There was a rallying of the troops Wednesday night in advance of an important city council decision on a hot topic for many Guelph residents: getting tickets for having driveways that are too wide.
Ward 1 councillor Dan Gibson hosted a town hall meeting at the Victoria Rec Centre letting residents know what they can do to help get his motion approved at a Sept. 10 council meeting.
That motion seeks to suspend enforcement of some elements of the driveway bylaw that has seen many homeowners, particularly in east Guelph, given $500 (and higher) bylaw infraction tickets for having driveways that are too wide, sometimes by only one or two feet.
“There’s no magic bullet here, we’re just trying to bring some reprieve to Guelph families,” Gibson told the audience.
Gibson said the bylaw was originally an attempt to help control student housing issues, but that the “wrong people are getting caught up in it.”
On Sept. 10 city council will discuss and vote on whether to support Gibson’s motion, which would prevent tickets being given in several - but not all - circumstances for driveways that are too wide.
It would not change the bylaw itself. The driveway bylaw is part of a current comprehensive city bylaw review that is expected to take two to three years to complete.
Multi-generational homes, people looking to rent apartments, those with mobility issues and those with several vehicles are just some of those being adversely affected by the bylaw.
There are also safety and neighbour vs. neighbour issues being caused by increased on-street parking, said several people at the meeting.
One man had his work truck vandalised. Some people said they will have to move out of Guelph if the issue isn’t resolved.
Many are frustrated and angry.
“We haven’t paid it. You can come see me in jail,” said Virginia Miller, one of those who received a summons.
She and her husband Paul need the extra parking space due to mobility issues.
“The city’s has found a cash cow and they’re going to milk it for all its worth. I’m pissed off about it,” Paul Miller added.
Gibson told people to email councillors and the clerk’s office with their concerns or consider appearing as a delegation at the Sept. 10 council meeting.
“I wouldn’t have a town hall if I thought it was a sure bet,” Gibson said of his motion moving forward.
Bylaw enforcement are currently not handing out tickets, Gibson said, until they see the outcome of the Sept. 10 meeting and the direction from city staff that stems from that.
Wednesday’s meeting was attended by roughly 65 people. Earlier this summer 150 turned out to another town hall on the issue.
Mayor Cam Guthrie, who supports Gibson’s motion, was in attendance. Councillors Mike Salisbury, Leanne Piper and James Gordon also stopped by.
Council previously voted to accept Gibson’s motion, but now there will be discussion and debate and another vote on whether it goes any further..
Ward 5’s Piper said she still hasn’t made up her mind on which way she will vote.
She perhaps illustrated concerns some councillors have when she said that the degree of bylaw suspension being sought in Gibson’s motion could have “unintended consequences” for residents of her ward.
Piper said she hoped that through discussion on Sept. 10 there could be some changes to the wording of the motion that would ease her concerns.
Gibson stressed earlier in the meeting that this is a city issue, not a Ward 1 issue.
