Residents press Hanover Park for fixes after new parking restrictions leave neighborhoods short of spaces

Residents from several Hanover Park subdivisions pressed the board Thursday for quicker fixes after recently installed parking restrictions and new signage left street parking scarce and inconsistent.

Residents said the changes — including one‑sided no‑parking zones and signs placed at inconsistent distances — have removed many available spaces. Patricia (last name not specified), who lives in the Sutter Drive area, told trustees she sometimes cannot find parking when she picks up her child from school and that many households now have multiple cars. "It's really difficult to find parking in my area," she said during the town‑hall section.

Several other residents detailed similar problems. A resident who identified himself as Ryan told the board the narrower intersections and other safety changes were helpful but that the loss of parking had felt like an added burden on households that are not wealthy. Brian Godby described confusing rules on Gold Circle, where one side of the street was prohibited from parking all day and he said weekday parking is not as congested as weekends, making the permanent ban feel excessive.

Chief of Police Andy Johnson and village staff said they have heard complaints and are taking short‑term steps while working on longer‑term adjustments. The police chief said staff placed a temporary stop on overnight parking enforcement in the most affected subdivision (Rainbow Point/Glens/Fremont Junction area) while the village examines complaints and considers adjustments, and he said staff expects to bring proposed changes to the board at a November meeting. "We put a stop on overnight parking enforcement in there while we get it sorted," the chief said.

Other details from public testimony included reports of inconsistent sign placement and a resident saying she had received three parking tickets in a few weeks because the new markings and signs did not match. One resident suggested options including targeted enforcement (booting serial violators), a one‑time sticker fee, clearer communication and printable guidance for homeowners on the new rules.

Mayor Rodney S. Craig said he is pursuing talks with Commonwealth Edison about additional property that could ease parking pressures, and staff said they would aim to bring consolidated proposed rollbacks or changes to the board in November rather than multiple incremental items. Trustees said government bureaucracy makes some fixes time‑consuming but that the board recognizes the urgency and is working to resolve the matter.

Ending: trustees asked staff to catalogue complaints, prepare consolidated proposed changes for board consideration in November, and continue temporary enforcement pauses where appropriate while adjustments are developed.