Regina looks to put teeth into ban on lawn parking

A man’s home might be his castle — but his front yard isn’t his parking lot.

That’s the position of the City of Regina administration, which is looking to strengthen an enforcement process on front-yard parking that some view as cumbersome. A proposal set to come before council’s community and protective services committee on Thursday would provide for tickets with fines starting at $250.

For those who continue to defy the proposed bylaw amendment, the city would even be able to call in the tow truck.

The Regina zoning bylaw already forbids parking on residential lawns, limiting it to “approved parking spaces,” legal driveways or parking pads. But it doesn’t provide for fines, leaving the city with just two options: Convince the property owner to comply, or bring them to court.

In most cases, the city is successful. It got 287 complaints about front-yard parking in 2018. More than half resulted in voluntary compliance, while most of the rest turned out to not be violations at all.

That left just 28 cases. City orders convinced still others to comply, but four property owners chose to appeal.

Community associations in Regina’s south end have complained to city council about the opportunities for delay that the process grants property owners. Brian Black, who sits on the boards for the Hillsdale and Whitmore Park community associations, said inaction has left many residents feeling frustrated.

He said he’s aware of cases where it’s taken months for the city to get results. He cast blame on certain landlords who run rooming houses in the area.

The new proposal would change front-yard parking from a land use issue — governed by the zoning bylaw — to a nuisance — governed by the community standards bylaw. That change promises to expedite the process.

According to the proposal, the city would respond to complaints using a three-step process. First, it would inspect the property and issue a notice with a deadline. It would then conduct a second inspection and issue a ticket.

Last of all, the city could tow the vehicle to the City of Regina impound lot.

The report is set to go to a full meeting of city council on Jan. 28, where it could receive final approval.