones in Colwood: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/zoning/index.json

_Draft: taken from the bylaw text by a research agent and not yet reviewed by a person. Gov Handbook is an independent guide. Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/zoning/rt1/_