Fire Hydrant too close to driveway (San Antonio, Seguin: insurance, house, construction)

[RJ MacReady1]

I live on a street that didn't have sidewalks until about three years ago. During the transition they moved the fire hydrant from across the street to in front of my neighbors house outside the fence. My neighbor got a ticket for parking on the street within 15 feet of the hydrant. Unfortunately parking a car on my own driveway inside my fenced yard would be within 15 feet of the fire hydrant. I can't park my own car on my own driveway due to how the state law is written. Does anyone think the city might be able to move the fire hydrant back across the street? The two story house is mine.

[TrapperL]

Your driveway is private property. They can not and will not give you a ticket for parking in your drive. You might not be able to park in front of your house though as your neighbor found out he can't park in front of his. What you might consider, painting a strip on the curb where it is allowable for you to park.

[Rustybolt]

And no, moving the fire hydrant isn't an option that is practical or that you would want.

[ged_782]

It looks like the Dodge pickup in front of your neighbor's house is about as close he can park on the street to the hydrant. Your driveway is behind the hydrant, so you're fine.

[huckster]

Maybe so Macready, probably it could be moved, but? Why would the city excavate and move a water hydrant and its' accompanying shutoff valve simply to convenience you? For the sake of your parking spot? Both sides of the street dug up, the hydrant unbolted and re-installed across the street, re-bolted at its' flanges, backfilled , soils compacted and then resodded with St. Augustine?
The easement may actually run further up onto his property Trapper, in which case he may be illegally parked in the easement. I doubt cops would enforce it. If the spot is in-deed located within the easement.
Yes, I have seen this happen when city planning did not reflect reality. Perhaps this; could make you legally liable if your car were to interfere with a fire rescue? I digress here.
If the water main runs up and down your side of the street perhaps when the hydrant was moved to you side the old feeder pipe that ran underneath the street was abandoned, if so it cannot be redone or Moved.
If the water main runs up and down the other side of the street it is easily possible to re-locate it
back over its' old spot directly over the water main.
Likely, yes. As you can see there are other reasons, depending on the construction of the utility
that might prohibit the relocation of the fire hydrant.

You were right earlier on Paka, the country's infrastructure is in pretty bad shape. Dams, roads and bridges, water and gas pipes and sewers and even the elctrical grid etc. are in a state of disrepair However here in San Antonio the good news is we ramain much insulated from temperature extremes and excessive moisture in the climate which is so destructive for the infrastructure. Particularly the roads. Decay progresses much more slowly here in the arid climate. The problem is keeping up with the growth.
TXDOT does a fantastic job on freeways here. 410 interchange at 281 north is quite a piece of work.The largest ever expansion ever for TXDOT until recently.

Originally Posted by RJ MacReady1

I live on a street that didn't have sidewalks until about three years ago. During the transition they moved the fire hydrant from across the street to in front of my neighbors house outside the fence. My neighbor got a ticket for parking on the street within 15 feet of the hydrant. Unfortunately parking a car on my own driveway inside my fenced yard would be within 15 feet of the fire hydrant. I can't park my own car on my own driveway due to how the state law is written. Does anyone think the city might be able to move the fire hydrant back across the street? The two story house is mine.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by huckster

The easement may actually run further up onto his property Trapper, in which case he may be illegally parked in the easement. I doubt cops would enforce it. If the spot is in-deed located within the easement.
Yes, I have seen this happen when city planning did not reflect reality. Perhaps this; could make you legally liable if your car were to interfere with a fire rescue? I digress here.

The 15' no parking zone applies in front of the hydrant, not behind it. The fire department needs access from the street side. That is where they drive and park their fire trucks.

[huckster]

Good thing too.

Originally Posted by ged_782

The 15' no parking zone applies in front of the hydrant, not behind it. The fire department needs access from the street side. That is where they drive and park their fire trucks.

[Azure110]

If you park in front of a fire hydrant, this can happen to you, which is worse than a ticket itself:

[Seguinite]

Fire hydrant is in the utility easement between my neighbor and I. Probably 2' off her driveway, and 15' off mine. I like it that way. I don't know how long it takes them to unroll hose to a hydrant two blocks away, but I expect they'll be putting water on my fire PDQ.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Seguinite

Fire hydrant is in the utility easement between my neighbor and I. Probably 2' off her driveway, and 15' off mine. I like it that way. I don't know how long it takes them to unroll hose to a hydrant two blocks away, but I expect they'll be putting water on my fire PDQ.

It should also impact your homeowner's insurance. At least that's what I was told by an insurer when I had a fire hydrant in front of my house.