Bicycle storage - fight with builder

[Thesb]

I recently was among the first to take occupancy of a unit in a 274-unit development. When I bought in May 2007, I purchased a storage locker for $3500.00, expecting to use it as storage for extra boxes of belongings, etc. The Agreement of Purchase and sale described it as a storage locker, not a bicycle parking space.

The by-law covering the development states that “not less than 225 bicycle parking spaces shall be provided and maintained on the lot, of which 40 shall be bicycle parking space – visitor and 185 shall be bicycle parking spaces – occupant, provided that no such bicycle parking spaces shall be provided in any dwelling unit or on any balcony, nor within any commercial suite;â€

The developer is now telling occupying residents that the bicycle parking spaces and storage lockers are the same thing – in other words, you spent $3500 to lock up a bike or two and not have room for much else. Have any of you had any similar experiences? We have a lot of angry/disappointed/frustrated people trying to convince the developer to provide bicycle storage before we register, but we don’t seem to be getting anywhere. We have contacted the City Planner, who is uncertain as to whether or not the builder is in breach of the by-law and won't make a decision until pre-registration inspection. Any tips?

 

[Eug]

What are the walls of the space? Can you hang the bike off the walls? That won't solve the problem caused by their lame claims, but at least it will allow you to put more stuff in your storage locker for now.

 

[Thesb]

No can do. The condo docs forbid transporting bikes through residential corridors.

 

[Josef]

Does it matter what the condo documents state? Who's going to care or enforce that?

 

[W. K. Lis]

How do you fix a flat on bike, if they forbid transporting bikes through the corridors? I need water to look for the hole in the tube. As well, I always found the lighting in the storage lockers very dim to do repairs.

 

[BlueCat]

In my condo, which is 4 years old, the developer did not provide bicycle storage areas/bike racks. We do have lockers but they were sold just as lockers and not bike storage areas. A deficiency like this should be on the Performance Audit for your corporation once you turnover from the developer but you'll probably have to also check with original blueprints and documents for the building to see if there were indeed supposed to be bicycle parking units. I'm no expert but if that stuff is in the original, approved documents and drawings then it will be on the Audit. This is what I have found from working with the developer for my condo on our Performance Audit. It's much easier to fight them it something is on the Audit.

What our board did in the first year after turnover is to purchase bike racks for the garage and they are mounted on the walls in the garage. We were originally charged $5 per month bike rental to pay for the racks but there was a backlash from people so they dropped it and the corporation absorbed the cost of the racks - which just hit the owners anyways in maintenance fees but whatever. Many people also just store their bikes in their lockers. Our lockers are in the garage so there's no problem regarding bringing them through the building common areas.

Sorry to hear that you're fighting this with the developer. Good luck.

 

[urbandreamer]

Buy a folding bike. You can either put it inside a carrying case and sneak it up to your unit, or store in your unit and still have space left over for tons of other stuff. Buy one now--out of season--for under $700.