Tecumseh residents are concerned over a potential change to zoning which would set limitations to having recreational vehicles parked in their driveway.
Over 130 residents attended an open house at Tecumseh Arena on Thursday afternoon.
The draft of the new zoning bylaws includes additional dwelling units, short-term rentals, swimming pools, and the parking of recreational vehicles and trailers as the town looks to consolidate and modernize the bylaws across the entirety of Tecumseh.
In 1999, Old Tecumseh, the Village of St. Clair Beach, and the Township of Sandwich South amalgamated into the now Town of Tecumseh, however the bylaws in those separate communities never changed.
In Old Tecumseh, there were no rules about RVs. But in the former St. Clair Beach and Sandwich South, there were specifications.
While the potential zoning changes applies to more than just recreational vehicles - such as RVs, trailers, and boats - residents have been very vocal about not wanting change.
Tecumseh resident Ian Thomson says up until this point it has been legal.
"It's a bit of a problem, we're retired - my wife and I are retired - we go away a lot, and it's very inconvenient to go and back it up, pay for that storage, bring it back, it's not that easy to do all the time. It's just more of an inconvenience for them to change it."
Resident Ken Robert says there's concern if this is implemented.
"We've been legal to park our RVs until this point, and the concern is I'm basically going to be - if this is adopted - deemed illegal. So, that's the concern, and I'd like to move forward and leave it the way it is actually."
Tecumseh resident Alan Joseph Costello says unless there are issues, he doesn't understand why this is being brought forward.
"If it's a trailer that blocks the front walkway, and stuff like that, maybe something's got to be done with that. But, if it's tucked back in your driveway, and it's not causing an obstruction view or anything of drivers, I don't understand why they're raising the concern."
Brian Hillman, Director of Development Services at the Town of Tecumseh, says the new zoning bylaw is trying to implement some level of regulation.
"In terms of setback from property lines, the size that's permitted, and so on. And it's just a draft to get comment, and to see if there is a common approach that can be applied across all residential zones."
Hillman says he understands the concern from residents.
"This of course is a community that is on the Great Lakes, there's a number of recreational vehicles, and we certainly aren't looking to remove people's rights to enjoy those vehicles, and have them. We're just looking at opportunities to provide some comprehensive provisions."
The draft report says a RV or trailer must not be longer than seven metres, including the hitch. It also cannot be taller than three metres.
A public meeting will be held on March 24 to allow residents to express their concerns to council directly.
All comments from the open house and the public meeting will then be combined, and town administration will decide if changes need to be made to the draft bylaw.
A finalized draft is expected to be presented in early spring for council consideration.