Parking permit for a nanny in Berkeley?
Hi Berkeley residents who live in an RPP zone:
Have any of you successfully gotten your nanny a parking permit? If so how?
We live in an RPP zone, and despite multiple attempts of working with the City we still don't have a solution. Right now, she has to move her car every two hours while caring for our 9 month old son and our friend's 7 month old daughter. Fortunately, we're home and can facilitate this, but it will literally not be possible once we're back at work.
Our nanny would need to take a 90 minute one-way transit trip, which we're not willing to ask her to do, if she were to not drive. There is no paid parking structure within a mile of our place, there is no on-site parking. We have exhausted our daily permits (and the City won't sell us more.) We've paid more than $200 in parking fines since November and I'm at my wits end. There's no way we're the first to encounter this issue. I'd really appreciate help if you have suggestions. (Please don't suggest she not drive, she has a young family and spending 3 hours to commute because a City she doesn't live in is barring her from parking legally during a pandemic is lunacy and is not a solution.)
Parent Replies
We had the same issue, so frustrating. In the end, we photoshopped our address onto her registration and submitted that to the permit office. Voila! Permit.
Your mileage may vary.
We've encountered this as well. You will not be able to get one for her unless she is living at your home and can provide a lease or rental agreement to the city along with bills showing that is where she is living. You already exhausted the guest permits. Your only option is Lyft or Uber.
Don't expect any compassion from the city when it comes to parking. There goal is to make parking in Berkeley as difficult as possible so you won't have a car. City or Berkeley will not issue parking permits to property owners who pay tens of thousands in property taxes and city license fees if the house is a rental.
We ran into this issue with our nanny. I'd be happy to share with you how we managed this. Please contact the moderator for my email.
How far is it to a place she can park all day? Can you or your share family pick her up there and drive her back at the end of the day? Or cover uber/lyft/gig car (if you're in the "home zone")? Of course that assumes you don't need her to drive the kids anywhere.
Some ideas:
You can try to post on nextdoor and see if a neighbor is willing to let you park on their driveway.
Check on Craigslist and see if anyone is renting out parking. I picked up a gated parking spot near downtown a few years back when an apartment had extra parking, and last year during the height of the pandemic I managed to get another covered and gated spot near campus for $100/mo in an apartment complex.
If you live near a Bart station, the nanny can park at Bart (assuming she can get a spot), go in and come out the same station, then she's paying the parking fee + excursion fee and walk to your place.
Park in a paid lot and then use a ford bike or scooter to get to your house.
While I can sympathize with your situation - we had a nanny and did the parking dance - but I also understand the city's position of not issuing it to non-residents, because everyone has a sob story of why they need one.
What about walking around the neighborhood and looking for potential parking rental? Maybe neighbors have a long or wide driveway, etc. Some people could really used some extra income right now...