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Front yard parking |
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What's new
Zoning Bylaws No. 970-2006 to 1008-2006 inclusive were approved by the Ontario Municipal Board in a decision dated June 29, 2007. On September 27, 2006 City Council adopted Zoning Bylaws No. 970-2006 to 1008-2006 inclusive which provide for harmonized zoning regulations dealing with residential driveway dimensions and front yard landscaping.
City Council at its meeting June 27, 28 and 29, 2006 directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to bring forward zoning bylaw amendments to harmonize regulations on residential driveway dimensions and front yard landscaping. A public meeting (27kb) was held by the Planning and Transportation Committee on September 5, 2006.
The following driveway dimensions and landscaping requirements have been proposed. Detailed information is available in the staff report.
Driveway dimensions:
- Driveway minimum width of 2.6 metres
Driveway width maximums are as follows provided the landscaping requirements can be met:
- Lots with a frontage less than 6 metres: 2.6 metres
- Lots with a frontage of 6 metres to 23 metres: 6.0 metres
- Lots with a frontage greater than 23 metres: 9.0 metres
In addition, in the case of Toronto, East York, York and Scarborough Bylaws, the driveway cannot exceed the width of the parking spaces (garages) located behind the front wall of the building.
Front yard landscaping:
- Landscaped open space is an area that supports the growth of vegetation and includes a walkway, patio or similar area, but does not include a driveway or parking space
- For lots with a frontage of 6 m to less than 15 m, a minimum of 50% of the front yard be
maintained as landscaped open space
- For lots with a frontage of 15 m and greater, a minimum of 60% of the front yard be maintained as landscaped open space
- A minimum of 75 % of the front yard not covered by a permitted driveway shall be soft landscaping (an area that supports the growth of vegetation such as grass, trees, shrubs, flowers or other plants and permits water infiltration into the ground)
In addition to the driveway and landscaping requirements it is also recommended that:
- A public meeting under the provision of the Planning Act be held by the Planning and Transportation Committee
- A program to raise public awareness be undertaken for the new zoning and municipal code requirements
- A standard condition be included in all subdivision agreements and site plan agreements for detached, semi-detached, and duplex dwellings and street townhouses to advise new home owners of the zoning requirements concerning front yard landscaping and driveway widenings
Why regulate front yard parking
Driveways and garages were often non-existent in homes built before the widespread use of the automobile and before the implementation of comprehensive zoning bylaws. As a means of providing parking for these properties,
the front yard is frequently converted to a parking space.
The introduction of zoning bylaws made the City's requirement of driveways and parking spaces for all new buildings possible. However, the increased car ownership has created a need to accommodate more vehicles on a lot which has resulted in an increase in the widths of driveways and parking pads at the expense of soft landscaping and streetscapes.
Implications
When the front yard is covered in hard impervious surfaces devoted to driveways, garages, parking pads and carports, there is less area for plants, trees and soil, called soft landscaping. When it rains, it runs off into the storm water system rather than the ground, without replenishing the watertable. Hard surfaces also leads to the urban heat island effect that increases temperatures in cities.
Apart from environmental concerns, other reasons to regulate front yard parking include:
Use of parking space
- Parking space is used for storage and not for parking.
- Garage is converted to a living space eliminating the required parking space.
- People are leasing out parking spaces on their driveway, which creates a commercial parking lot in a residential area.
Streetscapes
- Driveways are being widened to accommodate additional vehicles on the driveway. This has the effect of turning the front yard into a parking lot.
- Vehicles are not being parked in the required parking space (such as the garage) but rather on the driveway.
- Vehicles are parked on the driveway but overhanging onto the City boulevard and sidewalk.
- Vehicles are parked on the front lawn and walkway rather than on the driveway.
- The increase in hard surfaces and loss of landscaped open space has a detrimental impact on neighbourhood streetscapes.
My front yard-a closer look
Examples of front yard and boulevard parking
What is the front yard?
- It is the area across the entire width of a lot, lying between the front property line and the front main walls of a building on the lot
What is the boulevard?
- The space between the front lot line and the street
The front yard serves several purposes:
- It provides a buffer from street and sidewalk activity for residents
- It beautifies lots and improves streetscapes via landscaping
- It is frequently used for vehicle parking
Timelines
For the most recent history read What's new. City staff is working diligently and cooperatively to raise public awareness to the new zoning and municipal code requirements. The front yard and boulevard parking initiative is a joint collaboration between the City Planning Division and Transportation Services to coordinate changes to front yard and boulevard parking regulations across the City.
May 15, 2006
City Planning report dated May 15, 2006 recommended the adoption of harmonized zoning regulations dealing with residential driveway dimensions and front yard landscaping.
March 6, 2006
The Planning and Transportation Committee has approved a staff report which outlines the progress of work to date as well as the public consultation process. The staff report is Item number 6 on the March 6, 2006 committee agenda.
February 7, 2006
The staff report before each Community Council at their meetings on February 7, 2006 provided a summary of the input from the Community Consultations to consider when considering their deliberations of residential front yard and boulevard parking policy and regulation proposals.
Go to the decision document in the right-hand corner of the agenda for each of the Community Councils to read about the recommendations from each of the Community Councils:
January 16-19, 2006
Four Community Consultation meetings took place in each of the four Districts between 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.:
- January 16, 2006 Etobicoke Civic Centre
- January 17, 2006 Metro Hall
- January 18, 2006 North York Civic Centre
- January 19, 2006 Scarborough Civic Centre
November 21, 2005
- City Planning and Transportation Services completed a joint staff report (86kb) on parking on residential front yards and boulevards.
November 18, 2005
- Transportation Services completed a staff report (143kb) including appendices on front yard parking and boulevards as it relates to the Municipal Code Chapter and policy considerations. The following
appendices can also be viewed with a simple click of the mouse:
- Appendix A (36kb) Outstanding Report Requests for Off-Street Residential Parking Issues
- Appendix B (101kb) Existing Residential Boulevard Parking Regulations
- Appendix C (101kb) Draft bylaw to adopt a new City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 918,
Parking on Residential Front Yards and Boulevards
- Appendix D (101kb) Impacts of Front Yard Parking on Wet Weather Flow Management Issues
November 14, 2005
- The City Planning Division completed a staff report (1375kb) on zoning regulations for front yard parking for the following types of housing:
- Detached
- Semi-Detached
- Street Townhouses
- Duplexes
June 2005
- A Joint Committee is formed between City Planning and Transportation Services to oversee the issue of front yard and boulevard parking.
City Planning staff is instructed to report on zoning bylaw provisions related to front yard parking while Transportation Services reports on the consolidation of current municipal bylaw code provisions dealing with front yard parking.
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