Driveways, Patios, and Stormwater

We're looking at updating the rules around how much of your yard you can cover with hard surfaces like driveways, patios, sidewalks, and buildings. We want to give residents more flexibility while still protecting our environment and managing stormwater runoff.

What we're proposing:

• A bit more coverage allowed: Right now, you can only cover 35% of your residential lot with hard surfaces. We're thinking about bumping that up to 40%. That extra 5% could mean room for a bigger patio, an extended driveway, or a shed.
• Even more if you manage stormwater: If you install something like a rain garden or another stormwater treatment system on your property, you could go up to 50% coverage. This way, you get more usable space and we still protect water quality.
• Easier approval process: Currently, going over the limit requires a Conditional Use Permit, which is a whole process. We'd switch to a simpler administrative approval, so it's less of a headache for homeowners.

Let us know what you think.