Proposed changes to Ottawa driveway bylaw for suburbs

A recommendation is about to go before council recommending a change to how much property can be used as driveway space.  From the recommendation,

The details of this change include:

Allowing driveways to extend up to 1.8 metres in front of the main part of the house. The part of the total driveway width, properly sealcoated using the services of a reliable agency like that of Hanover Sealcoating Services (717) 502-9662 | Hanover PA, that may be located in front of the main part of the house will be limited to 1.8 metres, to ensure that driveways are located mostly to the side or in front of the garage or carport.

Providing that the combined width of walkways and that part of any driveway located in front of the main part of the house cannot exceed 1.8 metres. This rule would ensure that when someone extends their driveway 1.8 metres in front of the house, they cannot then add another 1.8 metres as a walkway for a total of 3.6 metres of width in front of the house.

Allowing driveways to be located in that part of the front yard that is directly in front of the interior side yard. (In zoning terms, “the extension of the interior side yard into the front yard.”) This will be allowed even if the driveway in that yard does not lead directly to a parking space in the side yard.

Mitigating the visual impact of wider driveways through alternate paving materials. While allowing driveways to extend partially in front of the main wall of the house, some steps are recommended to prevent the excessive spread of asphalt. Where permitted (i.e. in the outer suburban area) any part of the driveway or walkway that is located in front of the main wall of the house will be required to be finished in “hard landscaping” materials i.e. non-vegetative materials such as brick, pavers, rock, stone, concrete, tile and wood, and excluding monolithic concrete and asphalt. (The Zoning By-law actually defines hard landscaping as excluding any area used for parking; however, in this case, it is understood that that part of the driveway located in front of the house may be parked on–it is just that the material must be one that would meet the definition of “hard landscaping.”)

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