Delta is introducing new rules that will penalize homeowners with secondary suites that make their tenants park on the street.
A public hearing was held last week on amendments to the municipal parking regulations that would strengthen secondary suite parking and establish penalties to provide more effective enforcement.
The current regulations are aimed at ensuring properties with suites provide sufficient on-site parking as the municipality has been getting complaints regarding the increasing number of vehicles being parked on streets.
Municipal hall says this is partly attributed to insufficient off-street parking as well as boats, RVs and other personal items taking up parking spaces.
The amendments, which would apply to all properties in Delta, would see property owners fined $200 for failing to provide required spaces or not posting required parking notices.
The bylaw would require a notice be posted within a secondary suite to clearly identify the location of the required parking on the lot for the exclusive use of the secondary suite occupant.
When the bylaw was introduced at a Delta council meeting last month, CAO George Harvie said notices would be issued and must be posted in secondary suites that tenants have the right to a parking spot on-site.
"The reason why we're having this before council is the problems we've had from the licensed basement suites," said Harvie. "There are designations insofar as the basement suite has parking and our bylaw people go out and find they are taken by a bunch of boats or trailers and there is no parking for designated parking for the suite."
At last Tuesday's hearing, council approved the tougher rules in principle, which still require final approval.
When asked at the earlier council meeting about the number of recreational vehicles and boats currently permitted in a driveway, Harvie responded that potential zoning changes would be discussed at a future council workshop.
Council backed off the last time it took on the issue of RVs and boats parked in front driveways. In 2004, Delta proposed restrictions on the number and size, but got a swift and negative reaction from RV and boat owners.
