Eighteen Chicago alders are ready to make it easier for homeowners to add units to their vintage houses. Sort of.
Currently, owners of houses that are 50 years or older who want to add one dwelling unit don’t have add a car parking space. Part of the reason is that there’s most likely not any room for more parking on the lot, and building new parking spaces would eat into the backyard space.
If the same owner is going to add two dwelling units, then they have to add one car parking space.
A proposed ordinance (O2018–8004) would raise that threshold from two to six, meaning that an owner would have to comply with parking regulations if they’re adding six dwelling units to the property.
It’s a good idea to reduce homeowner’s parking requirements when people are trying to make an extra buck by providing some new affordable housing in their neighborhoods.