A downtown condo owner told La Grange trustees that three prospective buyers walked away from his unit in two weeks because they could not get a parking permit.
Brian Hinkle said he and his wife have owned a condo on Sixth Avenue for 24 years. They lived there for about 12 years and now rent it out.
The historic building has no assigned parking, so owners and tenants have relied on nearby village lots and a garage.
Getting a permit was never a problem until the couple listed the unit for sale, Hinkle said. Then they learned that new permits are being waitlisted.
He called the rules a Catch-22: Buyers need proof of residency to join the waitlist, but they will not commit to living there without knowing where they will park.
The couple has already cut the asking price, he said at the Oct. 12 village board meeting.
Hinkle asked the board to examine why the waitlist exists and whether commuters or employees get a disproportionate share of spaces.
He also asked trustees to give new residents at eligible addresses a way to get permits right away.
Otherwise, he said, the message to car owners is that “you are not welcome as a new resident in downtown La Grange.”
A village staff member said the village has moved permits to a new online portal and increased the number of 24-hour residential permits.
But demand for 24-hour spaces outstrips supply, she said: “there is a wait list and there has been for many years.”
“Overnight parking permits are still available,” she said. The waitlist applies to 24-hour permits.
The staff member said 24-hour residential permits are offered in Lot 5, Lot 2 and the garage. Only some spaces in each are set aside for residents, she said, because the facilities also serve customers and, in some cases, commuters.
Lot 5 is the village’s most in-demand lot, she said, citing the village’s parking study.
The new Passport software lets the village track usage, the staff member said. The next step is to monitor that data and look for chances to adjust permit availability.
A trustee asked staff to look at whether someone could join the waitlist with documentation from a landlord or seller showing they plan to move in.
Staff said the village can look into it. In the meantime, prospective buyers and renters can call the Finance Department to ask about a permit and their place on the waitlist, the staff member said.