Maine South High School students will likely continue parking on streets east and north of the school after the Park Ridge City Council declined on a measure to issue guest parking permits to residents.
At the Feb. 5 Committee of the Whole meeting, the City Council was asked to consider a guest parking pass program, similar to what Chicago does for its guest parking program on residential streets. City Council members had hoped to develop a plan to address student drivers who park on residential streets near Maine South.
Alderman Rick Biagi of the 6th Ward said he received complaints from residents that Maine South students were using street parking meant for residents during the school year, which limited parking options for residents on those streets. According to Biagi, the parking ordinances are enforced only when residents call to complain.
Part of the reason why neighbors have complained is because Maine South does not have enough parking, according to Mayor Marty Maloney. Maine Township High School District 207 does not provide transportation to its students. Two Pace bus routes stop at Maine South.
“Since staff received infrequent requests for guest passes, and the vast majority of resident-only parking zones in the city are restricted only for two hours in the morning, we do not recommend implementing a guest pass program at this time,” said Public Works Director Sarah Mitchell.
Biagi was concerned that a guest parking program might not have been properly enforced even if the City Council decided to go through with it.
“The (parking) enforcement is kind of discretionary in (the police department),” Biagi said. “We go out and enforce when we get calls. So if neighbors go out and see an influx of student cars, we might call in, but we’re not routinely necessarily going out there to enforce in these zones.”
Park Ridge Police Chief Robert Kampwirth said he was against the city having guest passes, which might open the floodgates for misuse for Maine South students. “You’re gonna have people that will sell them or barter for them and give them out to students and see more students parking over there,” he said.
“Right now, we have had very few calls (of complaints),” said Kampwirth. “I think less than 10 for the last year. My concern would be all of a sudden, we get lots of calls, and then we kind of have to manage this program if that happens.”
After the guest parking passes got weak support, Maloney asked the council, “Do we want to do this, or is the status quo what we want to stay with?”
After a few moments of silence, Alderperson Mwende Lefler, 7th Ward, said she would be interested in a formal program.
After a couple more moments of silence, Maloney said, “That sounds like a bunch of status quo.”
Alderperson Fred Sanchez of the 2nd Ward also supported the idea of a guest pass. Still, other alderpersons wanted to try to educate people about residential zoning parking before any prospect that the police department might ramp up its enforcement of parking.
