City changes front yard storage rules
In a single vote, council has tightened up rules around front yard storage and created more opportunities for garden suites to be built in the city.
In a single vote, council has tightened up rules around front yard storage and created more opportunities for garden suites to be built in the city.
A range of edits to the zoning bylaw were adopted by council Tuesday night when third reading of the bylaw was passed.
Written submissions had come forward from the public expressing concerns over the change, which sets greater limits on storing RVs, utility trailers, boats and the like in front yards.
Under the amended bylaw, those items are now limited to projecting a maximum two metres into the front yard and required to be stored in the driveway.
As planning manager Pat Ross explained at an earlier meeting, large items kept in a front yard can impact site lines, block sidewalks and shade homes during the winter.
Another big change would see garden suites permitted on larger duplex properties of at least 555 square metres that meet certain conditions. The move has been greeted with support by those who wrote to the city on the changes.
“Specifically, the submissions supported allowing garden suites in conjunction with fee-simple duplexes and amendments promoting densification,” a staff report to council stated.
Other changes for homeowners would see the removal of major home-based businesses from several zones, screening of side yard parking and more restrictions on fencing.
The edits also remove the maximum limit on parking stalls in Service Commercial zones.
There were concerns expressed that one of the mapping changes to expand the Parks and Recreation zone north of Softball Yukon’s lease on Range Road could impact the TransCanada Trail. Ross assured council it would not.
The change was made in order to align area mapping, Ross explained.
“There will not be any impact to the TransCanada Trail,” he said.
“However, the existing Softball Yukon lease does allow for outdoor storage immediately north of the fastball diamonds. The zoning bylaw requires screening of outdoor storage.”
Coun. Rob Fendrick was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
Comments (18)
Up 20 Down 4
Finally leaving on Apr 7, 2016 at 4:10 pm
Well, we've commented on this twice and now we are finally leaving Whitehorse at the end of April thanks to all the improper spending (waste) of our tax dollars, the needless densification of housing, the grossly inflated costs of land here, and, the absolutely idiotic changes like the ones in this article regarding where people may store their property (on their property).
Contrary to popular belief, some jobs are able to be done remotely and could be done from anywhere. Some people (us) were born and raised here (3rd gen) but are certainly excited to be moving away from these ridiculous ideas and concepts that an incredibly vocal few have brought from large cities.
I count myself as incredibly fortunate to be able to simply move away from what I consider to be a joke of a formerly very "Yukon" and great city without penalty.
For the record, we literally only continued to live here because of the "toys" and the wilderness (and our access to it on machines). We also very much enjoyed the shared interest in these "toys" that so many people up here share.
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This is very badly written on Apr 7, 2016 at 9:56 am
bylaw and if the City tries to enforce it they are going to get a court case challenging the merits of it in application. No municipality can tell a resident where you can and can't park an RV or a boat on your property.
Municipalities can bring on an unsightly premises bylaw but it has to clearly define the law.
If this bylaw is enforced, there well be 100's and 100's of City of Whitehorse residents that will be unable to comply.
City of Whitehorse, don't forget, is a wilderness City not TO or Vancouver..
So there are a lot of toys as one person called it and we are not red necks.
As far as the person with the neighbor from hell they should call bylaw and give them a warning under the unsightly premises bylaw. If they don't comply then they well get ticketed to clean it up.
The people of my street that can't get their toys into the back yard because of whole a lot reasons, like no entrance because the City of Whitehorse planners forgot to put in a back lane in a lot of cases like Riverdale has. There are some back lanes in Copper Ridge.
Without back lanes people have no choice to park their toys in the front yards.
Up 34 Down 3
Charles on Apr 6, 2016 at 3:18 pm
I am having a tough time understanding the RV etc parking - 'limited to projecting 2 metres into front yard' Some houses are built way back with large yards in front. Wouldn't it make more sense to state - 'no closer than 2 metres from front boundary?'
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Unreal on Apr 6, 2016 at 2:57 pm
If COW had listened to the people and ignored Outside concepts like 'densification' we'd all be able to buy 100x200 lots like in Porter Creek to store our toys, build a garden suite, have a chicken coop, have a herb/vegetable garden. Instead COW created a bunch of postage stamp sized lots in Copper Ridge, Ingram, Whistle Bend where you can't even have a back yard let alone gain access to it. What a bunch of short sighted goons.
