Loudoun County is cracking down on residents parking their cars on lawns and paving over their front yards to create makeshift parking lots.
The county’s Board of Supervisors passed a new zoning regulation to restrict parking on lawns in neighborhoods that feature single-family homes. The board also approved an amendment to allow between 25 percent and 40 percent of front yards to be paved, depending on the size of the property.
Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, R-Sterling, argued that cars parked on lawns are not only eyesores, but are also potential safety hazards for emergency responders.
It was the “height of irresponsibility” for the board to allow automobiles “willy-nilly [on] all parts of the building,”he said. “We don’t want cars parked so that we prevent our safety people from rescuing these individuals.”
Loudoun joins neighboring Fairfax and Prince William counties in tackling the “cars on lawns” issue, as residents have been clamoring for action for a few years.
At a December public hearing, Delgaudio submitted a petition called “No Cars Parked on Lawns” — signed by more than 1,000 citizens — to be included in the public record. During a 2008 citizen outreach project to the Potomac and Sterling districts in eastern Loudoun, many residents expressed concern not only with vehicles being parked in front yards, but also with portions of front yards being paved over.
“Sterling Park is our oldest planned community,” said Peggy Maio, a member of the County Planning Commission who supports the parking initiative. “It’s really important to pay attention to that older neighborhood and make sure that its quality is maintained.”
Neighboring Fairfax County restricts parking on “unpaved surfaces” in lots zoned for single-family dwellings containing an area of 36,000 square feet or less. In Prince William, cars must be parked on improved surfaces on properties in agricultural or residential districts that are smaller than one acre.
