Title/Name/Summary
Discussion of Residential Driveway Widths
History
QUICKFACTS
Project: Discussion of Residential Driveway Widths
Legistar ID: 2025-0526
Purpose: Consideration of increasing the maximum residential driveway widths allowed for properties with 1-car garages.
Requested Action: Committee of the Whole discussion of residential driveway width requirements, which may direct staff to proceed with a text amendment.
SUMMARY
The Land Development Code was amended in November 2023, revising the dimension requirements for driveways and driveway aprons. This amendment was intended to clarify the appropriate dimensions and make the requirements consistent between the Village Code (VC) and Land Development Code (LDC) while ensuring that zoning related regulations are located within the LDC. Whereas the VC required the maximum driveway widths to be 10’ for a 1-car garage, 20’ for a 2-car garage, and 30’ for a 3-car garage, the LDC allowed for wider driveways at 20’ for a 1-car garage, 26’ for a 2-car garage, and 36’ for a 3-car garage. As the VC requirements supersede the LDC requirements, the decision at that time was to adopt the more restrictive requirement, amending the LDC to reinstate the width requirements that were listed in the VC. Moreover, locating the driveway width requirements in the LDC allows for staff to consistently enforce and interpret the code and ensure consistency in future updates.
Now that time has passed and staff has been able to evaluate the impacts of this code amendment, it is recommended that we change the driveway width requirements for properties within the R-3 & R-3A Districts. While the maximum driveway/driveway apron widths are currently based on the size of the garage for a single-family home, this creates issues for single-family properties with no garages or non-conforming garages.
Table 6-306(B) in the LDC states that detached dwelling units require 2 parking spaces per dwelling unit. However, the LDC does not consider tandem parking in determining code compliance. Many properties in the R-3 & R-3A Districts have legal non-conforming 1-car garages, with no room to expand to a 2-car garage. This makes it difficult and often times impossible for these properties to meet off-street parking requirements.
Staff requests that the Committee of the Whole discuss a possible amendment to the Land Development Code to allow wider driveways for properties with 1-car garages. The attached amendment proposal is a draft document with suggestions to increase the maximum driveway width from 10’ to 18’ among other minor edits. Increasing the maximum driveway width to 18’ would allow for single-family residences to meet the Village’s off-street parking requirements with additional space for residents to safely access their vehicles. Most 2-car garages are 16’-wide, with 16’ driveways as a standard. Staff is suggesting that we allow for up to 18’ as opposed to 16’ to accommodate for larger vehicles and be consistent with other sections of the LDC. The LDC requires parking spaces to be a minimum of 9’-wide in parking lots, per Section 6-306.C.1. Therefore, allowing for driveways of up to 18’ would allow two vehicles to safely park side-by-side.
Recommended Action/Motion
This item is for discussion only.