June 30, 1999

To: Toronto Community Council

From: Angie Antoniou, Manager, Right of Way Management, Transportation Services District 1

Subject: Request for Angled Driveway Widening at 107 Briar Hill Avenue (North Toronto)

Purpose:

To report on a request for angled driveway widening which does not meet the requirements of Municipal Code Chapter 248, Parking Licenses, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code. As this is a request for an exemption from the by-law, it is scheduled as a deputation item.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not applicable.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that City Council deny the request for an exemption from the by-law to permit angled driveway widening at 107 Briar Hill Avenue, as such a request does not comply with Chapter 248 of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code due to insufficient space to meet the required clearance from back of the City sidewalk.

Background:

Councillor Michael Walker, in his communication of June 8, 1999, requested that I report to Toronto Community Council on Mr. Richard Smith's request for angled driveway widening at 107 Briar Hill Avenue.

Comments:

The previous owner of 107 Briar Hill Avenue was licensed for parking adjacent to the mutual driveway fronting the property. The parking area was situated adjacent to the mutual driveway and perpendicular to the sidewalk.

Mr. Richard Smith purchased the property in September 1996, and later submitted an application to transfer the licenced parking space. Mr. Smith's vehicle does not fit in the current parking space, and had requested to change the parking configuration to angled parking.

The request for angled driveway widening was refused due to insufficient space to accommodate the parking space and maintain the required clearances back of the sidewalk.

Driveway widening is currently governed by the criteria set out in Municipal Code Chapter 248, Parking Licences, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code. The current criteria of the Code require that:

(a)the parking space be perpendicular to the sidewalk;

(b)the parking area be located no closer than 0.3 metre to the rear edge of the sidewalk or to any portion of the building;

(c)in the case where the parking area cannot be located perpendicular to the sidewalk, the entrance to the angled parking area and the vehicle must be no closer than 2.0 metres to the rear edge of the sidewalk; and

(d)a minimum of 50% of the area on private property fronting the building to be landscaped open space, and a minimum of 15% of the area to be soft landscaping, on the City boulevard, a minimum of 15% of the area must be soft landscaping and all other areas other than the walkway and the parking pad must be soft landscaping.

We have investigated the feasibility of angle parking at this location as per Mr. Smith's proposal and have determined that it does not meet the provisions of Municipal Code Chapter 248, Parking Licences, in that there is insufficient setback to accommodate an angled parking area for the large vehicle and still meet the 2.0 metre setback from the sidewalk.

Notwithstanding the above, the proposed angled parking configuration meets the soft landscaping and landscaped open space requirement of the Municipal Code.

Conclusions:

The present configuration of the front yard at 107 Briar Hill Avenue does not provide sufficient clearances for a large vehicle to park angle to the sidewalk, or for parking perpendicular to the sidewalk. Under the circumstances, this request should be denied by Council.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Nino Pellegrini, 392-7778

Manager

NP

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