Register Vacant Properties: Clarendon Hills Proposal

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills officials want to get a handle on vacant properties in town – something that residents are calling for.

In a memo last week, Village Manager Zach Creer said the majority of ideas floating around are not legally allowed. Those include rent regulation or a vacancy tax to punish property owners for vacancies.

But the village can legally develop a vacancy registry, Creer said. Other towns have such lists, where they inspect vacant properties to make sure they don't become nuisances, are properly maintained, present no safety issues and do not attract crime, he said.

Also, Creer said, the village can help market such properties once they are registered.

On Monday, the Village Board looked at a proposal requiring landlords to inform the village when their properties become vacant.

Landlords would be mandated to submit plans for securing properties temporarily and getting them reoccupied in the long run. The fee for the service would be $190.

"Staff could then maintain a database accessible to the public of available properties for lease and/or sale on the website," Creer said. "Staff get inquiries from businesses, home builders and developers daily, looking for possible sites, and this would be a resource."

The only downsides, he said, are perceived government overreach and the commitment of staff time that may be better used elsewhere.

A final vote on the ordinance is expected at a later meeting.

One of the most high-profile examples of local vacant properties was the old Tracy's Tavern, which was torn down a couple of years ago.