The city of Guelph will stop handing out hefty fines to homeowners whose driveways are too wide, until a full review of the zoning bylaw can be completed.
City council voted on a motion on Monday night that will allow residents to apply for a temporary suspension of the bylaws surrounding driveways.
How that application process will take shape still needs to be put together by staff and voted on by council, which isn’t expected to happen until next year.
In the meantime, the city said the bylaw will be enforced, but fines will be not be issued.
“We won’t issue charges for residential homes classified as semi-detached/duplex and on-street townhouses,” said the city’s chief building official, Rob Reynen, in a statement on Tuesday.
The specific restrictions and conditions are posted on the city’s website.
The city will also begin a review of the zoning bylaw in 2019 which is expected to take about three years.
“Depending on the outcomes of the review, including looking at best practices in other municipalities, staff could recommend the regulations stay the same or be amended,” the city said.
They added that current infractions before the courts will continue and non-compliant driveways under the current zoning bylaw will not be “grandfathered in.”
“If the zoning bylaw is changed as a result of the comprehensive review and your driveway still does not meet the new requirements, it will not exempt from future enforcement because it existed before the change to the bylaw,” the city said.
In a report presented to council, staff said there are 78 investigations open regarding the driveway bylaw.
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