ᐅ Sealed surface area exceeded

I own a small house with a living area of 80 m² (860 sq ft). Due to poor structural condition, the house is to be demolished and rebuilt on the same site with the same footprint. The nearly 500 m² (5400 sq ft) plot only contains the house, a single garage, a double garage, and a paved driveway/turnaround area in front of the garages. This means about 80% of the plot is covered with impermeable surfaces.

According to a phone inquiry with the building authority, either 40% or 60% impermeable surface coverage would be permitted. There is no grandfathering of the existing situation. This means I either have to demolish the garages, which are very solidly built and I do not want to remove, or I have to remove the paved driveway, resulting in driving over bare soil to reach the garages.

Since I already have a 40 m (130 ft) long driveway and there are rarely free parking spots on the street where the driveway connects, I cannot do without the garage.

Does anyone know if there might be further exceptions, or do I really have to plan on driving through mud to reach my garage?

Sometimes they only count paving at half (or another specified factor) if it is permeable (so-called eco or drainage paving). You might want to inquire about that.

Sometimes gravel driveways, which are very common here, are not counted at all. You can also use gravel to "pave" areas on your property. This might not be to everyone's taste and depends on the size of the gravel, but as mentioned, it is often a viable alternative.

80% is really extreme. It might be acceptable for a 300m² (3,230 sq ft) plot, but sealing 400 out of 500m² (5,382 sq ft) is excessive.
This is especially problematic regarding heavy rainfall, which is unfortunately a very relevant issue right now.

Sorry, but I have to admit, I find this somehow amusing. The gentleman just couldn’t get enough when it came to concreting and building garages. Why not move into the garage if it’s so nice? Otherwise, remove the sealing.

To answer the question: No, exceeding the limit is not allowed. That’s exactly what the regulation is for.

Usually, impermeable surfaces (unlike stormwater fees) are calculated as either 0 or 1.

Options:
- Remove garages (there are also options to park the vehicle on your own property without having multiple garages)
- Remove the turning area (backing out instead)
- Unpaved driveway (some potential variants have already been mentioned here)

However, how a house with 80 m² (860 sq ft) of living space results in 400 m² (4,300 sq ft) of impermeable surface is beyond me... Does the property consist of 300 m² (3,230 sq ft) driveway and garages?