Adding additional parking to house

Cherokeekid88

Cherokeekid88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Location
High Point, NC
So as of now. I have a one car garage with a one car driveway. I would like to be able to extend it somehow so that we can have both cars parked and not have to move one or the other to get out. Below are some pics so you Guys can see what I'm working with. I am just looking for options....I'd like to have something covered, but don't really wanna mess with the existing garage...I'd even be happy with a little parking spot right beside the garage. I just want it to look good and not like I just threw in an extra space for parking.
ai1367.photobucket.com_albums_r794_woeiscoryd_20140413_142347_zpsgzlsniog.jpg

Orange flag is prop line.
ai1367.photobucket.com_albums_r794_woeiscoryd_20140413_142403_zpscwpxa9mg.jpg

ai1367.photobucket.com_albums_r794_woeiscoryd_20140413_142442_zpsdkgzl7qw.jpg
 
Without seeing a picture of the whole front of the house, my knee-jerk reaction is to say widen it towards the house. Keep the driveway width at the street then curve it out towards the house then straight back just past that window to the right of the garage door. I am assuming your property line is fairly close to the house, and depending on the laws in your area you may need a variance to put a parking pad that close to or on the property line. Plus you will lose a lot of your landscaping. Adding to the right instead avoids all of that, and since the car will not be parked in front of the main part of the 2-story structure it will not look "wrong" since you are still parking in front of the garage.
 
OnlyOneDR said:
I am assuming your property line is fairly close to the house, and depending on the laws in your area you may need a variance to put a parking pad that close to or on the property line.
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You probably wouldn't get a variance for a parking pad like that. You just don't get variances for any reason, it has to be a specific hardship, almost always land driven.

Is that orange flag in the picture denoting a property line? I'd say you will probably not be able to extend closer to the neighboring home on the left, there is a reason everything is laid out the way it already is.
 
approx 5 foot from the flag to the fence ? thats probably the easement allowed by the city/county, which is why the fence isn't built ON the line, and that probably as far over as you can build a driveway without a variance.

Remember the lil tiff you had with the neighbor ? is it the one on this side of the house ? to even apply for a variance your neighbor needs to be on board with it as well, he'll either be there at the hearing or have someone there representing him.
 
This would not be the same neighbor....if it were, I wouldn't even consider. Now if I extended the driveway towards the house, would I need a variance?

And from my line to the fence is probably more like 7 feet. Our prop lines kinda look like a piece of pie.....gets larger towards the back of the house.
 
if you're staying inside your property lines and easement areas, no variance, but you'll probably need building permit which has it's own rules and requirements ( mostly they wanna know how much more property tax to drill you with ) and if there's and HOA, heh, good luck.
 
How do you feel about that flower bed? It really looks nice, but if you are like me that means you just see a lot of work that has to be done.. .and it'd get nixxed...

Personally, IF you have enough room on the side (given the above restrictions) I'd expand the driveway starting about 20' before the garage and add a pad beside the garage (so you have like a triangle and a square). One advantage to that is if you ever get a boat or a "project vehicle" that is a good place to put it, tucked beside the garage, so it is out of the way and direct sight - hides the "eyesore" from grumpy neighbors.
 
I don't think you understand what a variance is. You don't just get one just because, you have to prove that your property is somehow at a disadvantage from surrounding property. This typically comes in the form of a land hardship. Say for typography reasons, or you have a stream running down the side of your land.

From the pictures, it looks like that lot is probably similar to your neighbors, so I would think there is no land hardship to base a variance request on. Do any of your neighbors have extended parking? If so, how did they do it?

In the State of North Carolina, variances are typically heard by the Board of Adjustment. Such a hearing, regardless of who the ruling board is, would follow quasi-judicial procedures. Just because your neighbor doesn't want it, doesn't mean it won't happen. They would require factual evidence to present to prove their case. Simply stating they don't like it and it would lower the property values would not really be acceptable testimony.
 
But would he NEED a variance to add some concrete?

That is the question. If he started about the second landscape light and swept out to in line with the fence I dont think he would encroach on the set back. Then local codes and AHJ will determine if concrete for a driveway even falls under set back laws or if only structures.
 
Here is the other thing...that part of the yard(left of the garage) doesn't get a lot of sunlight and usually stays wet after a good rain and takes a bit longer to dry up.....don't know if that would be a problem with laying concrete or not. This is not something that I'm gonna be doing right away...just wanted some opinions on what would look good and the legalities.
 
