Dear Editor
Laneway housing is a good idea in some cases, but one important issue needs to be addressed, parking.
We already have problems in single-family neighbourhoods with too many people parking on the street, sometimes because they’re using their onsite parking for storage or other purposes, and sometimes because they have tenants in suites who also have cars, and sometimes it’s both. It is often the case that residents are unable to park in front of their own homes thanks to neighbours with too many cars.
The problem could easily be solved by bringing in a bylaw that prohibits anyone from parking adjacent to or in front of anyone else’s home for more than a certain number of hours – three, four, six, whatever. Such a law would only be enforceable on complaint, leaving room for neighbours to work it on the ground if they so choose. It’s safe to assume that after a couple of tickets the street parking hogs would miraculously come up with onsite parking, and builders of laneway houses would be compelled to include it in their designs. Over-parking in residential areas is already a problem; let’s not make it any worse.
Ian MacNeil, New Westminster
