City threatens legal action over driveway rented to spy agency employees

A Beacon Hill resident says the City of Ottawa is threatening to take legal action against him if he doesn't stop renting out his unused driveway space to employees who work at the nearby headquarters of Canada's intelligence agencies.

Residents who live in the Beacon Hill-Cyrville Ward have complained to CBC News in the past that employees from the nearby headquarters of theCanadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Communications Security Establishment (CSE) park on their streets.

Jevin Maltais said in an interview he thought he had found a solution to the persistent parking problem and a way to earn about $400 per month by renting out his driveway to four federal employees.

"We had cars that were just lining both sides of the street," Maltais said."The people who own the cars would put letters in our mailboxes saying, 'Do you have places for me to park? The city is ticketing me.'"

Notice of violation

But last week, Maltais received another letter in his mailbox, this time from the city's bylaw department.

According to the notice of violation, dated Jan.13, Maltais is breaking the city's parking rules by renting the spots out to non-tenants or residents, and must stop by Jan. 31. "Failure to comply with notice will result in further legal action," the notice states, adding that could happen "without further notice."

• Armed with chalk, Ottawa women take on Canada's spy agencies over parking
• 'Make good' on promise for parking for Canada's spy agencies: councillor

In a statement, the city said it has issued four notices of violation to property owners in Beacon Hill-Cardinal Heights since Jan 1, 2019, for renting out parking spaces on their properties.

"Allowing a driveway or legal parking space for a residential use to in effect be used as a commercial parking lot would no longer be a secondary use of the land, and may lead to additional traffic and nuisance concerns in conflict with the intent of a residential area," said the city in a statement attributed to David Wise, program manager for zoning andintensification.

Residents 'scared'

Maltais said he knows at least half a dozen other people who are also renting out driveway space, but who are now feeling scaredafter Maltais received a notice from the citywarning him he's violating a zoning bylaw.

"We were pretty surprised and disappointed to see that it's actuallylegal action against us," said Maltais.

Residents told to stop renting out driveway space or face consequences

5 years ago

Duration 1:00

Beacon Hill resident Jevin Maltais thought he was solving a parking conundrum by renting out his driveway space to federal employees. But the city says he's not allowed to continue doing so, citing zoning rules.

Maltais said he doesn't see any downsidesto renting out his own driveway, and hopes the city wouldconsider a pilot projectto allow residents to continue renting parking spots.

"We're pretty disappointed this is the city's stance on it currently, when reallywe've just as citizens tried to help the situation by getting the cars off the street," he said.

Backyards paved forparking

The area's city councillor said he understands the frustration, but said the rules onrenting out driveways are clear.

"No municipalities allow people to be able to rent out their spots;they're not zoned that way. If they were zoned, they would have to hold a million dollars worth of commercial insurance," said Coun. Tim Tierney, who represents Beacon Hill-Cyrville.

Tierney said he knows of residents who have even paved their backyards to create parking spaces for federal workers

He said paving backyard green space alsobreaks provincial regulations, since it doesn't allow for proper drainage on properties.

"When it gets to the point that you're in non-compliance, you're not zoned, it goes to a provincial level, it's actually not even the city," Tierney said.

In statements to CBC, both CSIS and CSE saidthey remind their employees to follow municipal parking rules, and encourage them to take public transit, carpool or cycle to work.

CSE also said it opened a new parking lot earlier this month with 400 spaces.