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Colwood mayor says province is 'micro-managing' city's housing decisions

Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi received a May 7 letter from Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon regarding the city's progress on its housing target and a recent zoning denial.
The letter recognized that Colwood achieved 54% of its first-year housing target of 940 units but criticized the city’s decision to refuse a rezoning request for 44 townhouse units, citing issues related to development density and traffic impact.
Kobayashi described the letter's tone as concerning, called the supervision 'a bit autocratic,' and warned this risks eroding local decision-making and cooperation.
He made the correspondence public to maintain transparency and emphasized Colwood’s dedication to sustainable development while collaborating with the provincial government to increase housing availability.
Kobayashi and neighboring municipalities criticized new provincial bills that would centralize power and diminish local authority, risking trust and cooperation needed for housing progress.

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