Driveway and Surface Repair Standards

On April 1, City Council passed a motion that directed staff to review potential amendments to the Property Standards By-law regarding the maintenance of privately-owned driveways, parking lots and walkways.  

Current Process and Proposed changes 

Currently, if a violation of property standards is identified, the following steps are taken by the By-law staff: 

1. Issue a Notice of Violation, which outlines the deficiency and provides a specific timeframe for repair.
2. If the deficiency is not repaired within the specific timeframe, staff issue an Order to Remedy.  

Oftentimes, the repairs are repaired to minimum standards, causing a recurring pattern of the same issue. The proposed changes aim to reduce the pattern of short-term temporary fixes in favour of more permanent repairs: 

• requiring surface repairs to be consistent with the original materials
• enforcing a 14-day repair timeline once a formal Order of Remedy is issued 

“We know that surface deficiencies such as potholes can negatively impact drivers and vehicles,” says Kyle Compeau, Director of Licensing & Enforcement. “We also understand surfaces can be difficult to fix, especially with increased freeze thaw cycles impacting infrastructure. We’re hoping that public input will help inform the Property Standards changes and help us come to a solution that’s beneficial to all.” 

Get Involved 

Help us inform these proposed By-law amendments! We are seeking public feedback on the impacts of surface deficiencies and repairs on residents, property owners and contractors. You can complete the survey on Get Involved Kingston from May 14 to June 3. 

Property owners, business owners and contractors who repair deficient surfaces are invited to join a meeting to provide feedback staff in-person at 9.am. on June 2 at Kingston East Community Centre. Interested parties can RSVP for the meeting on Get Involved Kingston. 

Potholes on Public Property 

Public Works is continuously enhancing its efforts in pothole management for public property, including City streets. Crews use a tech-driven approach to determine problem spots and also work proactively throughout the city, addressing potholes they come across while also responding promptly to reports from residents.  

See a pothole on a road? Let us know by reporting it on MyKingston.