Set back off street from driveway (Sarasota: HOA, houses, neighborhood)

[KLMMLK1]

Is there a, residential single-family, Code in Sarasota City
which requires a vehicle parked in driveway to be a certain amount of feet away from street?

[SkywayMark]

If your vehicle is parked within your own property boundaries (within the actual survey lines/markers) the City doesn't have any jurisdiction over that. If your driveway's apron is actually part of an official easement (utility or otherwise), then the City *may* be able to issue and ordinance or other regulation to prevent you from blocking ingress or egress.


Also in your RSF community, it also depends on whether the "street" is actually a "public thoroughfare" (a city owned/maintained street). In a lot of communities in this region, the actual streets within the subdivision are "private". Public streets always have a regulation "green and white" street signs, unless otherwise authorized by the City Zoning Department. Privately owned streets use yellow street signs, not green and white.


If you are in a "no parking zone", the City must place those signs clearly...of a certain design, color and height. The City can't tell you how or where to park in your own driveway (private property). Of course, an HOA can dictate just about anything viz parking even in your own driveway, when, and where - and even requiring you to never park on the street.

[SkywayMark]

Also, you can't block someone else's driveway (i.e. parking to prevent another's use of their own driveway). The City can't dictate however that you can't park directly across, on the other side of the street even if you somehow *limit* a neighbor's access.


Obviously you can't park in your driveway's apron, and simultaneously block clear access/sighting of a fire hydrant.


You can't also block access to a rural USPS box facing the street (public or private).


You can't park in your driveway with part of your vehicle hanging out, protruding in the street even if most of your car rests in your own driveway....that constitutes a traffic hazard.


You also can't park on the street, facing the "wrong way" (i.e. against traffic flow).

[SkywayMark]

I really can't think of an otherwise legitimate reason why the City would attempt to dictate where or how you should park your vehicle anywhere within your own property....driveway or not....unless it's a public safety, health issue.

[SkywayMark]

One other detail.


Some residents actually think they can park in their driveway and simultaneously BLOCK a sidewalk...No they can't ! the apron of your driveway is probably not part of your lot boundaries, and it's probably part of either a "common area", or the City's "right-of-way".


Sometimes lot owners *think* they own all the way to the edge of the gutter or pavement (with or without a sidewalk).....most times they don't.....it could be possible that the end of your driveway, i.e. "apron flare" might be part of the right of way.

[SkywayMark]

Personal note:


In my neighborhood, all driveways are pavers, with both sides of the street having a sidewalk.
Most houses have 3 car garages (front and side loads).


One idiot neighbor has 3 to 4 cars constantly parked in his pavered driveway with one vehicle's rear end plainly blocking the public sidewalk, forcing pedestrians to walk dangerously in the street to get around his vehicle. I asked him to cease doing that because it was dangerous to pedestrian traffic, and the purpose of the public sidewalk was to separate vehicular traffic from pedestrian traffic.


He did not cease doing that, and I called the Sheriff's office to file a traffic complaint. He received a citation from the County because he was technically parked partly in the county's right of way and creating a hazard.




LESSON : Know your property boundaries and know your rights and obligations under law.

[KLMMLK1]

Thank you very much for all your possible answers!
I live in the city, 34239 area code we do not have sidewalks, are on public Street... Street which ends at Orange and runs out 2 Cattlemen..
My situation is that my driveway is about 10 feet away from Neighbors driveway. These people Park a large flatbed pickup truck all the way within an inch or two of the street yet still on there paved driveway. This is done solely to block visibilty when pulling out into the street.
There is a large fern growing to street on their property which, as it continued to grow each year blocked visibility entirelyt.
We contacted Code Enforcement.
Code enforcement assessed the complaint and required them to cut fern back to the extent it no longer, dangerously obstructs view.
This apparently did not sit well with homeowner and ever since they have had to cut this back they have been parking one of their vehicles... The largest highest one, which is a flatbed pickup truck right to the very tip end of their driveway. This dangerously obstructs view even more so than the large fern did.
These people are not reasonable and often act meanly. Rather than contacting code enforcement at this point I thought I would shout out on this forum to find out if anyone knew of there is setback requirements or not, or... guidance towards where/how to find answer.
I appreciate your replies :-)

[d4g4m]

In most areas, although the paved [county] street is 25 feet wide, the county right of way is 50 feet wide, meaning the county right of way extends 12.5 feet on each side of the paving. A sidewalk is in the right of way.

[KLMMLK1]

D4g4m,
I don't think that this applies to area I live/street, I live on. How can I conform this though, do you know? BTW, I live in the city of Sarasota.

[SkywayMark]

If any part of the truck is parked in the right-of-way, obstructing safe ingress or egress to the public street, from any drive, the city has jurisdiction - it's a safety issue, not a transportation issue.


Your neighbor can not erect or place any structure to the "edge" of his driveway if it creates an unsafe condition. This can be a judgment call, but common sense is used by Code Enforcement and the police.....for instance, if your child exits your driveway on his bike on his way to the public street, and gets hit by a vehicle because he couldn't see the on-coming car because the truck was blocking his view, a "reasonable man" could make a case for liability.


My advice is to take a load of pictures for the true record, with time stamps...on various days.