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A Story Of Hell In Whitehorse on Apr 6, 2016 at 2:12 pm
When I bought my first home 10 years ago in what I thought was a nice upscale Whitehorse neighborhood, the house next door was in between tenants with the yard all cleaned up and the driveway clear, etc. The very day we took possession the neighbors from hell moved in next door. Over the course of time their garbage became scattered everywhere, old junker vehicles just accumulated in the back yard, driveway, and on the street as they broke down and were replaced with more junkers. They had pit bulls tied in their back yard that barked incessantly and would be trying to break their chains to get at us, my wife and dog were both scared to go outside so would just leave our house to go somewhere else. These peoples young kids well under 10 years old tore up and down the street on ski-doos or ATV's at all times of the day or night. Sometimes their toddler would be sitting naked in the middle of the street screaming away, no adults would be home at the time. There were late night brawls out on the street when the adults came home soused from whatever party they staggered home from. Things were stolen from our back yard and would eventually turn up in the yard next door. I usually got tired of waiting for the police to deal with it so I would just go and take my stuff back. Their friends would come and park in MY driveway and be on MY front lawn with their pot smoking as their yard was such a disaster they thought they'd just take the liberty of moving the party onto my lawn instead. I ended up yelling at these people on a regular basis to get out of my driveway, stay off my front lawn, shut their dogs up, etc. It was a nightmare! Myself as well as other neighbors reported these things repeatedly to bylaw, social services, the RCMP, their landlord, you name it no one did anything beyond paying lip service to the problem. We were told, 'It's their culture' and, 'They have to live somewhere' from different government officials who were all scared of their own shadows and desperately trying to pass the buck. My wife and I were told by one agency to keep a log of everything going on next door, we told them to do their own job! If bylaw came these people would flat out just lie and as that was the easy way out for bylaw they would leave. Finally several years ago one of these people got shot in their house one night, that turned out to be what was needed for the authorities to take some action and they were evicted. I imagine that just moved the problem to someone else's neighborhood however.
My point is that as I have found out firsthand that all these bylaws the city passes concerning parking, noise, dogs, etc. won't be enforced,they're just a paper exercise that means nothing to those that ignore them anyways.
That's my rant, I have to say that after these people were evicted I have never appreciated a relatively quiet neighborhood and being able to live in peace like I do now!
Up 10 Down 23
vlad on Apr 6, 2016 at 1:15 pm
Hey, you don't like it? Move out. Simple as that. The Yukon is huge. It is not just Whitehorse, although it seems to be. What about some other community or countryside, where private or abandoned junk is everywhere and nobody seems to care.
Up 22 Down 25
Not sure what the impact will be, but on Apr 5, 2016 at 4:06 pm
I too am glad to see at least a recognition that there has to be some regulation about storage of boats/RV's/vehicles as it's gotten a bit out of hand. We've had monster boats jutting over the sidewalk, and a motorhome parked for an entire summer with 2 wheels up on the sidewalk, with an extension cord trailing from the house. I agree with the comments about them being both an eyesore and a hazard, but from what I read about the by-law, I don't think there are any changes that will keep them off the streets if they are (sort of) parked in driveways
Up 24 Down 3
Jwhite on Apr 5, 2016 at 3:47 pm
As I understand it - and it was difficult to figure it out - major home based business appears to be a business that is likely to generate a lot of extra traffic. The change, I think, is to prohibit this in multiple dwelling situations. That would seem sensible. More to the point - if someone is negatively affected, then why didn't they make their position known before the bylaw was voted on? Also, frankly I get frustrated trying to keep our yard neat and tidy and looking out on beat up old trucks and junk that neighbours are just too lazy to remove. I understand that not everyone cares about the appearance of their neighbourhood. But that's why we have choices, and if I want to be surrounded by old crap, I can go live in a place where there's no zoning to prevent it. As to the barking/wandering dogs, call bylaw. Bylaw is reactive. They do not, by policy, go looking. They only react. Maybe that's not the best system, but that's the way it is.
