Residential parking and secondary suite rules adjusted

Recent changes to residential parking requirements and a new limit on secondary suites in Beaumont’s Land Use Bylaw are aimed at fostering safe, accessible neighbourhoods.  

“Livable communities like Beaumont don’t just happen—they’re built through thoughtful planning and careful adjustments,” said Mayor Bill Daneluik. “We heard from residents that some neighbourhoods started to feel congested and street parking is limited. By making more room, these changes help our community remain welcoming as we grow.” 

The changes were approved by Council on January 14 and affect new residential development. 

Residential parking increased

In response to feedback from residents, council amended the Land Use Bylaw to increase street parking by:

• Changing the minimum parking requirement to one stall per dwelling unit in new residential neighbourhoods (previously one stall per unit that exceeded 75 m²).
• Creating more continuous curbs for on-street parking by requiring that driveways for neighbouring front-attached garage homes be paired where possible.
• Expanding available street parking by requiring that similar homes with a single side yard and a front driveway are not placed directly across from each other.

The new parking stall requirement applies to Conventional Neighbourhood, Integrated Neighbourhood, Commercial, and Business Light Industrial districts. The driveway pairing affects Conventional Neighbourhood, Integrated Neighbourhood, and Mature Neighbourhood districts.

Secondary suite limit reduced

Council reduced the maximum number of dwelling units allowed on a lot in residential neighbourhoods to two, down from three plus the main unit.

The bylaw was also amended to replace the reference to “zero side yard” to “single side yard” to accurately describe the property and clarify the required distance from neighbouring lots.

Media contact: 

Mike Berezowsky 
Director, Communications and Service Experience 
mike.berezowsky@beaumont.ab.ca 
780-243-0458 

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Frequently asked questions

Q. How does this change affect existing lots with more than two dwelling units, as was allowed between 2019 and 2025?

A. Properties approved under the previous version of the bylaw for more than two dwelling units can stay the same with some limitations. Residents cannot expand the approved use of the lot. Also, if the units were damaged beyond 75 per cent of their value, residents would need to follow the new limit and could only rebuild up to two units per lot.

Q. How do paired driveways and changes to front yards create more parking space on the street?  

A. The change to the bylaw creates longer uninterrupted curbs, which allows more street parking and eases congestion in new residential neighbourhoods, as shown in the image below.

More parking spaces are also made available when homes with similar style front yards and driveways do not face one another on the same streets, as in the image below.