Council awards downtown parking study to Kimley‑Horn for $58,500 after broad debate

The McHenry City Council voted Jan. 21 to award a professional services contract to Kimley‑Horn for a downtown parking study at a cost of $58,500, subject to city-attorney review.

The study will inventory current parking supply block-by-block, analyze peak demand and turnover, consider curbside-management and wayfinding, and evaluate options including shared parking, metering and potential structured parking for future downtown development.

Why it matters: Council members said a data-backed study is needed to guide major, potentially multiyear decisions about downtown development and large capital projects, including whether and where structured parking, metering or other alternatives are warranted.

Council debate ran nearly an hour. Alderman (speaker) Bassi suggested staff first test simple changes to optimize existing lots and questioned spending $58,500 on a study. "If we were to reoptimize this parking lot, we would probably increase the parking by about 20%. So I would like to see us try something like this first, before we spend $58,500 on an actual study," he said. Other council members and staff pushed back that a professional study provides much more than counts — including stakeholder outreach, turnover analysis, curb management, loading zones and alternatives for future development.

City Administrator Suzanne (first name only in packet) told the council the scope does explicitly include options tied to potential redevelopment on the Green Street/bank parcel so the consultant can model scenarios where parking is removed for new development. "This $58,500 does include an option where we have them looking at a potential development on Green Bay," she said, adding that the study will help the city make data-driven decisions before considering large capital investments such as a parking garage.

The consultant’s scope in the council packet promises a mapped inventory, utilization mapping, stakeholder outreach, a five-block turnover study, suggested curbside management and recommended alternatives. Staff and proponents said the final product will be useful to produce an RFP for development and to give clear expectations to prospective developers.

The council approved the contract by roll call. The vote recorded for the Kimley‑Horn contract was Yes: Aldermen Miller, Santee, Glab, McClatchy and Cook; No: Alderman Vasquez; outcome: approved (5–1).

What’s next: Staff will hold a kickoff meeting with Kimley‑Horn, provide the consultant with the city’s what‑if scenarios (including possible development of the bank parcel), and supply lease/occupancy data so the consultant can include those options in demand modeling. The report is expected within about a year and will include maps, turn‑over counts, sign and curb management recommendations and scenario modeling for potential future development.

Ending: Council members emphasized the need to use the study results as an active planning tool — not to shelve the findings — if the city moves forward with downtown redevelopment plans.