I have to go. Bad.

So this kitchen / house reno is taking on a life of its own.

First I verified a hunch that with the new stairs having to meet current code and the new framing required to open up the dining room and kitchen walls, said new stairs wouldn't fit where we needed them to go.

Great.

Luckily we had plan B in the wings, a plan which is actually a better layout and solves more of the issues that we listed as being reasons why we wanted to renovate in the first place. Certain items on that list got shelved with our original plan, because plan A allowed us to renovate within the existing footprint of the house as it stands now. No new foundations, or roof additions, just open up a few walls and move a few things (like stairs.) Plan B also allows us to remain within the existing footprint: we'd expand into the attached single car garage.

Yes, I'd lose the space that is currently home to my tools and small workshop and storage, but we'd gain a breakfast nook area, a main floor laundry space, and the existing living and dining rooms would either remain as is, or grow slightly larger.
It's a win -win - sorta win. The sorta being that my tools would need a new home, but that's a story for another day.

With Plan A now wounded, Plan B was summoned to the front line to fill in. B was given the once-over to review the details and get current with its nuances, and then it was off to battle. In this case, the battle was a call to the City to inquire about what's involved should I wish to convert my attached garage into living space.

Well. Serves me right for asking questions.

In this fair city, and quite likely in most across the land, the existing By-Laws that were drawn up years ago to serve as guides for development and community planning issues haven't exactly matured with the pace of society. In my particular case, the by-laws dealing with accessory parking on residential lots doesn't fit with the traditional image of a sub-urban development, with its rows of garages fronting the street, front doors and entrances hidden in the shadows, out of sight from the road, cars parked in front of those garages since the inhabitants have more "stuff" than they'll ever need, and it's all stored in that garage, instead of their 2 cars, boat, camper trailer and snowmobile.

Yes, I know - I've seen your garage. You park on the driveway too, I know.

And so do we. And that's the problem. All residential lots must be served by a driveway that leads to a parking space that does not encroach past the frontage of the dwelling on the lot. For those homes that have rear lane access - this isn't an issue.

For residents like us who live on a Bay with no rear access, our driveways lead from the street to an area on the lot that is reserved for parking, usually a garage or carport, or just a surface beside the house, large enough (8' x 20' typically) to park a car. And that's where we are supposed to park.

But if I were to convert my garage, I'd be losing that parking space that meets the by-law.

Yeah so? you ask?

Well, I would require permission from the city by way of a variance to park in front of my garage / house. Even though that's what we do right now. As do many of you, I know. I checked again this morning on my run.

The City Planner in charge of my particular area was a nice enough man, but he didn't know how'd he'd rule if I were to apply for a variance. he looked at the aerial view of my lot and noted that "you have room behind your house to expand the living area, without the need of converting the garage. I see a deck there." No shit Sherlock - and I intended that to be a deck and not park of the house! I got the impression I was fighting an uphill battle, as he wasn't a "fan of cars parking in view of front yards."

I had an few suggestions for him, but I kept quiet.

As part of my application, I'd be advised to get as many neighbors supporting my application to sign off that my parking on my driveway, slightly past the front of my house, but still wholly within my property, was not an issue for them, in which case my request for a variance would have more weight, but would still be up to Mr City Planner to weigh all the factors of my case before making a decision.

Neighborhood support shouldn't be an issue, as some of the people directly affected by my conversion also happen to park in front of their garages and not in them too... just like we have for 14 years...

Honestly? I feel like a schoolchild needing to raise my hand so I can go to the bathroom, when I really, really have to go.

I never did like authority, and I never once wet my pants.