Want to Build Three Car Garage in Urban Vancouver; Sloped Laneway

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Per title... and due to the slope I want to have two different elevations of TOC (top of concrete) and possibly three separate garage doors. Any comments in that specific regard would be appreciated, well, particularly re how to do the garage apron... which I'm obligated to have. 2' apron is the requirement. Any photos re how to do the apron would be appreciated too.

Finally, size... Could it reasonably be 34' wide, say, and 32' deep? I have a long- but fairly narrow property. Should I go with parapet walls and torch-on, or cottage roof, or two pitch gable-end?

The 32' depth (and maybe I'd reduce it) is to cater for a bench + shop tools at the ends of the cars' parking spots.

I'd like storage shelves adjacent to the two outboard cars too...

I just thought of one more thing: I want to frame it for two man-doors and have it arranged so when my wife and I both kick the bucket and my daughter's redevelop the property to a frt/back duplex (or more) there exists the possibility of up to three separated-by-walls independent garage parking spaces....

 

[Number_35]

Interesting concept! Sketches of what you're proposing would help us visualise this.

 

[JC1]

I dont know enough about construction to give you any advice. Obviously you need to adhere to the bylaws and local building codes. For one of those bays I'd want enough height to install a lift. Maybe even have all three bays high enough to add three of those lifts so you could park 6 cars in there.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Can you post some pictures of the alley as well as the style of house? That would impact the direction I’d go architecturally.

 

[PimTac]

Pictures are definitely needed here but my initial thought is that the idea of different elevations is too complicated.

Why not excavate and grade for a level entrance to the garage? Put in a retaining wall.

This sounds like a job for engineers.

 

[Fla]

Pictures are definitely needed here but my initial thought is that the idea of different elevations is too complicated.

Why not excavate and grade for a level entrance to the garage? Put in a retaining wall.

This sounds like a job for engineers.

I'm thinking the same. It sounds like the OP is planning on sloping the driveway to one side. If so, I think that that's going to be a really bad idea when it snows. When I lived in Va, I had a sloping driveway and it was impossible to drive on at times. I once had to leave a car on the side of the drive for nearly 2 months until I could get enough traction to move it. I was fortunate that I had other cars that I could drive.

Sketches would help but I think that you might be better served to level everything including the garage and the driveway.

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Thx, All, for the time being. The laneway is municipal property. Cannot adjust its grade. Muni says that I should provide a 2' apron as a minimum. That apron starts at the rear property line... so I would start my garage foundation 2' back from the PL. I could possibly start it at 3' back, if they'd let me, to lessen the apron slope... but I'd be giving up property space, and my garage would not line up with other garages in the back lane/back alley.

I'll get pictures, next.

Thx for the time being...

 

[PimTac]

So it sounds like you have very little property from the road to the front of the proposed garage and the apron would take all of that?

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Correct. In City of Vancouver, where most folks have back-alleys/lanes, typically people build their garage as close to the lane as possible. The City, though, obligates you to put a 2' asphalt apron in frt of the garage. This is called "maneuvering" space. Actual lane rights-of-way are most often 20'.