Tonawanda, NY Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Town Board Zoning Law § 215-30.3.A governs residential parking for single-, two- and multi-family lots of up to four units, one of the few parts of Article 30 the Town does not exempt from residential properties (§ 215-30.2.B). Vehicles may sit in the front yard only if they are on an approved driveway, and that driveway's width is capped by the minimum and maximum standards of § 215-30.10.E, so a homeowner cannot simply widen a driveway across the whole yard to add parking. Subsection A(4) bars parking on grass or any yard area that is not hard-surfaced and designated for vehicles, meaning a car parked on the lawn beside the driveway is a violation even if the driveway itself is compliant.

The Zoning Law also limits each residential lot to a single curb cut, cross-referencing Chapter 183 (Streets and Sidewalks), which separately caps curb width at the driveway width plus two feet on each side and requires Highway Superintendent authorization before any curb is cut. The Building Department's Code Enforcement Officer administers these standards alongside the rest of Chapter 215, and a nonconforming gravel or dirt parking pad installed before the current Zoning Law took effect is treated as a nonconformity under Article 13 rather than an automatic violation, unless the owner expands or repaves it.