northeast Calgary residents pave entire front lawns

[taco.vidal]

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/118...e-front-lawns/



What a mess?! I wonder if the city is going to take any action and enforce the applicable bylaws.

The article touches upon a couple of reasons for why this is happening. I work with some guys who have their extended families living together. The houses that were intended to be single family homes are essentially being treated as mini-apartment buildings that house two or three families. If each of those families has two or three drivers then you've got ten cars to park. Look at how many families of four with teenage or older kids have four or more cars. Now multiply that by two or three.

If you want to suite your house, it might not be a bad idea to pave your yard. Nenshi, make it happen!

Grass is disappearing and what could reasonably be described as “unidriveways” are emerging in sections of northeast Calgary as residents pave their front lawns – sometimes entirely – in apparent attempts to create more parking space.

The practice is in violation of several city bylaws, according to longtime Saddle Ridge resident Greg Steiner, who said he first observed an illegally widened driveway a couple of years ago, but has since seen dozens of neighbouring homes turn swaths of green grass into grey concrete.

On some streets, owners of three or four houses in a row have filled in all the grass between their driveways to create one, long, continuously paved stretch.

“It cheapens the neighbourhood because it looks like row housing,” Steiner said, adding that it creates snow removal issues.

“They don’t have any place to throw the snow, so they put it out in the street.”

Coun. Jim Stevenson said he’s heard “quite a few complaints” from people in the Saddleridge area and Coun. Ray Jones said he’s recently heard from upset residents in nearby Martindale, too.

“They’re paving the boulevard as well, which surprises me … because that’s city property,” Jones said of some of the Martindale cases.

Steiner believes many people in Saddle Ridge, where the lots are particularly wide, are doing it to provide parking for non-conforming secondary suites.

Jones said there “might be a little bit of that” but, in Martindale, at least, there are likely other issues at play.

“There’s a lot of narrow lots and people just want extra places to park because they have extended families,” he said.

EDIT TO ADD A SECOND ARTICLE:

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/118...s-since-2008/#

Paving entire front lawns to use as driveways is against the law in Calgary, according to the city’s planning department, but the rules have only been in place for the past six years.

“We didn’t really have rules on driveways and driveway widths and paving until 2008,” planner Laurie Kimber said Monday.

As Metro reported Sunday, apparent “unidriveways” are emerging in numerous northeast neighbourhoods, as residents pave swaths of their front lawns, often to use for parking.

In some places, neighbouring driveways end up connecting with one another, creating long, completely paved stretches in front of three or four homes.

But paved driveways are legally limited to a maximum width of six metres on lots that are nine metres wide or less, Kimber said. On larger lots, driveways can be up to seven metres wide.

These rules only apply within six metres from the curb, he added, and closer to the house, paving can be “flared out” wider.

It is possible to apply for variances to the rules, Kimber said, although the regulations are in place for a reason.

I didn't notice in the first picture that they paved around the utility boxes. LOL.

[photon]

One guy near where I live did this, I didn't think it was about parking, I thought maybe it was because concrete is easier to maintain than grass

I wonder what it'd look like if it was painted green. Or astroturfed.

[burn_this_city]

Only thing that bothers me about that story is the snow removal issue. I live in row housing, I didn't realize it had a negative connotation.

[calumniate]

In these new neighbourhoods that would equate to approximately a half swath of a lawnmower? Has become such a joke now anyways. I think the builders should be shot for building stuff so close too

[#-3]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Only thing that bothers me about that story is the snow removal issue. I live in row housing, I didn't realize it had a negative connotation.

Ya it really gets me when I see people just push snow onto the road. Then they're the same idiots that's stuck in their own stupid snow bank 2 days later. And I have to get around them.

Put a little damn effort in and take care of your property properly.

[cal_guy]

Originally Posted by #-3

Ya it really gets me when I see people just push snow onto the road. Then they're the same idiots that's stuck in their own stupid snow bank 2 days later. And I have to get around them.

Put a little damn effort in and take care of your property properly.

It's acceptable if the snow is from the sidewalk.

[fatso]

I haven't made my mind up on the aesthetics of this practice, nor do I know anything about its legality. I will say, though, that if I was the neighbour of Mr. White SUV I would absolutely lose my mind that despite all the parking space available in front of his place, he still managed to overhang his crap vehicle over our shared grass.

[KTrain]

If enough people did it on a street, wouldn't storm water run-off become an issue? The grass soaks up the rain.

The snow removal would piss me off.

[Dan02]

I've seen this done in a fair number of places around Calgary not just the northeast but never in such a continuous chain.

Put me in the I don't give a f*** what you do with your property as long as it looks in reasonable upkeep. Which those ones do.

I think the main concern here though is snow removal, what are they going to do with it all?

Furthermore, how is it increasing parking, As evidenced by the pictures adding the driveway space might a parking space beside the driveway but it takes one away from along the street. net gain = 0.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by cal_guy

It's acceptable if the snow is from the sidewalk.

I don't agree, but if you insist just try not to obstruct the road.

[Wormius]

I am not sure I would go to the extreme of paving over the front yard, because who knows if the city would need access to underground utilities or something, but I don't see the problem if you want to be able to get some actual use from the front yard. They kind of seem like wasted space otherwise.

[Ryan Coke]

According to calgary bylaw it is acceptable, it isn't a personal preference issue.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Dan02

Furthermore, how is it increasing parking, As evidenced by the pictures adding the driveway space might a parking space beside the driveway but it takes one away from along the street. net gain = 0.

Net gain = 1, if it's for longer term storage of a vehicle, or if it's for a housemate who always leaves before/after you, or you always have company over and they can park behind you, or just park like the person in the picture and you can still get out.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Acey

Net gain = 1, if it's for longer term storage of a vehicle, or if it's for a housemate who always leaves before/after you, or you always have company over and they can park behind you, or just park like the person in the picture and you can still get out.

And since it's in front of your house, you could claim it as 'yours', as opposed to a public street, which is a free for all.

I could see where rows of this could make for some interesting issues with emergency vehicles. House catches on fire...firemen have to go over a row of cars first.

[Sliver]

It looks like complete trash.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by Sliver

It looks like complete trash.

However, somewhat dog free?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by calumniate

In these new neighbourhoods that would equate to approximately a half swath of a lawnmower? Has become such a joke now anyways. I think the builders should be shot for building stuff so close too

This is a city requirement to improve density.

Provided builders have designed storm drains for no front lawns and the no throwing snow on the street are met I don't have an issue.

[Bob]

At least they didn't put down a few cubic yards of cheap white rock from Burnco with no underlay or prep, so that in 2-3 years it's chock full of weeds. Pavement, properly done, is clean and hassle free for a long time. I sure hope of them has a snowblower.

I find it a little unsightly, but walk around downtown or the beltline and you'll see similar stuff all the time.

[TurdFerguson]

Hmmm Dr. Green isn't going to be happy about this. However, he will still call you twice a week.

[The Familia]

Looks like crap. Is it that difficult to maintain a small piece of grass and perhaps plant a tree? People keep getting lazier and lazier. What a cold and barren wasteland that looks like. A good majority of the NE looks like #### though so it is no surprise. I was born and raised in Whitehorn and the surrounding communities. I slowly watched it fall into disrepair. It is actually quite sad to see the state some houses and areas are in.