LaSalle committee asks police and staff to review ‘no parking’ signs after resident ticketed in Charter Street alley

The LaSalle Streets & Traffic Committee on April 28 directed city staff and the LaSalle Police Department to review whether “no parking” signs posted in the alley and on the diamond in the 800 block of Charter Street are lawful and, if they are not, to contact the signs’ owners and remove them if owners cannot be reached.

Sarah Nelson, who lives at 836 Charter Street, told the committee she and her family have received at least three tickets for parking behind their garage since they bought the house two-and-a-half years ago. “We love our house. We love our neighborhood … but getting a parking ticket for parking out back of our house when we have done nothing but take care of that area since we moved in is a little frustrating,” Nelson said.

The committee’s action followed Nelson’s description that signs in the alley appear not to be city-issued and that the family uses the alley or the diamond behind their garage to access their two-car garage while their daughter is at school. A committee member summarized the next steps: “To clarify the conversation as we have it right now, my understanding is that the action guided to city staff is to work with the police department to review whether those signs are legally posted. And if they’re not, to make contact with who we believe the owners of the signs to be. And if we can’t make contact with those owners, we will take the signs down, if we can do so.”

Nelson told the committee she has received at least three tickets since moving in and that the police chief voided two of them after being alerted; the family paid about $30 after one ticket was reduced, she said. Nelson said the narrow grassy strip where the car is being ticketed is used to access the garage and has been maintained by the family, including mowing and removing refuse. “There’s nowhere to park in front of our house, and there’s nowhere to park behind our house if we keep getting the ticket,” she said.

Committee members and residents discussed two relevant points from city practice and past cases raised during the meeting: LaSalle ordinances prohibit parking on grass—“we do have an ordinance that says no parking on grass”—but gravel or pavement typically prevents enforcement for that violation; and the city allows leasing of an alley diamond for limited terms, a resident said, noting the committee had previously permitted two-year leases for diamond parcels. A committee participant also said that, as a practical matter, everyone with access to a diamond may use it unless the city has placed an official no-parking sign.

The committee did not adopt a formal motion. Members said the police chief was already investigating and that no further formal vote was required; the group agreed on the course of staff follow-up. If the signs turn out to be unauthorized and cannot be tied to private owners, staff said they will remove the signs where allowed.

The committee also approved the minutes from its March 31 meeting by voice vote earlier in the session.