Shared parking lot causing friction for Algonquin businesses along Randall Road
The Algonquin Village Board has approved a special permit request from car rental company Enterprise despite multiple residents citing concerns about traffic and safety in a shared parking lot.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the Broadsmore Shopping Center, 2397 S. Randall Road, requested a special-use permit to allow the business to continue operations. Such a permit is required of existing rental businesses after an amendment made last year to the village’s zoning code. Enterprise has been operating at the location for almost 20 years.
The village board unanimously approved the request in a consent agenda vote without discussion on Tuesday.
Multiple residents and people who work in the area spoke out against the request, citing concerns about increased traffic, safety and a lack of parking.
Enterprise is in a plaza that shares the building and parking lot with five other businesses, including Pro Dance Elite Studios. Dance school Director Kim Brancamp said the excessive cars have a negative effect on her business, forcing customers to park across the street. Brancamp created a petition that collected more than 800 signatures in opposition to the permit request made by Enterprise.
“We have no parking,” she said. “The amount of what they are asking for is really, really taking a toll on the rest of the businesses.”
Pro Dance Elite Studios moved into the building during the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly saw increased parking lot congestion concerns as lockdown restrictions were lessened.
Pro Dance parent June Nickels said Enterprise has now outgrown its space.
“Every week, dozens of young dancers walk the parking lot, some as young as 2 years old,” she said. “The current situation with rental cars sticking over spaces has made this family-friendly area dangerous and overcrowded. This plaza was never really meant to support a fleet of rental vehicles with this much capacity.”
Enterprise branch manager Cameron Sanchez said he is open to any conditions the village needs to implement to ensure safety in the parking lot.
“I’m good with whatever adjustments we need to make,” he said. “I want to make sure that we’re successful.”
The village board gave Enterprise the nod to continue operations with multiple conditions, including limitations on where vehicles can be parked, picked up and dropped off. No vehicle repairs can be done inside or outside the facility unless a separate special-use permit is issued, and cars dropped off by a customer in the front must be moved to the rear within two business hours.