Whenever I examine the incremental breakdown of Zoning Board of Appeals, I always come across a few requests for parking pads. Despite parking pads being illegal (unless for medical/disability purposes), there are plenty of people who continue to appeal to The City for them.
The other day I was walking down Richmond Avenue and came across four houses, all within close proximity of one another. Each one evoked a sensory response from me, due to the way that the front yard had been handled. After viewing each yard, one after the other, it was clear to me what parking pads can do to a neighborhood.
I figured that the best way to get my point across was to take photos of the four different scenarios.
The one below is my favorite. There is no parking pad – just a lovingly tended front yard with a winding brick walk, ornamental greenery, and an overall wonderful approach to garden landscaping.
The next example is the exact opposite. At some point, this house owner was allowed to install an extensive parking pad that looks more like a miniature parking lot…adjoined to the driveway. This does nothing for the street, and while very convenient for all who live in the house, it’s not a good example of what Richmond Avenue evokes.
The third example is a straightforward front lawn. There’s nothing wrong with it, but at the same time, there’s nothing to write home about either. Of course this type of front yard is somewhat commonplace in Buffalo, and always will be. It’s fine.
Finally, I found this last scenario very interesting. Even though there is a single parking pad, the owner of the house did his or her best to conceal it with lush foliage. In this case, one might not even see the car at first glance. As much as I like this arrangement (if one must have a parking pad), I still feel that it will never be a good idea to allow parking pads to run roughshod over our neighborhoods. It would be impossible to ensure that homeowners would do the right thing and obscure the parked cars as cleverly and conspicuously as the owner did below.
*Parking pads that exist today have been grandfathered in