RatLabGuy said:
How do you feel about that flower bed? It really looks nice, but if you are like me that means you just see a lot of work that has to be done.. .and it'd get nixxed...

Personally, IF you have enough room on the side (given the above restrictions) I'd expand the driveway starting about 20' before the garage and add a pad beside the garage (so you have like a triangle and a square). One advantage to that is if you ever get a boat or a "project vehicle" that is a good place to put it, tucked beside the garage, so it is out of the way and direct sight - hides the "eyesore" from grumpy neighbors.
Click to expand...
I like the flower bed....it is a lot of work BUT, I was thinking I could just move everything up about 10' and still keep all the flowers and just have enough room to be able to fit another vehicle but not being to drive both out and the same time, if that makes any sense.
 
Check your local zoning requirements and you'll probably find a minimum side building setback of at least 5' if not 8' or 10'. Possibly aggregate to work from since you have less distance to line than neighbor. According to your flag location, it seems any side setback would probably leave you without enough. I'd just an an additional space and be done. Another option would be to extend the garage to the rear and add a garage door in the rear??
 
Macdaddy4738 said:
I don't think you understand what a variance is. You don't just get one just because, you have to prove that your property is somehow at a disadvantage from surrounding property. This typically comes in the form of a land hardship. Say for typography reasons, or you have a stream running down the side of your land.

From the pictures, it looks like that lot is probably similar to your neighbors, so I would think there is no land hardship to base a variance request on. Do any of your neighbors have extended parking? If so, how did they do it?

In the State of North Carolina, variances are typically heard by the Board of Adjustment. Such a hearing, regardless of who the ruling board is, would follow quasi-judicial procedures. Just because your neighbor doesn't want it, doesn't mean it won't happen. They would require factual evidence to present to prove their case. Simply stating they don't like it and it would lower the property values would not really be acceptable testimony.
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This is not consistent with my experiences.

He should be able to build a parking pad right up to the property line without a variance. However, based on the photos, it doesn't look like he'll have enough on the left side to be able to do that without crossing over.

If he needs a variance for any reason, the AHJ will notify all adjoining property owners. In Raleigh, if a neighbor opposes, that generally puts the brakes on things by shifting the burden of proof to the applicant.

The bigger question is: is there a HOA (probably), and what do they have to say about it?
 
How far is the flag/property line from the outside wall of your garage?
 
Depending on municipality and other factors specific to the property, you may also have to account for the addition to your impervious surfaces calculation.
 
shawn said:
This is not consistent with my experiences.

He should be able to build a parking pad right up to the property line without a variance. However, based on the photos, it doesn't look like he'll have enough on the left side to be able to do that without crossing over.

If he needs a variance for any reason, the AHJ will notify all adjoining property owners. In Raleigh, if a neighbor opposes, that generally puts the brakes on things by shifting the burden of proof to the applicant.

The bigger question is: is there a HOA (probably), and what do they have to say about it?
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Absolutely no HOA, wouldn't buy the house if there was.
drkelly said:
How far is the flag/property line from the outside wall of your garage?
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Its about 7'
 
6BangBronk said:
And gravel is considered impervious...
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You can do a 'pervious' concrete mix (no fine aggregate) and there are concrete paver options, as well as open/grid pavers and 'grass pave' may be an option. Better to check local reg's and the calculations before having to get too far out into the weeds, but there are ways to make it happen.

Counties tend to be, in my experience, tougher on it than cities/towns, probably because of perc rates and septic systems. I have the impression that Durham, though, is pretty tough on it, right?
 
trailhugger said:
You can do a 'pervious' concrete mix (no fine aggregate) and there are concrete paver options, as well as open/grid pavers and 'grass pave' may be an option. Better to check local reg's and the calculations before having to get too far out into the weeds, but there are ways to make it happen.

Counties tend to be, in my experience, tougher on it than cities/towns, probably because of perc rates and septic systems. I have the impression that Durham, though, is pretty tough on it, right?
Click to expand...

10-4.
 
Typical driveway is 10-11 feet wide. 7 feet would be super tight. You would end up stepping out of the car onto your neighbors grass most likely. I think I would be tempted to widen the pad about 2' on the right side of the house, and about 8' on the other side (towards the front door of the house).

Something like this:

driveway.jpg
 
bringing the right side pad all the way to the curb will give you more parking option and a place to walk around with out having to dodge the car in the way. park close to the house and your front walk is obstructed, and a bigger paved area for other stuff isn't a bad idea either.
 
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