Village board members got an update on downtown parking Nov. 26 in anticipation of development of the lot on Chestnut Road behind the village hall.
Residents question whether the village could afford to give up parking spaces to make way for a proposed residential building to be constructed on the village hall parking lot.
The lot has 137 parking spaces. Some of those will remain for use by police and fire staff and for public safety vehicles. No construction can take place in the north end of the lot because it sits atop geothermal wells that serve buildings on the village campus. The lot is used during the week by village staff and visitors. On weekends, Homewood Farmers Market patrons and downtown shoppers use the lot.
History
Adding housing to the village hall parking lot has been on the board’s radar since 2005. The village’s previous Downtown Master Plan recommended increasing residential density in the downtown area. A study in 2015 concluded there was a need for 200 or more additional residential units in the downtown area.
A proposal in 2007 to develop a condominium building on the lot did not succeed, reportedly as a result of the 2008-2009 Great Recession and its impact on the housing market.
In 2018, another developer proposed building townhomes on the lot. That proposal also did not succeed, but the village did commission a parking study to assess the consequences of losing spaces in the village hall lot.
In July 2023, the village approved a letter of intent from HCF Homewood II to explore building a five-story, 59-unit residential building on the parking lot.
In April, trustees approved a Downtown Transit-Oriented Development Master Plan, the successor to the 2005 plan. The new plan also identified the parking lot as a potential site for development.
The main rationale for increasing residential density, according to both the 2005 and 2024 plans, is to provide more support for small businesses in the downtown area.
Meeting parking needs
Economic and Community Development Director Angela Mesaros told the board the 2018 parking study indicated the village had adequate parking. Consultants found that the peak of parking usage during the study was on a Saturday in September when both the farmers market and Fall Fest occurred. Parking that day reached 81% of capacity.
The study also took into account the possibility of redeveloping the village hall auditorium into a performing arts center and the development of a residential structure on the parking lot.
“The study concluded that parking demand could be met for both projects if recommendations of the study were followed,” Mesaros said.
One of the recommendations was the acquisition of the commuter lots formerly owned by the South Suburban Mass Transit District. The village took over the lots on Harwood and Park avenues in 2021.
Two other recommendations are still being pursued. The transfer of control over Harwood Avenue from the Illinois Department of Transportation to the village would allow the village to turn Harwood into a one-way street north of Ridge Road and install angled parking on the east side of the street, gaining 24 spaces.
Another recommendation from the study was for the village to lease additional parking near the village hall campus. Mesaros said the village had an agreement with St. John Neumann Parish that allowed the village to use the parish parking lot during certain times. She said the village is negotiating a new lease.
The proposed housing development on the lot would result in the loss of 117 parking spaces, according to Mesaros, but that would be offset by the additional Harwood and St. John Neumann spaces, giving the village a net increase of 31 public parking spaces.
Plans for the 59-unit structure have parking for residents on the first floor.
On weekends, when the commuter lots are available for public parking, the net increase is 457 public spaces, Mesaros said.
Concerns remain
During the July 25, 2023, village board meeting, a number of residents spoke out against the plan to redevelop the village hall parking lot. They cited the need for parking near events, especially for patrons with mobility issues.
At the Nov. 26 board meeting, Liz Varmecky, who has since announced that she’s running for village trustee in the April 1, 2025, election, asked whether an agreement with St. John Neumann would come with strings attached regarding village events. She said she had heard the parish disapproved of a village event several years ago.
Village Manager Napoleon Haney noted that the leadership of the parish had changed since then. Mesaros said the agreement between the village, the church and the Archdiocese of Chicago would not put conditions on village events.
Trustee Lauren Roman had mixed reactions to the updated plan, mainly regarding the proposed development. As a real estate professional, she said she understands the need for more affordable housing in the community.
“It just kind of, in my opinion, feels rushed,” she said. “I feel like we’ve had so many changes in our downtown area since 2019. We’re trying to build up the farmer’s market. We have lots of new restaurants, there’s lots of changes coming. I think we should let the dust settle from where everything has already changed in our downtown area before we make another big change like this.”
Trustee Allisa Opyd concurred with Roman’s concern about timing. Mesaros said the groundbreaking for the new development is expected to be in April 2025.
“That really does not give us a lot of time to take this to the people,” Opyd said. “This is way too fast. And I think that I would like to see more studies done. I would like to see what the people are going to say … not just in this room, but where we can go out into the public and meet up with them.”
Village staff subsequently said they were planning to address the need to inform residents and seek input from them, probably through a series of focus group meetings and opportunities for conversations at events.
Assistant Economic and Community Development Director Noah Schumerth sought comments from people at the Holiday Lights festival on Dec. 6. He had maps displayed on easels with questions for people who visit the downtown area to consider and comment on.
- Where do you like to go in downtown Homewood?
- Where do you park to get there?
- How can we make it easier to get to, from and around downtown?
- As downtown continues to grow, what new things would you like to see downtown?
He said a couple dozen people stopped by and talked about the parking situation.
“The feedback has been really valuable,” Schumerth said. “We’ve got the data, but nothing beats just talking one on one with people who have a very unique experience to get those finer details.”
One Homewood resident who visited with Schumerth said he was glad the village is working on the parking situation but still had some concerns.
“Despite the study, I think there is still a lack of parking. I think the study is a broad swath of all of the parking spaces and not the parking spaces where people want to be right downtown,” Mike Dickover said. “But I think they did a good job. I like the signs. Those were just recently put up. I like that the village has that lot for transit. I think they are taking steps in the right direction.”
More information:
Village Hall Parking Lot Replacement Plan (December 2024).
Village Hall Parking Lot Replacement Plan (December 2018).