Up 33 Down 11
Josey Whales on Apr 5, 2016 at 12:55 pm
It seems like a just law. A yard should be orderly and not a parking lot.
Up 33 Down 16
fredia on Apr 5, 2016 at 12:40 pm
I would love to see something done about barking dogs, unleashed dogs and snow on sidewalks but I also think if you have to store your motorhomes and whatnot on the roadways and public land then maybe you have too many toys. I for one don't want unhitched trailers or any such thing blocking my view and creating hazards for children playing in the street and drivers not being able to see what is coming down the street or around the corner. Also I am pi--ed that I have to walk on the roads because ignorant drivers park their cars blocking the sidewalks. It is about time something is done about this.
Whine, whine, whine -concern yourselves with something worth sniveling about.
Up 29 Down 7
Home own small business are going to be pushed out of business on Apr 4, 2016 at 4:42 pm
I have friend that will be fined every day. Where is the consultant Liberal Mayor.
This is such bad business for our City.
Up 97 Down 9
YTGuy on Apr 4, 2016 at 2:24 pm
Northern Knight
Your comment re "rednecks" and home equity loans. I own my home, paid cash for all my "toys", and this was all through hard work and not using my credit cards for very damned thing. How are you doing?
I built a legit second driveway so that I could store my boat and snowmobile trailer on my property and not on the street like every Tom, Dick and Harry seems to be doing, and now I'M the one who is going to be targeted with this new bylaw. Ok. Fine. I'll store my stuff on the street, move it every 71 hours. Now my neighbors can look at my "toys" on the street and I'll block the garbage truck. Sounds good.
Up 65 Down 9
Just more rules on Apr 3, 2016 at 5:39 pm
So, just make more rules to having a small home home based business and more of us have to go out of business. Thank you City of Whitehorse, and those who think they are in charge of making rules. We have personally been affected by these changes and have closed up our long term home based business which none of our neighbours ever had an issue with and we even had supporting letters. The only person who had an issue was a person who had a personal conflict with us (and lives at the complete opposite end of the street), and the higher up who was able to change the rules. Seems the City just wants to make life harder and harder for home owners. Taxes go up, rules always being added to what we can or cannot do to our own property (can't park here can't have a fence that high, your grass can't be that high, your yard is too messy, you have to partciipate in our recycle programme & pay to recycle, you have to shovel snow right within so many hours, do this do that don't do this can't do that) next thing you know they will be telling us what we can or cannot eat or even what color we can paint our own homes!
I want a six foot fence in front of my home to keep out animals (from jumping over the fence) and creepers from seeing in and I can't even have that! If they are going to bother us about anything I will surely be calling them about all infractions I see and expect them to respond.
Thank you for nothing City of Whitehorse!
Up 85 Down 12
Atom on Apr 3, 2016 at 10:10 am
Another southern fried rule for folks to live by in The Yukon..grats
Up 64 Down 13
City administration out of control on Apr 2, 2016 at 12:30 pm
Mayor supporting disrespectful actions in the City that belong to the people not a misguided Mayor and some Councillors.
If a mayor or Councillor misses three meetings they are supposed to resign.
Dan Curtis phoned in but missed the meeting in council chambers as he was required to do but do you think staff are going to enforce the municipal act?
Do you think YTG is going to enforce the municipal act?
Government create acts only for their interest not the interest of the people.
Up 45 Down 75
Northern Knight on Apr 1, 2016 at 5:58 pm
What? Where are all those rednecks going to store all those toys they bought with their home equity loans??
Up 100 Down 3
YTGuy on Apr 1, 2016 at 5:31 pm
So, they won't enforce the leaving of vehicles for in excess of 72 hours on the street (abandoned vehicles), they won't enforce the clearing of sidewalks of snow, they won't enforce barking dogs creating a nuisance, and now this? Really? Take a hike council.
Up 72 Down 5
Lost in the Yukon on Apr 1, 2016 at 4:11 pm
Fendrick missed another meeting. Big surprise.
Did he manage to put it over on the electorate last election?