Parking a boat or another recreational vehicle in your driveway could soon be illegal in Barrie.

A proposed change to a city bylaw would prohibit parking boats and other recreational vehicles in residential driveways for more than three days a month. 

“As long as were following the bylaw and not blocking the sidewalk I don't see any reason why you can't have a boat or something in your driveway,” says resident Kim Winiarski.

The current bylaw surrounding boats and recreational vehicles in driveways is a bit vague and proved difficult to enforce. So back in November the city tasked its administration with finding a solution.

It found that between January 2016 and April 2017, 73 complaints were filed. These complaints had to do with boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, RVs and utility trailers being parked in driveways and on lawns. Some people even complained about people living in these vehicles.

“I want people to love where they live and if having a big RV is lowering the quality of your life, then we will have to really seriously look at that,” says councillor Mike McCann.

The complaints, according to the report, brought up concerns about driver and pedestrian visibility, and visual aesthetic.

“Having young kids that play out front and they are unable to see traffic coming down the road and that's a big concern for me,” says resident Neal Ware.

But where do you park them, if not in your driveway? For some, the only space they have available is right there on their property, unless they want to pay.

“We don't have any room. It’s one of the major problems in this area is that there is such a shortage of space,” says resident Mike Tanti.

A quick search online will bring you to ads where people sell parking spots for recreational vehicles. One such ad posted for an “asphalt lot secured by computer-controlled gate and camera surveillance” costs $70 per month.

The proposed bylaw change still needs to be passed. It will be the topic of conversation at a meeting Tuesday, at 7 p.m. at city hall.

It will be open to the public and residents are being encouraged to attend.