The folks at LaneCraft homes blogged today on the evolving rules surrounding Laneway Home construction.
While it’s good that there is continuing discussion about laneways, and methods of making them more popular not just with the home-owners but also with their neighbours……there are current talks with the city about the problem with parking.
It’s true that most people who build enclosed parking spaces for their laneway homes are using them for living space. And that means that they have to use street parking (or pay for parking elsewhere). But for us, if they change the rules in mid-stream, it is going to mean problems.
Right now we have an enclosed parking area in our laneway. There is a proposal that laneway homes should also include another space. To quote LaneCraft:
To address the issue, the City is proposing to require an unenclosed surface parking spot when building a laneway house. This would address the issue by ensuring at least one on site parking spot, but, by reducing the buildable footprint (keeping current setbacks and height limits in place), would create more challenges in designing liveable spaces.
Creating more challenges right now would send our designer back to the drawing board and delay start on our project. I hope nothing happens in the next few weeks to jeopardize our current design receiving a building permit.
I feel for the city and their wish to reduce street parking. But no one wanders up alleyways with a flashlight to make sure that every garage contains its quota of automobiles, and has not been converted to a workshop, a studio, or even a storage area.
The Lady Who Lives Down the Lane 