Peter Lehi of Kimley‑Horn presented the City of McHenry with a data‑driven assessment of downtown parking on Dec. 1, saying the consultant’s counts and modeling indicate the area has localized pressure but not a systemic shortfall.

"We come up with 411 spaces," Lehi said when describing a conceptual redevelopment program for the Green Street footprint (125 residential units, 5,000 sq. ft. retail and 15,000 sq. ft. restaurant) and the parking needed to serve both new demand and parking displaced by the project. Lehi explained that the site would displace 249 marked spaces but that only 127 cars were observed parked in the footprint during the sampled counts.

Why it matters: the study’s recommendations are intended to support downtown businesses and manage parking so visitors can find spaces close to destinations without building unnecessary new lots. Council and staff discussed how to balance convenience for customers with the needs of employees who account for some long‑stay parking.

Key findings and methods
Kimley‑Horn collected imagery by drone on four sample dates (May 2; May 17; June 20; Aug. 2), with hourly counts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the two busiest days. The consultant identified June 20 as the peak evening in the sample. Across the downtown subareas the study estimated public parking demand rates of roughly 4.2 to 4.7 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross commercial floor area.

The firm also measured turnover: "about 5% to 6% of the vehicles were parked for over 4 hours," Lehi said, and noted that long‑stay vehicles are commonly employees. District‑level patterns varied: Riverside and the blocks near the Vixen showed the heaviest peak utilization, Green Street peaked near 8 p.m., and Main Street peaked earlier, closer to 6 p.m.

Recommendations and council response
The consultant proposed targeted, short‑term actions (install consistent regulatory and wayfinding signs; clarify permit signage by adding a "permit holders accepted" placard to underused permit areas; investigate lot ownership where signs say "tenant only") and longer‑term options such as partnerships with developers to replace displaced spaces. For high‑demand stretches on Riverside and Green Street, the team recommended switching selected curb spaces to two‑hour parking to increase turnover; their weekday/hourly observations showed average stay durations of about 1.7 to 1.9 hours.

Lehi suggested boosting enforcement effectiveness through technology such as license‑plate recognition to monitor overstays. The presentation also highlighted walkability improvements and lighting to make underused lots (for example, an elevated lot west of Green Street) more attractive to visitors.

Councilmembers broadly supported starting with signage, wayfinding, lighting and business outreach before changing time limits. Several aldermen urged staff to discuss proposed 2‑hour curb restrictions with downtown businesses and to coordinate any changes with enforcement capability. City staff (Russ Adams) said they would follow up to add lot addresses to mapping services, consider temporary lighting solutions and work with businesses and the chamber on outreach.

What the study does not claim
The study is a sample of four dates and Lehi and council acknowledged that special events and weather can change patterns; council members specifically noted that one sampled night had low Vixen ticket sales and that event nights produce different walk‑tolerance behavior. The presentation did not endorse paid meters as a near‑term solution; Lehi said metered parking is primarily a utilization tool and is not recommended unless the city sees substantially higher and persistent occupancy in the future.

Next steps
Council directed staff to pursue clearer signage and mapping of public lots, consult with downtown businesses before making regulatory changes, explore low‑cost additional public parking and report back with options for implementation. The study’s full recommendations will be used by staff during follow‑up outreach and potential ordinance amendments.