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Campton Hills OKs ordinance to regulate parking on Brown Road north of Route 64 after safety debate
Summary
On April 8 the Campton Hills Village Board approved Ordinance 25-08 to allow no-parking restrictions on a stretch of Brown Road north of Route 64 near the Squire Ale House, citing police safety concerns. The measure passed 3-2 after trustees debated whether it would unfairly limit parking on public roads.
The Campton Hills Village Board on April 8 approved Ordinance 25-08 to allow regulation of parking on a section of Brown Road north of Route 64, a measure requested by the village police chief to address safety concerns near the Squire Ale House. The ordinance passed on a 3-2 vote.
The ordinance was prepared "at the request of Chief Levan," Attorney Forte said, and would allow the township to post no-parking signs on the affected stretch. Forte said the problematic area is "North of 64, some vehicles are parking half on the road, half off the road, and creating some obstructions, for traffic that's coming on and off 64," and described the section as roughly "approximately a quarter mile." The attorney also said the township could explore a valet arrangement with the business to reduce roadside parking.
The vote followed a lengthy debate over competing concerns: safety at a high-speed intersection and the rights of drivers to use public roads. "This property has been there for longer than virtually any of those houses," Trustee Burson said, arguing the Ale House and prior businesses at the address predate many nearby residences and that people can legally park on public roads unless they are creating an obstruction. "If you are parking in a way that obstructs traffic, it doesn't really matter what road you're on," Burson said, adding that enforcement should target improper parking rather than blanket no-parking restrictions.
Trustee Boatner emphasized the safety risk from late-night patrons crossing Route 64 near a stretch with no shoulders and limited lighting. "People are drinking and they are going to be crossing Route 64 at a place where it is 55 miles an hour late at night," Boatner said, and urged the board to be proactive about pedestrian safety. Trustee McAlvey said he would support the chief's request, noting concerns about liability and the chief's focus on safety.
Village Engineer Scott told the board that the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) already has a slow-moving safety improvement project planned at the intersection of Brown Road and Route 64 that would add turn lanes, but he said that project "does not address the parking issue to the north on Brown Road." The ordinance authorizes local signage that could be enforced by police to address vehicles left partially in the roadway.
On the roll call, Trustees Boatner, McAlvey and Mallette voted yes; Trustees Burson and Williams voted no. Trustee Muncie was absent. Trustee Mallette said after the vote the board might "revisit and shorten it" later if needed.
The ordinance directs village staff to coordinate with the township on sign placement and to explore off-site parking or valet options with the Squire Ale House. The board did not specify an implementation date in the meeting record.
