Council delays no-parking ordinance near Saint Charles Convention Center after residents object

The St. Charles County Council on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, temporarily tabled a proposed traffic regulation that would create no-parking zones near the Saint Charles Convention Center after residents said the measure would unfairly restrict neighborhood parking and would not solve event-related crowding.

Residents from neighborhoods adjacent to the convention center gave more than an hour of public testimony urging the council to adopt a solution that protects emergency access while preserving neighborhood parking. “If this is the only thing I feel like it is not enough,” resident Gina Orr said, describing a petition she delivered that she said carried “over 50 residents”' signatures asking for enforcement against convention parking.

Why it matters: neighbors said repeated large events have blocked driveways, left streets too narrow for emergency vehicles and created safety and quality-of-life problems. Council members, county engineering staff and county police described competing goals: ensure emergency access, avoid permanently limiting residents’ on-street parking and put in place an enforceable rule police can apply during large events.

Residents cited safety incidents and nuisance behavior. “I had people ... trying to get into their cars drunk after the event,” Sherry Desilek said, and Patricia Pfister said narrow streets could impede ambulances. Several speakers objected to “no parking at any time” signs because such a rule would remove routine parking for visitors and family.

County staff and police described more limited technical options. County Highway staff said engineers measured the roads and identified specific short street segments where parking would make passage by emergency vehicles impossible; those segments were the basis for the draft no-parking map. The county engineer told the council he had placed temporary no-parking signs for safety while the issue moved through the meeting process.

Police said they would enforce any signed restriction and that enforcement plans matter to make an event-only rule workable. “If it's event parking only that's prohibited, do you feel that you can enforce that?” a council member asked; the police chief replied that the department can enforce event-only restrictions for large events and will coordinate traffic details and complaint-based enforcement.

Council discussion focused on avoiding long-term penalties for residents while protecting emergency access. Councilman Hammond proposed issuing resident permits for street parking, but staff warned permit programs can be administratively burdensome and raise questions about guests and short-term visitors. Several council members suggested working with the City of Saint Charles and the convention center to reduce overflow into neighborhoods.

What the council decided: after discussion the council voted to table the ordinance so staff, police and city officials can return with a clearer, enforceable option. The temporary signs placed by the county engineer remain in place pending a final decision; staff said those temporary signs are valid for up to 120 days and can be adjusted later.

Next steps: the council instructed staff and police to pursue an approach that focuses enforcement on event parking and to coordinate with City of Saint Charles and convention-center operators on longer-term parking and shuttle or garage options. The council will revisit the item at a later meeting after staff and police return with specific enforcement language and maps.