Admiral Beez
Superstar
I have a question regarding driveway widening. We have been paying the city for our driveway widening permit since the 1980s. We used to pay very little for the permit, but now see that it is $150 a year, and predicted to continue to rise.
I understand that in many cases when a homeowner widens their driveway to accommodate their vehicle, that this can affect the other users of the street, since one less on-street parking space is now available to others, thus affecting the city's revenue for on-street parking permits. Also, driveway widening can affect the city's revenue, in that the city in many cases must rebuild the curb in order to accommodate the new, wider driveway.
However, in the case of my property, there is no on-street parking permitted on my side of the street. Thus, we are not taking away potential on-street parking from the neighbourhood, thus not affecting the city's revenue for on-street parking permits. Also, we do not require any change to the curb in front of our property, as we use only the existing sloped curb to enter our parking area. Lastly, the city's tree inspector reviewed the driveway widening in the 1990s, and determined that we had left sufficient open earth around the city-owned tree to allow it to thrive, which it certainly has done nicely.
Thus, as the widening of our driveway to accommodate our vehicle has not negatively or financially impacted the city in any way, I am questioning if we need the permit and its continuously rising cost at all. There are several homes in Cabbagetown that were built from the onset with wide parking spaces in front, and no permits are required. It seems that we are now paying upwards of $150 a year to the city to park on our own property, to the detriment of no one, while others in the area pay nothing.
So, what happens if I cancel the permit? Is there an appeal process, in which we can have the permit reviewed?
I understand that in many cases when a homeowner widens their driveway to accommodate their vehicle, that this can affect the other users of the street, since one less on-street parking space is now available to others, thus affecting the city's revenue for on-street parking permits. Also, driveway widening can affect the city's revenue, in that the city in many cases must rebuild the curb in order to accommodate the new, wider driveway.
However, in the case of my property, there is no on-street parking permitted on my side of the street. Thus, we are not taking away potential on-street parking from the neighbourhood, thus not affecting the city's revenue for on-street parking permits. Also, we do not require any change to the curb in front of our property, as we use only the existing sloped curb to enter our parking area. Lastly, the city's tree inspector reviewed the driveway widening in the 1990s, and determined that we had left sufficient open earth around the city-owned tree to allow it to thrive, which it certainly has done nicely.
Thus, as the widening of our driveway to accommodate our vehicle has not negatively or financially impacted the city in any way, I am questioning if we need the permit and its continuously rising cost at all. There are several homes in Cabbagetown that were built from the onset with wide parking spaces in front, and no permits are required. It seems that we are now paying upwards of $150 a year to the city to park on our own property, to the detriment of no one, while others in the area pay nothing.
So, what happens if I cancel the permit? Is there an appeal process, in which we can have the permit reviewed?
