Curb cut/driveway in DC?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| Has anyone done a curb cut to create a driveway in DC? It's a residential area that is developing commercially and we're worried about relying on street parking, even with resident zoned parking stuff. Thanks, and Happy Hols, if that's your thing! |
Anonymous
So in essence, you want to reserve a public spot for yourself? Good luck with that. They're becoming more and more restrictive with this kind of request, especially in a developing area. |
Anonymous
| I tried to get a curb cut to put a driveway in my house. We were refused. Do you have an ally behind your house? If so, you cannot get a curb cut. |
Anonymous
|
For those who don't know, you don't actually own much of your front lawn. Generally, your property line ends 20 feet from the front of your house (as an example) for an R1B area and sometimes 10 feet for rowhomes. This means that all the homes in areas like Petworth with front porches, your property ends at the front porch. Oftentimes, this leaves large portions of front lawn that are not technically yours.
*As an amusing aside, sometime last year someone in DC was ticketing people for parking in their front driveway on the basis that some of the driveway was in public land. |
Anonymous
Yeah, but this is D.C. They will block you into your own space in a minute. Spitefully so. |
Anonymous
|
Anonymous
Right. That would work (sarcasm). |
Anonymous
So your suggestion is to throw these out on the street, pull up on the curb, and block the sidewalk? You're not from around here, are you? |
Anonymous
No, we want to create a driveway on the side of the house. Driveways require curb cuts. |
Anonymous
Nothing spiteful about it. Homeowners aren't permitted to reserve public space for their own personal use. I wouldn't intentionally block someone in if there were other options, but neither would I hesitate to park there if need be. |
Anonymous
| Yes, but the curb cut reduces the amount of publicly available parking space, so in practice you are converting public to private space. |
Anonymous
<Facepalm> Yes, they do. And no one is permitted to park in front of a driveway. So what was once a legal parking spot, open to all, is now set aside for your own personal use. So, like I said, you want to reserve a public spot for yourself. In a developing commercial area. Sorry, no dice. |
Anonymous
|
And, again, depending on where the car is parked in the driveway, the car may remain on public space too!
It doesn't surprise me in the least that DC is obstinate with these requests. |
Anonymous
Call a contractor and have the driveway put in first. After it's in have him do the curb cut and finish concrete work. Forgiveness is easier then permission. |