Driveway, Walkway and Parking Area

• Did you read the guidelines for renovating and building?
• Do you know in which zone your residence is located?
• Did you read By-law #1303 concerning Zoning?
• Did you read By-law #1387 concerning Noise?
• Have you read Article 6.4 (Parking and Driveways) of Directive #6 concerning landscaping?
• Did you read the pamplhlet concerning storm water management?

Note: It is prohibited to establish a parking area between the building alignment and the sidewalk throughout the entire territory of the City (Zoning By-law 1303). However, this provision does not apply to the maintenance of a parking area that was established on or before August 3, 1998, and for which no notice of violation was issued on that date, and to the establishment of a parking area that was the subject, on or before August 3, 1998, of a permit application in accordance with the regulations in force.

However, the maintenance of a parking area that contravenes the National Fire Code integrated into By-law 1428 on fire prevention or any other provision related to safety or traffic is in all cases prohibited!

A parking apron = a parking area that was established before August 3, 1998 in front of the building line.

A building line = the specific distance established and measured from the street line in order to determine the siting of a building.

Generally speaking, if your project affects the exterior of the property, it is subject to the Site Planning and Architectural Integration Program (SPAIP) by-law and must be approved by City Council. However, restoration work on the original architectural components and identical replacement work are excluded. (By-law1305 to the SPAIP).

Process of an application subject to the SPAIP by-law

Required documents for review:
Mandatory documents are marked by an asterisk (*)

• *A letter describing the scope of the proposed works;
• *A letter from the building owner authorizing the permit application, if the request is made by a third party;
• *A letter from the association of co-owners authorizing the proposed modification, if applicable;
• *A copy of a recent certificate of location, showing the current conditions of the property;
• *Clear and colour photographs of the existing driveway, walkway or parking apron;
• *Clear and colour photograph or brochure of the proposed materials;
• A dimensioned and scaled site plan showing the existing and proposed conditions and including the property lines;
• Calculations of the percentage of hard surface versus vegetated areas, if modified;
• Specifications of plants and exterior materials, if necessary;
• A storm water management strategy demonstrating that the post-construction run-off does not exceed preconstruction levels, if modified;
• *An official and detailed cost estimate for the proposed work, excluding taxes, provided by a general contractor.

This list is a summary. Please note that additional documents or information may be required in order to provide a better understanding of the project and contribute to the request process. (By-Law #1300, article 65, point 14^o)

Once all the necessary information is gathered, you can submit your application online or in person at the Urban Planning Department at City Hall.

• The applicable fees include the file analysis fees. Please note that the fees related to the issuance of the permit or authorization certificate, if applicable, will be added to this amount.
• The cost of the permit or authorization certificate, if applicable, is calculated based on the cost of the work.

Consult the tariffs by-law for up-to-date rates.

Once the application has been reviewed, the applicant will receive a follow-up by email. 

Even if the application has been authorized, the issuance of the permit or certificate, if applicable, is not automatic; the applicable fees must be paid and certain documents must be submitted. 

An official quote from the contractor including the detailed cost of the proposed work, before taxes, must be submitted.