Lacombe City Council approved an amendment to the Community Standards Bylaw, which prevents any motor vehicle, recreation vehicle, or trailer from being parked on the front yard of a property except where there is a properly constructed and surfaced driveway.

This approval of Bylaw 468.1 took place following a comprehensive review of the Community Standards Bylaw, which included several proposed amendments. The review came after Council first passed the Community Standards Bylaw in June 2019.

"Our Community Standards Bylaw is an important tool Council has to ensure Lacombe's quality of life is maintained at a high level," Mayor Grant Creasey said. "This amendment will ensure properties in our community meet at a consistent standard, and that our Bylaw officers have clear guidelines when enforcing legislation.”

This change to the Community Standards Bylaw will include an educational period allowing citizens time for compliance, including:

  • Moving a trailer to a permanent location requires more preparation and planning than moving passenger vehicles to street parking. Therefore, the education for trailers is extended to October 1, 2022
  • All non-compliant passenger vehicles will be given a warning for a reasonable timeframe to move a car or truck from the front yard. Should the violation extend past the warning period, a ticket will be issued, and enforcement will continue

This amendment comes after a consultation phase, which gave the public an opportunity to provide input on several Community Standards topics including:

  • Trees in alleys and over sidewalks
  • Classification of weeds to be enforced
  • Length of grass/weeds
  • Vegetation in sidewalks
  • Noise from commercial snow clearing
  • Unsightly premises enforcement

The consultation process included social media posts, attending Farmer’s Markets and the creation of the email communitystandards@lacombe.ca. The response on social media included 54 comments. Eight emails were received through direct correspondence and all market feedback were included in the summary data presented.

More amendments to the Community Standards Bylaw will be considered by Council at future meetings