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Council reviews proposed downtown square parking changes and pedestrian‑safety notes
Summary
Staff proposed removing privately owned lots from restricted parking rules, adding two city lots to restricted Area 2, eliminating a four‑hour on‑street restriction on Peoria Street, and creating short‑term spaces for nearby businesses; council supported pursuing a code amendment and noted pedestrian‑safety needs tied to a future IDOT project.
City staff briefed the committee on recommended changes to parking regulations on and around the downtown square.
John (city staff) outlined a package of changes developed with downtown business stakeholders: exempting privately controlled lots at 104 Zinsser and 105 North High from restricted‑parking Area 2 rules because the city does not own or lease those lots; adding city‑owned lots at 104 South High and 105 South High to restricted Area 2; removing the four‑hour parking allowance on Peoria Street between North Main and Herbst Lane because on‑street parking is not currently allowed; establishing three 15‑minute spaces in front of Fair Coffee limited to the cafe’s operating hours (6:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday–Saturday) and two 30‑minute spaces near identified storefronts on North Main.
Council members expressed support. Alderson McIntyre said the changes made sense and would help parking turnover for businesses. Alderson Moss raised pedestrian‑safety concerns and suggested enhancements that may require IDOT involvement; John said IDOT has indicated an upcoming project later this year that could improve pedestrian connectivity to the square.
Why it matters: Changes aim to balance business access, customer turnover and pedestrian safety in the downtown core. A code text amendment would be needed to formalize the hourly restrictions tied to business hours.
What’s next: Staff will prepare a code amendment for council consideration at a future meeting.
